Infectious Diseases News and Research

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Mechanical force switches T cell from disease-scanning to disease-fighting mode

The immune system's T cells have the unique responsibilities of being both jury and executioner. They examine other cells for signs of disease, including cancers or infections, and, if such evidence is found, rid them from the body. Precisely how T cells shift so swiftly from one role to another, however, has been a mystery.

3 Nov 2009

Pregnant women tolerate the 2009 H1N1 flu vaccine, mount strong immune response

Healthy pregnant women mount a robust immune response following just one dose of 2009 H1N1 influenza vaccine, according to initial results from an ongoing clinical trial sponsored by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) of the National Institutes of Health.

3 Nov 2009

BioVex publishes OncoVEX (GM-CSF) Phase 2 study results

BioVex Inc, a company developing new generation biologics for the treatment and prevention of cancer and infectious disease, announced today that the data from its completed Phase 2 clinical study of OncoVEX (GM-CSF) for the treatment of advanced melanoma has been published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology (JCO). The previously announced top line results report a high objective durable response rate and a high complete response rate, combined with a relatively benign side effect profile.

2 Nov 2009

Washington Post examines role of USAID's Richard Greene

As part of its ongoing "Federal Player of the Week" series with the Partnership for Public Service, the Washington Post examines the role of Richard Greene, the head of USAID's Office of Health, Infectious Diseases, and Nutrition in the Bureau of Global Health.

2 Nov 2009

Sanofi Pasteur presents Menactra vaccine safety data at the IDSA

Sanofi Pasteur, the vaccines division of sanofi-aventis Group, presented Safety of a Quadrivalent (A,C,Y,W-135) Meningococcal Vaccine When Given to Infants with Other Pediatric Vaccines at the 47th Annual Meeting of the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) this past weekend.

2 Nov 2009

A look at the odds associated with the influenza virus

What are the odds you will be one of the unlucky ones who gets the flu this year? Book of Odds has launched "Flu Week," a fascinating look at the odds associated with the influenza virus.

2 Nov 2009

Juvaris BioTherapeutics commences enrollment in its JVRS-100 influenza vaccine adjuvant study

Juvaris BioTherapeutics, Inc., a biotechnology company developing adjuvanted vaccines for infectious diseases, today announced that it has begun enrolling patients in a Phase 2 clinical trial of its lead compound, JVRS-100, as an adjuvant for seasonal influenza vaccines in the elderly population.

2 Nov 2009

NIAID awards Pulmatrix $2.2M grant for developing novel influenza therapeutics

Pulmatrix, a clinical stage biotechnology company discovering and developing a new class of therapies for the treatment and prevention of infectious and progressive respiratory diseases, today announced that it has been awarded a grant for $2.2 million from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), a component of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), aimed at advancing the development of novel influenza therapeutics for the treatment of seasonal and pandemic influenza.

2 Nov 2009

Canadian programs underscore evidence of PEGETRON's positive outcomes in treating HCV infection

Results from two significant Canadian studies underscore the growing scientific evidence of PEGETRON's positive outcomes in the treatment of chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. Canadian investigators across the country collaborated to generate and analyze clinical data from the Canadian PEGETRON POWeR (Prospective Optimal Weight-based Dosing Response) and REDIPEN programs, which were presented at the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD) Annual Meeting in Boston on November 1, 2009.

2 Nov 2009

Optimer Pharmaceuticals presents additional data from Phase 3 fidaxomicin study

Optimer Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced the presentation of new data from fidaxomicin's North American phase 3 study at the 47th Annual Meeting of the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) in Philadelphia, PA.

2 Nov 2009

MRSA bloodstream infection linked to high mortality rate

A strain of MRSA that causes bloodstream infections is five times more lethal than other strains and has shown to have some resistance to the potent antibiotic drug vancomycin used to treat MRSA, according to a Henry Ford Hospital study.

2 Nov 2009

Scientists report a major step forward in the development of an effective therapy against Nipah virus

A collaborative research team from the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USU), Australian Animal Health Laboratory and National Cancer Institute, a component of the National Institutes of Health, reports a major step forward in the development of an effective therapy against two deadly viruses, Nipah virus and the related Hendra virus.

