Pandemic News and Research

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A pandemic is a global disease outbreak. During a pandemic, transmission can be anticipated in the workplace, not only from patient to workers in health care settings, but also among co-workers in general work settings. A pandemic would cause high levels of illness, death, social disruption, and economic loss. Everyday life would be disrupted because so many people in so many places become seriously ill at the same time. Impacts could range from school and business closings to the interruption of basic services such as public transportation and food delivery.

Health care industry does not have routine ways to prevent patient harm, expert argues

In health care reform discussions, talk inevitably turns to making hospitals and physicians accountable for patient outcomes. But in a commentary being published in the July 14 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, Johns Hopkins patient safety expert Peter Pronovost, M.D., Ph.D., argues that the health care industry doesn't yet have measurable, achievable and routine ways to prevent patient harm — and that, in many cases, there are too many barriers in the way to attain them.

14 Jul 2010

HIVMA, RWMPC support National HIV/AIDS Strategy

The HIV Medicine Association applauds the Obama administration's release of a National HIV/AIDS Strategy that signals a strengthened national commitment to real and sustained success in the battle against HIV/AIDS. As clinicians and researchers on the frontline of this pandemic, we welcome this new comprehensive roadmap and look forward to working with diverse stakeholders at all levels of government and within the private sector to implement it.

14 Jul 2010

Sperian Respiratory Protection awarded VHA contract for 65,000 special configuration half-mask respirators

The U.S. Veterans Health Administration (VHA) has awarded Sperian Respiratory Protection USA a contract to purchase 65,000 special configuration modified Sperian Blue1 half-mask respirators with speaking diaphragm for use in VHA hospitals nationwide. VHA is the largest integrated healthcare system in the United States with over 150 hospitals and 130,000 healthcare workers. This award is a result of Sperian's emphasis on developing respiratory products that enhance speech intelligibility when worn by healthcare workers.

13 Jul 2010

Report on program to develop, test nasally delivered H5N1 vaccine filed with Japan's MHLW

Hemispherx Biopharma, Inc., announced that it has received a report, prepared by Hideki Hasegawa, M.D. Ph.D., Director, Laboratory of Infectious Disease Pathology, National Institute of Infectious Disease, that summarizes the results of a three year Japanese government funded program to develop and test a nasally delivered H5N1 (Avian Flu) vaccine which, when coupled with Ampligen®, an experimental therapeutic, provided a robust and long lasting immune response to the vaccine.

12 Jul 2010

WHO report examines donors response to developing countries during H1N1 pandemic

CIDRAP News examines a recently-released WHO report on how donor countries and organizations have responded to the needs of developing countries during the H1N1 (swine flu) pandemic. In September, the WHO estimated the "64 'least-resourced countries' needed a total of $1.48 billion of aid for vaccine, medicines and supplies, laboratory and surveillance services, communications capacity, and other activities to respond to the pandemic," according to the news service.

9 Jul 2010

American, Canadian officials discuss global health developments at recent G8, G20 summits

The recent G8 summit in Canada's Muskoka region took an important step forward in improving maternal and child health in developing countries, Canadian and American officials said at a forum Wednesday in Washington, DC.

9 Jul 2010

Increasing HAART treatment for HIV/AIDS patients will provide significant cost savings: Study

Increasing highly active antiretroviral therapy treatment for people with HIV/AIDS will provide significant cost savings over a relatively short period of time, according to a formal economic analysis led by researchers at the BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS (BC-CfE) at Providence Health Care and the University of British Columbia.

8 Jul 2010

Aethlon Medical files provisional patent on behalf of ESI for exosome detection assay

Aethlon Medical, Inc., the pioneer in developing therapeutic filtration devices to address infectious disease and cancer, announced today that it has filed a provisional patent on behalf of its wholly owned subsidiary Exosome Sciences, Inc. (ESI), relating to the development of an assay that will allow researchers to detect exosomes in blood and other fluids.

8 Jul 2010

HHS awards $390.5M to strengthen medical surge capability in hospitals and health care organizations

States, territories, and large metropolitan areas will receive grants totaling $390.5 million this month to help hospitals and other health care organizations strengthen the medical surge capability across the nation.

8 Jul 2010

WHO H1N1 response probe's second meeting highlights divergent views

The independent team of health experts responsible for reviewing the WHO's response to H1N1 (swine flu) wrapped up a second round of public hearings on Friday, "during which members heard testimony from widely divergent groups, from health officials to some of its most public critics," CIDRAP News reports.

7 Jul 2010

International conference focuses on HPV's impact on women

Scientists, clinicians and public health leaders from around the world are gathered in Montreal this week for the 26th International Papillomavirus Conference where they hope to generate awareness about human papillomavirus, Canwest News Service/Gazette reports (Martin/McCallum, 7/4).

7 Jul 2010

Virus related to hepatitis C discovered in Asian bats

Viral hepatitis affects more than 500 million people worldwide and is a cause of liver failure and liver cancer. While vaccines are available for hepatitis A and B, this is not the case for hepatitis C, which affects as much as two percent of the population in the U.S. Scientists today are reporting discovery of a virus related to hepatitis C in Asian bats, which may provide insights into the origins of the hepatitis C virus and into the mechanisms by which infectious diseases move from other species to humans.

