Flu News and Research

RSS

Making public policies on vaccination with limited information

"Let's say you're a public health official from the Centers for Disease Control, and you don't really know how much disease is going to be averted by vaccinating different fractions of the population," said Manski, the Board of Trustees Professor in Economics in the Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences. "Then how should you choose a policy? That's really what the paper tries to address."

26 Feb 2010

CDC ACIP's vote for universal influenza vaccination recommendation: FFF endorses

Families Fighting Flu (FFF) fully supports today's vote by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) to expand the current influenza vaccination recommendations to include all adults aged 19 to 49 years of age. Previous recommendations included all other age groups with the exception of this new adult population. This new recommendation will be implemented beginning with the 2010-2011 influenza season.

25 Feb 2010

IBM Maximo software helps GNL ensure optimal performance of equipment in fight against emerging infectious diseases

In the fight against emerging infectious diseases, The Galveston National Laboratory (GNL), one of two National Institutes of Health funded bio-containment laboratories in the United States, is benefiting from IBM software to ensure the optimal performance of all equipment functioning within its facility. The GNL, which is dedicated to the study and prevention of emerging infectious diseases, will use IBM Maximo Asset Management Software to help automate, manage and ensure the performance of its 3,000 operating assets in one of the world's most complex medical research environments.

24 Feb 2010

FDA recommends H1N1 for inclusion in next year's flu vaccine

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Monday recommended that the H1N1 (swine flu) strain be added to next year's seasonal flu vaccine, "putting an end to separate shots deployed against the pandemic," Bloomberg reports. The FDA committee voted unanimously to make the H1N1 strain one of the three strains included in the shot, according to the news service. "The panel's recommendations are routinely adopted and used to guide vaccine manufacturers," Bloomberg writes (Randall, 2/22).

24 Feb 2010

Tenet Healthcare announces 9.0% increase in fourth-quarter EBITDA

Tenet Healthcare Corporation today reported adjusted EBITDA of $218 million for the fourth quarter ended Dec. 31, 2009, an increase of $18 million, or 9.0 percent, as compared to $200 million for the fourth quarter of 2008.

24 Feb 2010

FDA grants Diagnostic Hybrids emergency use authorization for 2009 H1N1 Influenza A Virus ID Kit

Diagnostic Hybrids, a Quidel Company has received emergency use authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for its D3® UltraTM 2009 H1N1 Influenza A Virus ID Kit, a monoclonal antibody fluorescent staining kit for the specific identification of 2009 H1N1 influenza A in direct patient specimens or incubated tissue cultures.

23 Feb 2010

PositiveID, RECEPTORS announce successful completion of rapid virus detection system Phase I development

PositiveID Corporation, in conjunction with its development partner RECEPTORS LLC, announced today that it has successfully completed Phase I development of its rapid virus detection system, a non-invasive, point-of-care test to test patient samples and identify various forms of influenza within minutes. Phase II of the development, which the Company expects to complete by the end of 2010, is planned to launch in February 2010.

23 Feb 2010

HHS Secretary reviews H1N1 response at NACCHO conference

Thank you, Tom. I also want to thank NACCHO for hosting this important conference and for inviting me to speak here today. Public health is a top priority for this administration. So is strengthening our partnerships across government. So I’m glad I could come talk with you about how we can work together to keep Americans healthy and safe.

22 Feb 2010

Brain and tissue sample repository to help advance understanding and treatment of psychiatric diseases

Johns Hopkins Children's Center neurovirologist Robert Yolken, M.D., and collaborators from the Stanley Medical Research Institute have developed a large repository of brain and tissue samples to advance the understanding and treatment of bipolar disorder, major depression and schizophrenia.

20 Feb 2010

Amerigroup's fourth-quarter revenues rise 18.5%

Amerigroup Corporation today announced that net income for the fourth quarter of 2009 was $40.2 million, or $0.79 per diluted share, versus $35.9 million, or $0.67 per diluted share, for the fourth quarter of 2008. For the year ended December 31, 2009, the Company's net income was $149.3 million, or $2.85 per diluted share.

19 Feb 2010

Sacred Heart Medical Center fined $8,000 for failing to adhere to state and national H1N1 influenza safety standards

On January 29, 2010, Sacred Heart Medical Center was cited and fined $8,000 for failing to adhere to state and national H1N1 influenza safety standards. The Department of Labor and Industries Division of Occupational Safety and Health issued the citation and fine for violation of Center for Disease Control and Occupational Safety and Health Administration guidelines on H1N1 and also for violation of the DOSH Directive on Enforcement Procedures for High or Very High Occupational Exposure Risk to the 2009 H1N1 Influenza.

19 Feb 2010

Researchers develop technology to preserve vaccines in tropical temperatures

A team of British researchers have developed a simple, low-cost method to preserve vaccines in tropical climates, which they say could help to revolutionalize vaccination campaigns in developing countries, Reuters reports.