31 Oct 2009

New tools and interventions can help in eradicating malaria

Although malaria has been controlled in many local and regional populations, the permanent elimination of malaria parasites throughout the world remains an elusive goal, and the disease continues to claim nearly one million lives each year.

31 Oct 2009

Four abstracts on RSV and influenza prevention in pediatric health to be presented

MedImmune announced today it will present four abstracts at the 47th Annual Meeting of Infectious Disease Society of America (IDSA) being held here October 29 through November 1, 2009. These abstracts advance the body of data surrounding respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and influenza prevention, highlighting MedImmune's leadership in pediatric health.

31 Oct 2009

Patients who acquire SSTIs in healthcare settings may stay longer in hospitals to control the infection

Patients who acquire skin and soft tissue infections (SSTIs) in a hospital or other healthcare setting may be more likely to receive inappropriate antibiotic therapy at the beginning of their treatment. As a result, they also may have significantly longer hospital stays to control the infection.

31 Oct 2009

Study indicates possibility of a vaccine to prevent Group B Streptococcus infection

Scientists supported by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health, have completed a Phase II clinical study that indicates a vaccine to prevent Group B Streptococcus (GBS) infection is possible. GBS is the most common cause of sepsis and meningitis in newborns in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). It can also cause severe illness in pregnant women, the elderly and adults with chronic illnesses.

31 Oct 2009

NovaBay Pharmaceuticals' Aganocide compounds demonstrate potent antifungal activity against onychomycosis

NovaBay Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced that its Aganocide® compounds demonstrate potent antifungal activity in an established pre-clinical infected nail model of onychomycosis. The study data will be presented tomorrow at the 47th Annual Meeting of the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) in Philadelphia.

31 Oct 2009

Tufts University receives $185M grant as part of the USAID Emerging Pandemic Threats program

Tufts University has been tapped by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) as part of a multidisciplinary team that will receive a grant of up to $185-million to create better synergies among veterinarians, doctors, and public health officials in responding to emerging infectious diseases.

31 Oct 2009

Public concern can undermine flu vaccination campaigns

The effectiveness of pandemic flu vaccination campaigns - like that now underway for H1N1 - could be undermined by the public incorrectly associating coincidental and unrelated health events with the vaccines.

31 Oct 2009

CDC study finds swine flu may have infected as many as 5.7 million Americans

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has released new swine flue estimates that suggest the number of people affected by the disease is much greater than the 43,677 cases confirmed earlier.

30 Oct 2009

Infectious Diseases News and Research

Mechanical force switches T cell from disease-scanning to disease-fighting mode

Pregnant women tolerate the 2009 H1N1 flu vaccine, mount strong immune response

BioVex publishes OncoVEX (GM-CSF) Phase 2 study results

Washington Post examines role of USAID's Richard Greene

Sanofi Pasteur presents Menactra vaccine safety data at the IDSA

A look at the odds associated with the influenza virus

Juvaris BioTherapeutics commences enrollment in its JVRS-100 influenza vaccine adjuvant study

NIAID awards Pulmatrix $2.2M grant for developing novel influenza therapeutics

Canadian programs underscore evidence of PEGETRON's positive outcomes in treating HCV infection

Optimer Pharmaceuticals presents additional data from Phase 3 fidaxomicin study

MRSA bloodstream infection linked to high mortality rate

Scientists report a major step forward in the development of an effective therapy against Nipah virus

New tools and interventions can help in eradicating malaria

Four abstracts on RSV and influenza prevention in pediatric health to be presented

Patients who acquire SSTIs in healthcare settings may stay longer in hospitals to control the infection

Study indicates possibility of a vaccine to prevent Group B Streptococcus infection

NovaBay Pharmaceuticals' Aganocide compounds demonstrate potent antifungal activity against onychomycosis

Tufts University receives $185M grant as part of the USAID Emerging Pandemic Threats program

Public concern can undermine flu vaccination campaigns

CDC study finds swine flu may have infected as many as 5.7 million Americans

NGS for Infectious Disease Surveillance eBook

Evaluating new approaches for rare disease genomics

Expanding access to NMR with the Fourier 80 Duo

Advancing Intracellular Delivery with LumiPore®

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