2 Jul 2010

Sirnaomics receives NIH SBIR grants to advance siRNA therapeutics for critical human diseases

Sirnaomics, Inc. announced today that the company has received two SBIR (Small Business Innovation Research) grants from National Cancer Institute (NCI) and National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), of National Institute of Health (NIH). Sirnaomics, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company founded in early 2007, is dedicated to developing RNA interference (RNAi) therapeutics for treatment of critical human diseases.

30 Jun 2010

Study investigates efficacy of SWV measurement in evaluation of NASH pathophysiology using ultrasound

Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is manifestation of metabolic syndrome in the liver and is a pandemic over the globe especially in the developed countries, based on a high calorie diet and sedentary life style. As in the other types of chronic hepatitis, collagen fibers continuously accumulate in the liver through the course of NASH toward cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma development.

29 Jun 2010

LEAPS vaccine technology generates dendritic cells to stimulate immune system to fight viral illnesses

CEL-SCI Corporation and researchers at the Northeastern Ohio Universities Colleges of Medicine and Pharmacy (NEOUCOM) jointly announced today that a LEAPS-based vaccine (Ligand Epitope Antigen Presentation System) study has demonstrated the technology's potential using dendritic cells to stimulate the immune system to fight viral illnesses and other diseases.

29 Jun 2010

Rare human antibodies protect mice from lethal strains of influenza

Scientists have identified a new, highly conserved molecular target on the influenza A virus and demonstrated that human antibodies against this target are protective in animal models of seasonal and highly-pathogenic avian influenza. The work was conducted by researchers at Theraclone Sciences, with collaborators at University of Wisconsin-Madison, University of Tokyo and Johns Hopkins University; and is reported this week in the online Early Edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

29 Jun 2010

IAVI announces Japanese pledge of $10M for AIDS vaccine research and development

The International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI) announced today that the Government of Japan pledged a US$10 million grant to support AIDS vaccine research and development over the next five years. The grant, which will be channeled through a newly established World Bank trust fund, is the first of its kind from the Japanese government to IAVI.

28 Jun 2010

AMP comments on barriers to market for molecular diagnostic tests at FDA CDRH meeting

Yesterday, the Association for Molecular Pathology (AMP) gave public comments at the FDA's Center for Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH) Council meeting on Medical Device Innovation: Barriers to Market for Molecular Diagnostic Tests.

28 Jun 2010

Sixth annual Mayors Campaign Against HIV launched to encourage people test for HIV

OraSure Technologies, Inc. and the National Association of People with AIDS announced today the launch of the sixth annual Mayors Campaign Against HIV, a national campaign to encourage testing for HIV and promote the benefits of knowing one's HIV status. The Campaign is part of the annual observance of National HIV Testing Day on Sunday, June 27, 2010.

25 Jun 2010

IDRI signs Research Collaboration Agreement with PATH

Two global health non-profit organizations headquartered in Seattle, Washington, the Infectious Disease Research Institute and PATH, have entered into a Research Collaboration Agreement to evaluate novel adjuvants for their ability to enhance the immune response of pandemic influenza vaccines in development. The collaboration supports the goal of PATH's influenza vaccine project to advance the development of promising new influenza vaccines focusing on novel technologies that can be accessible, affordable, and available to people in low-resource countries in a global outbreak.

25 Jun 2010

Pandemic News and Research

Further Reading

Health care industry does not have routine ways to prevent patient harm, expert argues

HIVMA, RWMPC support National HIV/AIDS Strategy

Sperian Respiratory Protection awarded VHA contract for 65,000 special configuration half-mask respirators

Report on program to develop, test nasally delivered H5N1 vaccine filed with Japan's MHLW

WHO report examines donors response to developing countries during H1N1 pandemic

American, Canadian officials discuss global health developments at recent G8, G20 summits

Increasing HAART treatment for HIV/AIDS patients will provide significant cost savings: Study

Aethlon Medical files provisional patent on behalf of ESI for exosome detection assay

HHS awards $390.5M to strengthen medical surge capability in hospitals and health care organizations

WHO H1N1 response probe's second meeting highlights divergent views

International conference focuses on HPV's impact on women

Virus related to hepatitis C discovered in Asian bats

Sirnaomics receives NIH SBIR grants to advance siRNA therapeutics for critical human diseases

Study investigates efficacy of SWV measurement in evaluation of NASH pathophysiology using ultrasound

LEAPS vaccine technology generates dendritic cells to stimulate immune system to fight viral illnesses

Rare human antibodies protect mice from lethal strains of influenza

IAVI announces Japanese pledge of $10M for AIDS vaccine research and development

AMP comments on barriers to market for molecular diagnostic tests at FDA CDRH meeting

Sixth annual Mayors Campaign Against HIV launched to encourage people test for HIV

IDRI signs Research Collaboration Agreement with PATH

Best practices - optimize qPCR processes for pathogen detection eBook

Designing fluidic architecture for scalable diagnostic platforms

Evaluating new approaches for rare disease genomics

Expanding access to NMR with the Fourier 80 Duo

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