Influenza News and Research

Latest Influenza News and Research

New therapy for treating cat allergies looks promising

Andrew Saxon, M.D., and a team of researchers at University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) have found that a molecule designed to block cat allergies can prevent allergic reactions in laboratory mice and was also successful when tested on human cells in a test tube.

28 Mar 2005

NIAID investigates safety of H5N1 avian influenza vaccine

Fast-track recruitment has begun for a trial to investigate the safety of a vaccine against H5N1 avian influenza, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) announced today.

23 Mar 2005

Asian Flu threat underestimated

Dr. Keiji Fukuda an expert at the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention is warning that the incident of the particularly lethal variation of influenza in Southeast Asia is probably far greater than has been reported so far.

21 Mar 2005

Innovative computer modeling technique predicts how protein molecule behavior in response to environmental conditions

In a development that could have great significance for efforts to understand how the basic molecular machinery of life works, researchers at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston (UTMB) have successfully applied an innovative computer modeling technique to predicting how protein molecules will behave in response to different environmental conditions.

15 Mar 2005

ID Biomedical pursues accelerated approval of influenza vaccine

ID Biomedical Corporation announced today that it has been advised by the United States Food and Drug Administration's Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER) that the Company's injectable influenza vaccine is eligible for accelerated approval and priority review mechanisms, allowing possible licensure of the vaccine in time to manufacture product for the 2006/07 season.

15 Mar 2005

Ten more cases of human bird flu in Viet Nam

Full information is desperately needed to assess the risks of a pandemic that in a worst-case scenario could claim tens of millions of lives worldwide says the United Nations health agency.

14 Mar 2005

New H5N1 avian influenza vaccine

Merial today announced the introduction of a new inactivated vaccine, GALLIMUNE Flu H5N9, developed and shown to be effective specifically for use against the highly pathogenic avian influenza virus H5N1 that has caused devastating economic losses in the poultry industry in Asia, and which has been linked to the deaths of over 29 humans.

14 Mar 2005

New flu vaccine for kids hits the market

A new pediatric influenza vaccine that contains no preservatives - the only influenza vaccine approved for use in children 6 to 35 months of age - has been produced by the sanofi-aventis Group, in time for the 2005-2006 influenza season.

10 Mar 2005

Four new cases of human avian influenza reported in Vietnam

The World Health Organization (WHO) said yesterday four new cases of human avian influenza have been reported in Vietnam. These include a 21-year-old man and his 14-year-old sister.

8 Mar 2005

WHO says countries should stockpile H5N1 vaccine

The World Health Organization is about to advise countries to stockpile the influenza vaccine strain known as H5N1, responsible for the deadly birdflu outbreak in Southeast Asia.

7 Mar 2005

Government is treating the symptoms and not fighting the causes of infectious diseases

The Microbiology Awareness Campaign gathered momentum this week at the House of Lords when scientists informed Peers and MPs that new and re-emerging infectious diseases could spell trouble if not tackled soon.

3 Mar 2005

UK Government stockpiles anti-viral medicine Tamiflu from Roche

In an attempt to prevent the spread of the influenza pandemic birdflu the U.K. government will buy 200 million pounds ($384 million) worth of the anti-viral medicine Tamiflu from Roche, one of Switzerland's largest drug companies. The influenza pandemic could kill more than 50,000 people in the country.

1 Mar 2005

Project targeting the increasing resistance of some viruses to drugs

A new project targeting the increasing resistance of some viruses to drugs is being funded with the help of nine million euros under the Life Sciences, Genomics and Biotechnology for Health area of the EU’s Framework Programme.

28 Feb 2005

Proof that vaccinating children against influenza in the hope of reducing disease spread is inconclusive

Proof that vaccinating children aged 6 to 24 months against influenza in the hope of reducing disease spread is inconclusive. These conclusions are based on a small number of studies based on a large dataset of reasonable quality.

27 Feb 2005

Control and containment key to combating avian influenza

Containing the bird flu virus to the greatest extent possible and reducing the risk of infection in poultry and farmed free-range ducks will help to prevent a global human influenza pandemic, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has announced.

24 Feb 2005

State-of-the-art computer technology to tackle deadly diseases such as influenza

Researchers at the University of Bath have won a £261,000 grant to use the latest software to produce a blueprint of a designer drug that could stop influenza and some other diseases from replicating in humans.

22 Feb 2005

Studies reveal methods viruses use to sidestep immune system

A series of studies by researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center sheds light on the mechanisms used by viruses to thwart a host's immune defenses and may aid in the development of more effective drugs to fight hepatitis C and West Nile viruses, as well as the flu and the common cold.

17 Feb 2005