Working hours during Carnival at FIOCRUZ
On Friday (February 13), the eve of Carnival, Fiocruz will operate remotely.
During Carnival week, there will be optional working hours on Monday (February 16) and Tuesday (February 17).
On Wednesday (February 18), work will be remote from 2 p.m. onwards.
These measures do not apply to essential services, which will operate normally. The Fiocruz Daycare Center and Nust/CST will not be open for in-person service between February 13 and February 18.

Working hours during Carnival at ReBEC/FIOCRUZ

SYSTEM AND CHAT SERVICE REBEC@
The ReBEC platform remains in operation 24 hours a day, every day of the week, with service provided by AI ReBEC@. 

CHAT AND HUMAN SERVICE
Human service follows the special operating hours determined by Fiocruz for Carnival. On Friday (February 13), the eve of Carnival, remote working from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. During Carnival week, optional working on February 16 and 17. On Wednesday, February 18, remote working from 2 p.m. Human service hours will return to normal from Thursday, February 19.

PRIORITY SERVICES

The Brazilian Registry of Clinical Trials (ReBEC) presents the new fast tracks for clinical research and observational studies on INDIGENOUS PEOPLE AND TRADITIONAL COMMUNITIES and on NEGLECTED TROPICAL DISEASES (NTDs). Fast-track can reduce the normal approval period for clinical trials to less than 48 hours, if the documentation, information and any mandatory changes requested are provided by the registrant.

The already existing fast-tracks and the attendance to other studies will not be interrupted. Priority care is granted with a view to accelerating clinical research in epidemiological emergency situations and/or studies with the potential to reduce socioeconomic inequalities, keeping the perspective aligned with the forefront of ethics and transparency, diplomacy in health, scientific collaboration and diversity and specificities of recruitment and health care.

FAST-TRACKS IN OPERATION:

I - Indigenous Peoples, Traditional Communities, Human Migration and Refugee Movements – clinical research and observational studies dedicated to or preferably addressing traditional communities (quilombola, caiçara, faxinalense, among others), Indigenous peoples (within or outside legally demarcated territories), and refugee groups, taking into account the specificities established by regulation, on a case-by-case basis.

II - Neglected Tropical Diseases – Leprosy, Tuberculosis, Leishmaniasis, Schistosomiasis, Scabies, Chagas disease, Intestinal parasitoses, Viral hepatitis, Trachoma, Onchocerciasis, Human rabies transmitted by dogs.

III - National and International Public Health Emergencies – Mpox, Covid-19.

IV - Arboviruses – Zika, Dengue, Chikungunya, Malaria, Yellow fever.

V - WHO Prioritized Pathogens for Latin America – Studies dealing with World Health Organization prioritized pathogens for Latin America, as listed in the document "PATHOGENS PRIORITIZATION - A SCIENTIFIC FRAMEWORK FOR EPIDEMIC AND PANDEMIC RESEARCH PREPAREDNESS" (Health Emergencies Programme, 2024) – Lassa fever, Cholera, Black Death (Plague), Bacillary dysentery or Shigellosis, Salmonella, Pneumonia, Urinary tract infection, MERS-CoV, SARS, Ebola virus (EVE), Marburg virus (MVE), Ebola virus (EVE) Sudan subtype, Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS), Hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS), Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever, Influenza A H1, Influenza A H2, Influenza A H3, Avian influenza (Influenza A H5N1), Avian influenza (Influenza A H6), Avian influenza H7 (Avian influenza H7), Avian influenza H10 or Avian influenza H10, Nipah disease, Viral hemorrhagic disease, Poliomyelitis, Hand-foot-and-mouth disease, Herpangina, Viral meningitis, Smallpox, Mpox, Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), Venezuelan equine encephalitis (VEE).

VI - WHO Prioritized Prototype Pathogens for Latin America – Studies dealing with World Health Organization prioritized prototype pathogens for Latin America, as listed in the document "PATHOGENS PRIORITIZATION - A SCIENTIFIC FRAMEWORK FOR EPIDEMIC AND PANDEMIC RESEARCH PREPAREDNESS" (Health Emergencies Programme, 2024) – Recombinant mastadenovirus, Mastadenovirus blackbeardi serotype 14, Mammarenavirus juninense, Mammarenavirus lujoense, Mamastrovirus virginiaense, Orthobornavirus bornaense, Orthoflavivirus encephalitidis, Orthoflavivirus nilense, Orthohepadnavirus hominoidae genotype C, Paslahepevirus balayani genotype 3, Protoparvovirus carnivoran, Orthobunyavirus oropoucheense, Phlebovirus riftense, Orthopicobirnavirus hominis, Enterovirus alphacoxsackie 71, Enterovirus deconjuncti 68, Metapneumovirus hominis, Orthopoxvirus vaccinia, Genus Vesiculovirus, Genus Rotavirus, Orthoreovirus mammalis.

