Common Cold News and Research

RSS

Small, ingestible sensor can track patient medication intake, activity levels; Technology to be tested for TB treatment

The FDA last month approved for use a small ingestible sensor that, when embedded into a pill, can help "keep track of whether a patient is taking their medicine on time," Reuters reports.

29 Aug 2012

Study identifies how RNA viruses hijack a host cell to multiply

By discovering how certain viruses use their host cells to replicate, UC Irvine microbiologists have identified a new approach to the development of universal treatments for viral illnesses such as meningitis, encephalitis, hepatitis and possibly the common cold.

23 Aug 2012

Sore throat treatment should be individually tailored

Throat discomfort may have a variety of causes and a range of symptoms, all of which should be considered before decisions about treatment are made, report researchers.

21 Aug 2012

Tofacitinib drug shows promise against moderate-to-severe ulcerative colitis

An investigational drug currently under FDA review for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis has now shown positive results in patients with moderate-to-severe ulcerative colitis, according to researchers at the University of California San Diego, School of Medicine.

16 Aug 2012

Corticosteroids show no clinical benefit in treating acute sinusitis

Corticosteroids, frequently prescribed to alleviate acute sinusitis, show no clinical benefit in treating the condition, according to a randomized controlled trial published in CMAJ.

8 Aug 2012

Genentech's BREVACTA study of ACTEMRA on rheumatoid arthritis meets primary endpoint

Genentech, a member of the Roche Group, today announced that the BREVACTA study of ACTEMRA (tocilizumab) given as a subcutaneous (SC) injection to patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) met its primary endpoint.

28 Jul 2012

EC approves Vertex's KALYDECO for treatment of cystic fibrosis

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated announced today that the European Commission has approved KALYDECOTM (ivacaftor) for people with cystic fibrosis (CF) ages 6 and older who have at least one copy of the G551D mutation in the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene.

28 Jul 2012

Rutgers cell biologist to receive Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers

Fewer than 100 researchers nationwide are chosen each year to receive the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE), and this year Dr. Nihal Altan-Bonnet is one of the 96 to receive this honor.

25 Jul 2012

IMDx HSV-1/2 for Abbott m2000 assay receives CE-marking

IntelligentMDx (IMDx) announced today that it has obtained CE-marking for its fourth automated, high-throughput molecular test designed and developed for the Abbott m2000 System.

20 Jul 2012

College-age children also need immunizations, says UMDNJ professor

Most parents take their young children regularly for immunization shots that protect against polio, diphtheria, measles, mumps and other diseases. But many do not consider that their college-age children also need immunizations.

14 Jul 2012

NADDI lauds real-time, drug stop-sale system in North Carolina

The National Association of Drug Diversion Investigators (NADDI) – a nonprofit organization that facilitates cooperation between law enforcement, healthcare professionals, state regulatory agencies and pharmaceutical manufacturers in the prevention and investigation of drug diversion – today lauded the latest results achieved by the real-time, stop-sale system in North Carolina.

9 Jul 2012

Being a parent influences health in a positive way

There is no question that being a parent is, at times, challenging both physically and mentally. However knowledge of the actual affect parenthood has on health has been inconsistent at best, until now. New research led by Carnegie Mellon University's Sheldon Cohen and Rodlescia S. Sneed shows that being a parent influences health in a positive way. Published in Psychosomatic Medicine, the research provides the first evidence that, when exposed to a common cold virus, parents are 52 percent less likely to develop a cold than non-parents.

4 Jul 2012

Being a parent protects against cold: Study

Being a parent reduces your risk of catching a cold—possibly because of unknown "psychological or behavioral differences between parents and nonparents," according to a study in the July issue of Psychosomatic Medicine, the official journal of the American Psychosomatic Society.

3 Jul 2012

Astellas Pharma receives FDA approval for Myrbetriq to treat overactive bladder

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Myrbetriq (mirabegron) to treat adults with overactive bladder, a condition in which the bladder muscle cannot be controlled, squeezes too often or squeezes without warning.

29 Jun 2012

Common cold remedy ‘not recommended’ for children

Research suggests that using steam inhalation as a remedy for a blocked nose or sinuses in children can be dangerous due to a high scalding risk associated with this therapy.

27 Jun 2012

Corrected interim data from Vertex VX-809, KALYDECO combination Phase 2 study for CF

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated announced today a correction to the previously reported responder analysis, as well as additional data from, the recent interim analysis of an ongoing Phase 2 study of VX-809 and KALYDECO that showed significant improvements in lung function among adults with cystic fibrosis who have two copies of the most common mutation in the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator gene, F508del.

30 May 2012

European CHMP issues positive opinion to Vertex's KALYDECO for treatment of CF

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated announced today that the European Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) has issued a positive opinion by consensus recommending the approval of KALYDECO (ivacaftor) for people with cystic fibrosis (CF) ages 6 and older who have at least one copy of the G551D mutation in the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene.

25 May 2012

Hospital midwife inadvertently spreads whooping cough to up to 170 people

A Middlemore Hospital midwife could have infected up to 170 people with whooping cough. If passed onto babies or women in the last three months of pregnancy, the disease can lead to severe illness or even death. Whooping cough is a highly infectious disease caused by bacteria which is easily spread through coughing and sneezing, much like the common cold. Also known as pertussis, it is distinguishable by a “whooping” sound at the end of coughing attacks.

10 May 2012

Oral zinc treatments may shorten duration of common cold symptoms in adults

Oral zinc treatments may shorten the duration of symptoms of the common cold in adults, although adverse effects are common, according to a study published in CMAJ.

8 May 2012

Vertex reports interim data from VX-809 and KALYDECO combination Phase 2 study for cystic fibrosis

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated announced today an interim analysis of data from an ongoing Phase 2 study of VX-809 and KALYDECO (ivacaftor) that showed significant improvements in lung function (FEV1) among adults with cystic fibrosis (CF) who have two copies.

7 May 2012