In a new episode of the Love, Hope, Lyme podcast, host Fred Diamond interviewed Laura MacNeill, MBA, Chief Executive Officer of the Global Lyme Alliance, about updates in the field of Lyme disease. Ms. MacNeill revealed that there is a critical need to improve diagnostic and therapeutic options for patients with Lyme disease. However, despite the disease’s prevalence, funding for Lyme disease research often represents only a fraction of the funding allocated to other infectious diseases—leading to lower levels of scientific advancement, higher health-care costs, and delayed diagnoses. She stressed that up to 60% of early-stage Lyme disease cases are missed using standard diagnostics, increasing the risk of severe disease. Researchers are currently looking to use the biomarker peptidoglycan to develop a rapid at-home test for acute Lyme disease that may be capable of detecting the presence of Lyme disease–causing bacteria within hours of infection. Further, Ms. MacNeill noted that although common antibiotics such as doxycycline can be effective in patients with early-stage disease, the treatment may be ineffective against more pervasive infections. She highlighted that the Global Lyme Alliance has funded drug discovery programs to investigate the efficacy of hygromycin A in preventing chronic Lyme disease; in January 2024, the drug advanced to the first stage of human clinical trials. The Alliance is also funding research into psychiatric disorders, such as depression and suicidal ideation, in patients diagnosed with Lyme disease. Ms. MacNeill advised physicians to become more aware of the risks of psychiatric disorders in this patient population and recommended that those with Lyme disease who experience mental health symptoms, especially within 1 year of diagnosis, should visit their physicians immediately.