VII - Studies on the impacts of climate change, the effects of scientific denialism, and health misinformation -The physical, mental, and social consequences of environmental and climate changes on human populations; The impact of extreme weather events and environmental degradation on infectious, chronic, or emerging diseases; The influence of denialist narratives and misinformation in Health on adherence to preventive measures, vaccination, treatments, and risk behaviors, as well as the physical and mental outcomes for human beings and populations.

INSTRUCTIONS:

We recommend reading the Registrant Handbook. Material available at LINK.

1. Register or log in and normally fill out the forms in Portuguese and English. For English, in case of difficulty, use the Google Translate tool (or another free translation tool).
2. Attach the mandatory ethics committee documentation and submit the form.
3. Register the service number on your Whatsapp. Send a message with your name and login. IT IS NOT NECESSARY NOR RECOMMENDED TO SEND YOUR PASSWORD.
4. A reviewer will respond to you. Choose the service modality: chat, audio recordings or voice call by appointment.
5. Your form will be proofread in both languages. Follow the remaining guidelines to finalize the approval.

CONTACTS:

Support is online, via chat, dedicated telephone line (see phone number below) and WhatsApp, from 9 am to 5 pm (Brasília time).

Administrative, priority and/or urgent matters outside office hours: plantao.rebec@gmail.com
Line 1: +55 21 97203-4750

ABOUT REBEC:

The Brazilian Registry of Clinical Trials (ReBEC) is a free access virtual platform for recording experimental and non-experimental studies carried out on human beings and conducted in Brazilian territory, by Brazilian and foreign researchers. ReBEC is a joint project of the Ministry of Health (DECIT/MS), the Pan American Health Organization (OPAS) and the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (FIOCRUZ). ReBEC's Executive Committee is composed of the aforementioned institutions and the National Health Surveillance Agency (ANVISA).

02/26/2026 | Ministry of Health

https://www.gov.br/saude/pt-br/assuntos/noticias/2026/fevereiro/ministerio-da-saude-inclui-exame-de-alta-tecnologia-no-sus-para-doencas-raras-espera-das-familias-por-diagnostico-reduz-de-7-anos-para-seis-meses 

Complete Exome Sequencing will be available in the public network with the capacity to meet 100% of the demand. In the private network, the cost is up to R$ 5,000 per patient.

The Ministry of Health announced, this Thursday (26), the beginning of the offer in the SUS (Brazilian Public Health System) of an innovative, high-technology genetic test for the confirmation of the diagnosis of rare genetic diseases. This refers to Whole Exome Sequencing (WES), which will address 90% of cases in Brazil requiring timely test results. This is one of the main bottlenecks faced by families, who will receive results in up to six months (previously seven years). This represents a 93% reduction in waiting time.

During the week of World and National Rare Disease Day, celebrated on February 28th, the Ministry also announced an investment of R$ 26 million/year to expand the availability of the test throughout the country. In the private sector, Whole Exome Sequencing can cost up to R$ 5,000. In the public sector, it will be free. Currently, approximately 13 million Brazilians have one of the 7,000 cataloged rare diseases, with more than 70% of genetic origin.

“When the SUS (Brazilian Public Health System) starts offering complete genetic sequencing, an exam that can cost up to R$ 5,000, we are breaking a historical barrier to access. This will reduce the diagnosis time, which today can take up to seven years, to a few months, completely changing the quality of life…

02/26/2026 | Fiocruz

https://agencia.fiocruz.br/fiocruz-inicia-estudos-clinicos-com-terapia-genica-inovadora-para-atrofia-muscular-espinhal 

In partnership with the Ministry of Health (MS), Fiocruz has begun the first human clinical study of GB221, a gene therapy product that integrates the new generation of this class of products, aimed at treating Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) Type 1 (SMA1), the most severe form of the disease. The clinical research represents an advance in the development of gene therapies, one of the most innovative frontiers of precision public health, focusing on the Unified Health System (SUS).

The project is being conducted by Fiocruz in partnership with Gemma Biotherapeutics, Inc. (GEMMABio), the technology holder and sponsor of the study within the scope of the National Health Surveillance Agency (Anvisa); Intrials Pesquisa Clínica Ltda; Casa dos Raros; and the Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre (HCPA).

The announcement took place this Thursday (February 26th) in Brasília, during an event organized by the Ministry of Health commemorating World Rare Disease Day (February 28th). SMA is a rare disease that manifests in the first months of life and is caused by an alteration in the SMN1 gene, responsible for producing a protein essential for the functioning of neurons that control movement. The absence of this protein causes progressive loss of muscle strength and can compromise the survival of children in the first years of life.

