Allergy News and Research

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The term allergy encompasses a wide range of conditions; it is not a disease in itself. In 1906 Clemens von Pirquet was the first to describe allergies as a changed or altered reaction of the immune system in response to exposure to foreign proteins. These days the term allergy – medically termed hypersensitivity, signifies an exaggerated reaction to foreign substances.

Study confirms link between GI and autism

An article published today in the journal Pediatrics confirms what parents and advocacy organizations have been saying for years: many individuals with autism suffer from gastrointestinal disease that can contribute to behaviors and symptoms associated with autism.

5 Jan 2010

Vienna scientists develop new technique for producing H1N1 vaccines

Scientists in Vienna have developed a new technique for producing vaccines for H1N1, 'swine flu', based on insect cells. The research, published today in the Biotechnology Journal, reveals how influenza vaccines can be produced faster than through the traditional method of egg-based production, revealing a new strategy for the fight against influenza pandemics.

5 Jan 2010

Study examines relationship between parental vaccine refusal and risk of varicella infection in children

Children of parents who refuse vaccines are nine times more likely to get chickenpox compared to fully immunized children, according to a new study led by a vaccine research team at Kaiser Permanente Colorado's Institute for Health Research.

5 Jan 2010

FDA grants Priority Review designation for InterMune's NDA for pirfenidone

InterMune, Inc. today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has accepted for review and granted Priority Review designation for the company's New Drug Application (NDA) for pirfenidone for the treatment of patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF).

4 Jan 2010

Publix Super Markets issues voluntary recall for Publix Pumpkin Pecan Streusel Pie

Publix Super Markets is issuing a voluntary recall for Publix Pumpkin Pecan Streusel Pie, because it was mislabeled and may contain undeclared pecans. People who have an allergy or severe sensitivity to pecans run the risk of allergic reaction if they consume this product.

31 Dec 2009

Johns Hopkins scientists find a source of nonallergic itch

Scratching below the surface of a troublesome sensation that's equal parts tingle-tickle-prickle, sensory scientists from Johns Hopkins have discovered in mice a molecular basis for nonallergic itch.

23 Dec 2009

New study suggests nasal allergy may be involved in chronic sinus disease

Exposing patients with chronic sinus disease to allergens and then obtaining repeated images by X-ray or ultrasound reveals that nasal allergies may be involved in some cases of chronic sinus disease, according to a report in the December issue of Archives of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

22 Dec 2009

Recent releases in Global Health

A Scientific American article examines recent efforts to tackle neglected tropical diseases (NTDs). The author writes "NTDs have plagued humankind for thousands of years. … What is new, however, is that donors, drugmakers, health ministries in low- and middle-income countries, the World Health Organization (WHO), and public-private partnerships are linking their efforts to combat the NTDs in a more coordinated and systematic way."

18 Dec 2009

Biovator and BASF sign collaboration agreement to develop In Vitro test systems

The Sweden-based biotech company Biovator and the global chemical industry leader BASF have signed a collaboration agreement for final development of In Vitro test systems capable of identifying the potential of chemical compounds to induce allergic reaction in humans. The agreement also includes a five-year BASF option of final product deliveries.

18 Dec 2009

Nutricia North America improves its packaging with BPA-free lining for all powdered products

Nutricia North America, a manufacturer of medical foods and specialized infant formulas such as Neocate®, announced today that it has begun packaging its powdered medical foods and specialized infant formulas in cans with BPA-free lining.

18 Dec 2009

Immuno Laboratories and TRPN sign agreement to reduce chronic illness

Immuno Laboratories, a leading provider of food and environmental allergy testing services, announced an agreement with Three Rivers Provider Network (TRPN), the largest and fastest growing proprietary Preferred Provider Organization (PPO) network in the United States.

18 Dec 2009

TSI organizes clinical, research and educational programs

The Wake Forest University Translational Science Institute (TSI) has announced a number of organizational changes. Four programs and four specialized centers have been organized to function collaboratively in support of research conducted at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center.

18 Dec 2009

La Jolla Institute for Allergy & Immunology awarded $18.8M NIH grant for infectious diseases study

Researchers from the La Jolla Institute for Allergy & Immunology will take aim at several of the world's most dangerous infectious diseases - tuberculosis, malaria and dengue virus -- in a five-year, $18.8 million federally-funded set of projects seeking to make new inroads toward vaccines against the disorders.

17 Dec 2009

GSK and NanoBio sign license agreement for nanoemulsion technology

GlaxoSmithKline and Ann Arbor-based NanoBio Corporation announced today that they have signed an exclusive over-the-counter licensing agreement for NanoBio's unique nanoemulsion treatment for cold sores in the United States and Canada.

17 Dec 2009

University of Missouri researchers work on immune-strengthening vaccine for newborns

As soon as babies are born, they are susceptible to diseases and infections, such as jaundice and e-coli. For up to a month, their immune systems aren't adequately developed to fight diseases. Although these infections are often minor, they can lead to serious problems if left untreated.

16 Dec 2009

Modified blood adult stem-cell transplant regimen reverses sickle cell disease

A modified blood adult stem-cell transplant regimen has effectively reversed sickle cell disease in 9 of 10 adults who had been severely affected by the disease, according to results of a National Institutes of Health study in the Dec. 10 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

13 Dec 2009

Clinical trial of 2009 H1N1 influenza vaccine

HIV-infected adults currently are being recruited to participate in a clinical trial of 2009 H1N1 influenza vaccine. The study, sponsored by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) of the National Institutes of Health, will enroll approximately 240 men and women between the ages of 18 and 64.

13 Dec 2009

Circassia raises GBP15M for development of its novel allergy T-cell vaccines portfolio

Circassia Ltd, a specialty biopharmaceutical company focused on allergy, today announced that it has completed a GBP15 million ($25 million) fundraising. The investment round, which was led by Imperial Innovations and supported by existing shareholders including Invesco Perpetual and Lansdowne Partners, was significantly oversubscribed and is the company's third successful fundraising.

11 Dec 2009

Speaker Pelosi lauds lift of ban on federal funding for syringe exchange initiatives

Speaker Nancy Pelosi issued the following statement today applauding the inclusion of language in the fiscal year 2010 Consolidated Appropriations Act lifting the ban on federal funding for syringe exchange initiatives to prevent the spread of HIV. The omnibus bill passed the House this afternoon by a vote of 221 to 202.

11 Dec 2009

NIH awards $14.6M for Eukaryotic Pathogen Genome Database Resource expansion

Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Georgia have been awarded a five-year, $14.6 million contract from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, part of the US National Institutes of Health, to expand and extend work on the Eukaryotic Pathogen Genome Database Resource, http://EuPathDB.org.

11 Dec 2009