19 Feb 2010

WHO recommends H1N1 be added to next year's seasonal flu virus

The WHO is recommending the H1N1 (swine flu) virus be added to the regular flu vaccine for the Northern Hemisphere's 2010-2011 regular flu season, the Associated Press reports (2/18).

19 Feb 2010

Ear candles can cause serious injuries, warns FDA

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is warning consumers to steer clear of ear candles -- hollow cones that are about 10 inches long and made from a fabric tube soaked in beeswax, paraffin, or a mixture of the two.

18 Feb 2010

OPKO Health acquires Pharmacos Exakta

OPKO Health, Inc. today announced that it has completed the acquisition of Pharmacos Exakta, S.A. de C.V. (“Pharmacos Exakta”), a privately-owned Mexican pharmaceutical company engaged in the manufacture, marketing and distribution of ophthalmic and other pharmaceutical products for government and private markets since 1957. OPKO acquired Pharmacos Exakta, including a manufacturing facility owned by an affiliate, for cash and shares of OPKO Common Stock.

18 Feb 2010

West Pharmaceutical Services reports 19.9% growth in consolidated fourth-quarter sales

West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. today announced its results for the fourth quarter and full year of 2009.

18 Feb 2010

Viral infection can suppress immune response to secondary bacterial infection

A new study reveals how infection with the influenza virus impacts the way that the immune system responds to subsequent infections. The research, published by Cell Press in the February 18th issue of the journal Cell Host and Microbe, provides a new understanding of the physiological and pathological consequences of the flu.

18 Feb 2010

ITS secures £8.65M Series-A equity funding round extension to fund synthetic flu vaccine study

Immune Targeting Systems (ITS) Limited (“ITS”), one of the leading developers of synthetic vaccines for mutating viruses, today announced it had secured a Series-A equity funding round extension for £8.65m which brings the total Series A financing to £13.15m. The company’s key investors HealthCap (Sweden), London Technology Fund (UK), Novartis Venture Fund (US & Basel) and Truffle Capital (France) are all participating. The round will be kept open until mid-2010 for new potential investors to invest.

17 Feb 2010

Biota Holdings reports total revenue of $61.7M for half-year of 2009

Biota Holdings Limited today announced a half year net profit after tax of $33.5 million, (1H F09: $7.2m). Profit before tax was $41.4 million (1H F09: $10.1m) benefiting significantly from an increase in Relenza royalties.

16 Feb 2010

Sinovac Beijing expands production capacity with acquisition of buildings and land use rights in Changping

Sinovac Biotech Ltd. (SVA), a leading China-based vaccine manufacturer, today announced the completion by its subsidiary, Sinovac Beijing, of the acquisition of buildings and land use rights. The total consideration for the purchase is approximately RMB120 million ($17.6 million), which will be financed from working capital. The initial payment of RMB56.5 million ($8.3 million) will be paid before February 20, 2010 and the balance of the purchase price will be paid in three installments within three years.

16 Feb 2010

Flu News and Research

Making public policies on vaccination with limited information

CDC ACIP's vote for universal influenza vaccination recommendation: FFF endorses

IBM Maximo software helps GNL ensure optimal performance of equipment in fight against emerging infectious diseases

FDA recommends H1N1 for inclusion in next year's flu vaccine

Tenet Healthcare announces 9.0% increase in fourth-quarter EBITDA

FDA grants Diagnostic Hybrids emergency use authorization for 2009 H1N1 Influenza A Virus ID Kit

PositiveID, RECEPTORS announce successful completion of rapid virus detection system Phase I development

HHS Secretary reviews H1N1 response at NACCHO conference

Brain and tissue sample repository to help advance understanding and treatment of psychiatric diseases

Amerigroup's fourth-quarter revenues rise 18.5%

Sacred Heart Medical Center fined $8,000 for failing to adhere to state and national H1N1 influenza safety standards

Researchers develop technology to preserve vaccines in tropical temperatures

WHO recommends H1N1 be added to next year's seasonal flu virus

Ear candles can cause serious injuries, warns FDA

OPKO Health acquires Pharmacos Exakta

West Pharmaceutical Services reports 19.9% growth in consolidated fourth-quarter sales

Viral infection can suppress immune response to secondary bacterial infection

ITS secures £8.65M Series-A equity funding round extension to fund synthetic flu vaccine study

Biota Holdings reports total revenue of $61.7M for half-year of 2009

Sinovac Beijing expands production capacity with acquisition of buildings and land use rights in Changping

Industry Focus eBook - Analytical Chemistry (2nd Edition) eBook

Advancing Intracellular Delivery with LumiPore®

How ELRIG Is Helping Mid-Career Scientists Navigate Leadership, Career Change and Redundancy

The role of UV-Vis in biopharma QC

Latest News