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Swine flu vaccination programme a success in Scotland

The H1N1 (“Swine flu”) vaccination programme introduced in Scotland in October 2009 had a positive effect in reducing the number of hospital admissions and deaths as a result of H1N1 infection, according to an Article published Online First in The Lancet Infectious Diseases. The study was funded by the National Institute for Health Research Health Technology Assessment (NIHR HTA) programme.

26 Jun 2012

“Swine flu” deaths may be fifteen times higher than previously reported

The number of deaths from the 2009 H1N1 (“swine flu”) pandemic may be fifteen times higher than the number of laboratory-confirmed deaths previously reported by countries to the World Health Organization (WHO), according to an Article published Online First in The Lancet Infectious Diseases. While estimates of 2009 H1N1-associated deaths have been derived for some countries such as the United States, these are the first estimates of the worldwide number of deaths caused by the pandemic.

26 Jun 2012

Some caregivers unsure about when to give epinephrine for children with food allergies

Young children with allergies to milk and egg experience reactions to these and other foods more often than researchers had expected, a study reports. The study also found that severe and potentially life-threatening reactions in a significant number of these children occur and that some caregivers are hesitant to give such children epinephrine, a medication that reverses the symptoms of such reactions and can save lives.

26 Jun 2012

Sinovac provides update on EV71 vaccine Phase III trial on HFMD

Sinovac Biotech Ltd., a leading provider of biopharmaceutical products in China, today provided an update on its Phase III clinical trial progress and commercialization preparation for its proprietary inactivated Enterovirus 71 (EV71) vaccine against hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD).

26 Jun 2012

Combination regimens trump monotherapy in fight against HIV transmission

A two- or three-drug combination is more effective at reducing intrapartum HIV acquisition than zidovudine monotherapy in babies who are at high risk for transmission, a study in The New England Journal of Medicine shows.

25 Jun 2012

HIV therapy affects bone mass within 2 years

Young men receiving antiretroviral therapy for recently diagnosed HIV are more likely to have low bone mineral density than are other men of a similar age, US researchers report.

25 Jun 2012

Comprehensive, automated infection outbreak detection system for the Olympics

The world's first comprehensive, automated outbreak detection system which will monitor over 3,000 infections and is ready to run during Olympics 2012, was developed by a researcher at The Open University.

25 Jun 2012

FDA approves Baxter's GAMMAGARD LIQUID for multifocal motor neuropathy

Baxter International Inc. today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved GAMMAGARD LIQUID 10% [Immune Globulin Infusion (Human)] as a treatment for multifocal motor neuropathy (MMN). This is the first immunoglobulin treatment approved for MMN patients in the United States, and it was approved for use with MMN patients in Europe in 2011.

From Baxter International Inc. 25 Jun 2012

BD Biosciences launches new cell sorting system

BD Biosciences, a segment of BD, today announced the launch of the BD FACSJazz™ Cell Sorting System, a next-generation flow cytometer that simplifies cellular isolation and analysis for researchers requiring high sample integrity. Occupying 20" x 20" (51 cm x 51 cm) of benchtop space, the new sorter features high sensitivity to identify and isolate target cells for up to eight parameters.

From BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company) 25 Jun 2012

Study reinforces importance of educating parents and other caregivers of children with food allergy

A team of researchers from Mount Sinai School of Medicine and four other institutions have found that young children with documented or likely allergies to milk and/or eggs, whose families were instructed on how to avoid these and other foods, still experienced allergic reactions at a rate of almost once per year. Of severe cases, less than a third received epinephrine, a medication used to counter anaphylaxis, a life-threatening allergic condition.

25 Jun 2012

Oxytocin hormone plays an important role in Williams syndrome

The hormone oxytocin - often referred to as the "trust" hormone or "love hormone" for its role in stimulating emotional responses - plays an important role in Williams syndrome (WS), according to a study published June 12, 2012, in PLoS One.

23 Jun 2012

CARHY announces comprehensive hematopoietic stem cell transplant service

Adding an impetus to the already existing image of Bangalore being a healthcare destination of India, Columbia Asia Referral Hospital, Yeshwanthpur (CARHY), announced comprehensive bone marrow transplant (stem cell transplant) service on Thursday.

23 Jun 2012

Skin infections in AD patients linked to PMN impairment

Impairment of polymorphonuclear granulocytes among patients with atopic dermatitis may represent an additional cause of skin infections, suggest study findings.

22 Jun 2012

U.S. journal Science publishes controversial H5N1 research

The U.S. journal Science on Thursday published the results of a controversial study in which researchers at the Erasmus Medical Center in the Netherlands "identified five mutations apparently necessary to make the [H5N1] bird flu virus spread easily among ferrets, which catch the same flus that humans do," the New York Times reports (McNeil, 6/21).

22 Jun 2012

UC3M joins European research project on tuberculosis treatments

Scientists at the Carlos III University in Madrid (UC3M) are participating in a European research project designed to study tuberculosis treatments. The objective of the study is to improve diagnostic imaging technology in order to help develop new drugs to treat the disease.

22 Jun 2012

Research funding in sub-Saharan Africa needs to 'reflect true disease burden'

With the disease burden of AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria expected to make up less than 15 percent of the total disease burden in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) by 2030, and non-communicable diseases to account for nearly 40 percent of the total in the region, "[a] revision of the approach to research and health care in SSA is therefore urgently needed, but international donors and health communities have generally been slow to respond to the changing environment."

22 Jun 2012

Shanghai Institutes of Preventative Medicine, Gentris sign MOU to advance personalized medicine

Gentris Corporation, a global leader in the application of genomic biomarkers to clinical studies, announced today that it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Shanghai Institutes of Preventative Medicine to advance global personalized medicine.

22 Jun 2012

Janssen receives FDA complete response letter for XARELTO sNDA

Janssen Research & Development, LLC (Janssen R&D) announced today the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a complete response letter regarding a supplemental New Drug Application (sNDA) for XARELTO (rivaroxaban) for the reduction of the risk of secondary cardiovascular events in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS).

22 Jun 2012

India emerging as model for improvement in developing countries

In this NDTV opinion piece, Bill Gates, co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, reflects on his recent trip to India, writing, "During my recent visit, I had a chance to see the latest progress on things that matter a lot to us: on eradicating polio and curtailing the spread of infectious diseases like HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis, for example."

21 Jun 2012

Children exposed to HIV before birth may be more likely to experience hearing loss

Children exposed to HIV in the womb may be more likely to experience hearing loss by age 16 than are their unexposed peers, according to scientists in a National Institutes of Health research network.

21 Jun 2012