New technological frontier in Brazil

The ongoing clinical study is part of the process of incorporating this technology within the context of the Fiocruz Strategy for Advanced Therapies. The goal is to provide the country with the scientific, technological, production, and healthcare infrastructure…

02/26/2026 | Francisco Paiva Jr. | Canal Autismo

https://www.canalautismo.com.br/noticia/em-estudo-clinico-inedito-nos-eua-primeiro-autista-recebe-dose-de-terapia-genetica/ 

An important milestone for science occurred this week: for the first time in the world, an autistic person received a dose of gene therapy. The announcement was made yesterday (February 25, 2026) in the United States by the pharmaceutical laboratory Mahzi Therapeutics, using technology developed by the Muotri Lab at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD). The dose is part of the clinical study called “UNITE,” a phase 1/2 clinical trial of the gene therapy MZ-1866, specifically designed for a type of syndromic autism, Pitt-Hopkins syndrome, which affects a single gene, TCF4, based on research using mini-brains (cerebral organoids). The patient is a level 3 autistic individual requiring support.

The study is led by Brazilian neuroscientist Dr. Alysson Muotri, a professor at the UCSD medical school, who celebrated: “The first individual on autism spectrum level 3 to be treated in a clinical trial is an important milestone for validating the gene therapy strategy (a substance that will act directly on the specific gene) for ASD. Even more relevant is that all of this was discovered using a human model, brain organoids, which are generated in the laboratory from the patients' own cells. With the clinical trial, we will evaluate the impact of this strategy on the brain, which symptoms can be reversed, and if there are any unexpected side effects in this type of approach. It is no longer a distant dream; it is becoming a reality,” said Muotri, who is also the co-founder of the startup Tismoo in Brazil, exclusively to Revista Autismo.

The Unite study (Phase 1/2) is a multicenter, open-label, global…

02/26/2026 | Sharon Theimer | Mayo Clinic

https://newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/pt/2026/02/26/novo-tratamento-ajuda-a-reduzir-ondas-de-calor-em-terapia-para-cancer-de-prostata/ 

A drug widely used to treat overactive bladder significantly reduced hot flashes in men undergoing hormone therapy for prostate cancer, according to a study published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology involving several Mayo Clinic researchers.

The phase 2 study demonstrated that oxybutynin, a drug commonly prescribed to treat overactive bladder, was more effective than placebo in reducing the frequency and intensity of hot flashes in men undergoing hormone therapy for prostate cancer. Participants who received oxybutynin also reported improvements in daily activities and overall quality of life.

Hot flashes are estimated to affect between 60% and 80% of men undergoing androgen deprivation therapy, potentially interfering with sleep, mood, and overall well-being. In some cases, the symptoms are so intense that they hinder the continuation of treatment.

“Hot flashes are often underestimated in men, but they can have a real and lasting impact on quality of life during prostate cancer treatment,” says Bradley Stish, M.D., a radiation oncologist at the Mayo Clinic and first author of the study. “This clinical trial shows that oxybutynin can provide significant relief, with a favorable safety profile.”

The study included 88 men with prostate cancer who experienced frequent hot flashes while receiving androgen deprivation therapy. Participants were randomly assigned to receive oxybutynin at one of two doses or a placebo for six weeks.

Men who received the highest dose of oxybutynin experienced the greatest benefit, with an average reduction of nearly seven hot flash episodes per…

02/23/2026 | Jessica Bernardo | Metrópolis

https://www.metropoles.com/sao-paulo/butantan-antecipara-entrega-de-13-milhao-de-doses-da-vacina-da-dengue 

Vaccine, which was scheduled for delivery in the second half of the year, should arrive at the Ministry of Health by the end of June.

The Butantan Institute will advance the delivery of 1.3 million doses of the dengue vaccine, Butantan-DV, to the Ministry of Health. The shipment of immunizing agents was only scheduled for the second half of this year.

The information was announced this Monday (February 23rd) by Governor Tarcísio de Freitas (Republicanos) and the director of the Butantan Institute, Esper Kállas, at the ceremony marking the 125th anniversary of Butantan, at the institution's headquarters in the western part of São Paulo.

“We are going to bring forward 1.3 million doses that were planned for the second semester and will now deliver them in the first semester. Starting with 200,000 doses that will be delivered this February,” stated Tarcísio.

In total, the Ministry of Health contracted the production of 3.9 million doses of the vaccine with Butantan, for R$ 368 million. The first shipment, also of 1.3 million vaccines, was completed in January of this year. The last batch of contracted vaccines should arrive at the Ministry of Health in 2027.