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Genocea raises $30M in Series C financing round

Genocea Biosciences, Inc., a clinical-stage company advancing innovative T cell vaccines for infectious diseases, has raised $30 million in a Series C financing round.

10 Oct 2012

Physical activity associated with increased risk of bleeding in children with hemophilia

Hemophilia is a bleeding disorder that, if untreated, causes recurrent bleeding into joints. "Vigorous physical activity is thought to increase risk of bleeds in children with hemophilia, but the magnitude of the risk is unknown," according to background information in the article. Information about risks associated with physical activity is needed to help inform decisions regarding participation in physical activity, the authors write.

10 Oct 2012

Best-practices protocol significantly reduces ventilator-associated pneumonia

An intensive care unit-initiated protocol implementing “best practices” significantly reduces ventilator-associated pneumonia, research shows.

8 Oct 2012

I COUGH program reduces likelihood of respiratory complications in surgical patients

Respiratory complications—including pneumonia and ventilator dependency—are among the most common complications that occur after operations. But a simple and inexpensive postoperative pulmonary care program known as "I COUGH" reduces the likelihood of those life-threatening and costly complications, researchers from Boston University Medical Center reported today at the 2012 American College of Surgeons (ACS) Annual Clinical Congress.

5 Oct 2012

Multicomponent strategies needed to prevent in-hospital delirium

Delirium in hospitalized adult patients indicates poor long-term outcomes and should be identified promptly and dealt with using evidence-based multicomponent strategies, suggest the authors of a systematic review.

1 Oct 2012

New malaria-transmitting mosquitoes: an interview with Jennifer Stevenson, Research Fellow at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine

In the area in which we carried out the study, which was in the western Kenyan highlands, the main mosquitoes that have been confirmed to transmit malaria are the females of Anopheles gambiae sensu stricto, Anopheles arabiensis and Anopheles funestus.

28 Sep 2012

Positive results from Sobi, Biogen Idec's rFIXFc Phase 3 trial on hemophilia B

Biogen Idec and Swedish Orphan Biovitrum (Sobi) today announced positive results from B-LONG, a clinical study that evaluated a new long-lasting clotting factor candidate in people with hemophilia B. Hemophilia B is a rare inherited disorder that impairs blood coagulation.

27 Sep 2012

Astellas seeks FDA approval for tacrolimus NDA for prophylaxis of organ rejection

Astellas Pharma US, Inc., a U.S. subsidiary of Tokyo-based Astellas Pharma Inc., today announced it has submitted a New Drug Application (NDA) to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration seeking approval for tacrolimus extended release capsules for the prophylaxis of organ rejection in adult kidney transplant recipients and adult male liver transplant recipients.

24 Sep 2012

Study estimates drug concentrations of Truvada and tenofovir to reduce risk of HIV among MSM

Several large clinical trials have demonstrated that a daily oral dose of one or two antiretroviral drugs used to treat HIV infection can prevent infection in an approach known as pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP.

15 Sep 2012

Protocol adherence enhances outcomes in fast-track colorectal surgery

Outcomes following fast-track colorectal surgery are directly related to adherence to enhanced recovery after surgery protocols, shows an Italian study.

13 Sep 2012

Case Western Reserve researcher discovers new antivirulence drugs against MRSA and strep

Menachem Shoham, PhD, associate professor of biochemistry at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, has discovered novel antivirulence drugs that, without killing the bacteria, render Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA) and Streptococcus pyogenes, commonly referred to as strep, harmless by preventing the production of toxins that cause disease.

13 Sep 2012

Early CATCH improves thrombocytopenia outcomes

One in five patients using heparin to protect against venous thromboembolism develops thrombocytopenia, reveal results from the CATCH Registry.

12 Sep 2012

Researchers, policymakers to gather at AIDS Vaccine 2012 conference in Boston

"With a completed trial in Thailand that offered evidence a vaccine could be developed to protect people from HIV, emerging science identifying antibodies against HIV, and a current trial testing a novel vaccine combination against the virus potentially producing more information in the next year, this is an exciting time to hold a conference, organizers of AIDS Vaccine 2012 say," the Center for Global Health Policy's "Science Speaks" blog reports.

7 Sep 2012

Merck, Symphogen announce worldwide license agreement for Sym004 to treat cancers

Symphogen A/S, a private biopharmaceutical company developing recombinant antibody mixtures, a class of antibody therapeutics under investigation for the treatment or prophylaxis of serious human diseases such as cancer or infectious and autoimmune diseases, today announced that an exclusive worldwide license agreement was signed with Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, for Sym004, an investigational antibody mixture targeting the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR).

6 Sep 2012

Baxter seeks FDA BLA approval for BAX 326 rFIX protein to treat hemophilia B

Baxter International Inc. today announced that the company has submitted a biologics license application to the United States Food and Drug Administration for approval of BAX 326, a recombinant factor IX (rFIX) protein being investigated for the treatment and prophylaxis of bleeding episodes for patients over 12 years of age with hemophilia B.

From Baxter International Inc. 5 Sep 2012

Study assesses post-coronary artery bypass graft surgery atrial fibrillation and long-term survival

Atrial fibrillation is a common complication of cardiac surgery, occurring in 10 percent to 40 percent of patients. Recent studies show it to be associated with poorer health following surgery and poorer long-term survival. Furthermore, development of atrial fibrillation after cardiac surgery leads to average additional health care costs of $15,000 to $20,000.

1 Sep 2012

FDA approves Gilead’s Stribild to treat HIV-1 infection

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Stribild (elvitegravir, cobicistat, emtricitabine, tenofovir disoproxil fumarate), a new once-a-day combination pill to treat HIV-1 infection in adults who have never been treated for HIV infection.

28 Aug 2012

Pre-emptive therapy better than valacyclovir prophylaxis in treating CMV in transplant recipients

Waiting to treat the commonest viral infections in transplant recipients until they reach a certain threshold is better than prophylactically treating all recipients, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (JASN).

24 Aug 2012

International community must redouble efforts to ensure 'many' AIDS-free generations

A Lancet editorial discusses the agenda of the XIX International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2012) in Washington last month and asks how the success of the conference will be judged at the XX International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2014), to be held in Melbourne, Australia.

22 Aug 2012

Genocea commences GEN-003 Phase 1/2a study in moderate-to-severe HSV-2 infection

Genocea Biosciences announced today that it has initiated a Phase 1/2a clinical study with its lead candidate, GEN-003. GEN-003 is an investigational vaccine designed to stimulate T cell and B cell immune responses to potentially reduce the frequency and severity of clinical outbreaks associated with moderate-to-severe Herpes Simplex Virus type 2 (HSV-2) infection.

16 Aug 2012