Infectious Diseases News and Research

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New York Times examines factors contributing to presence of 'exotic' infectious diseases in New York City

"When New York City's health department revealed last weekend that three people had contracted cholera, it was a reminder that the city is not just a world capital of arts, business and the like - but also of exotic diseases," the New York Times writes in an article that explores how diseases from around the world often make their way to the city through its diverse population of travelers.

14 Feb 2011

HIV infection in mothers reduces disease resistance in babies: Study

New research suggests that babies whose mothers have HIV, but are not HIV-infected themselves, are born with lower levels of specific proteins in their blood called antibodies, which fight infection, compared with babies not exposed to HIV.

13 Feb 2011

53 share a needle & HIV risk due to a clinic blunder

Over 50 patients at a private radiology clinic were given blood tests using a needle device meant for single-patient use. Authorities have launched an investigation into the matter. These patients are all at risk of hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV infection. These cancer patients will need testing for the viruses, and again in three months. They had visited the hospital for a positron emission tomography (PET) scan for cancer detection.

13 Feb 2011

Richard J. Fasenmyer Foundation awards $3M to Cleveland physicians for AIDS research

A three-year, $3 million gift from the Richard J. Fasenmyer Foundation will fund research by a pair of Cleveland physicians into HIV and the body's response in autoimmune diseases.

11 Feb 2011

Medivir initiates phase 1a clinical trial of TMC649128 for chronic HCV infection

Medivir AB, the emerging research-based specialty pharmaceutical company focused on infectious diseases, today announces the start of a phase 1a clinical trial with TMC649128 intended for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C virus infection.

10 Feb 2011

Vical 2010 net loss increases to $30.4 million

Vical Incorporated today reported financial results for the year ended December 31, 2010. Vical had cash and investments of approximately $61 million at year-end 2010. The company received approximately $37 million of net proceeds from the sale of equity securities during 2010.

10 Feb 2011

Avian flu vaccine stockpiled in 2004 still useful

A stockpiled vaccine designed to fight a strain of avian flu that circulated in 2004 can be combined with a vaccine that matches the current strain of bird flu to protect against a potential pandemic, researchers from Saint Louis University's Center for Vaccine Development have found.

10 Feb 2011

First patient treated in cytomegalovirus~ACE/ASPECT Phase II randomised clinical trial

Cell Medica, a leading UK cellular therapeutics company that develops, manufactures and markets cellular immunotherapy products for the treatment of infectious disease and cancer, announces today that the first patient has been treated in the CMV~ACE/ASPECT trial at University College Hospital London.

10 Feb 2011

NIAID doctor receives Will Rogers Institute's award for outstanding contributions to lung research

The Will Rogers Institute's annual prize for outstanding contributions to lung research has been awarded to Dr. Anthony Fauci. The $50,000 award was created to honor individuals for extraordinary work leading to advancements in treatment for lung diseases. He is the fourth recipient of the prestigious prize from the Will Rogers Institute.

10 Feb 2011

Akonni signs license agreement with USAMRIID to develop multiplex testing products for bio-security applications

Akonni Biosystems, a molecular diagnostics (MDx) company that develops rapid, low-cost and highly scalable solutions for infectious disease testing, today announced it has signed a license agreement with the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID).

10 Feb 2011

HIV-negative babies born to HIV-positive mothers have lower antibody levels for some infections, study finds

"Babies who are exposed to HIV at birth but don't become infected with the virus have lower levels of antibodies to diseases such as whooping cough, tetanus and pneumococcus," according to a study published in the Feb. 9 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), HealthDay News/U.S. News & World Report.

10 Feb 2011

World Bank report documents rise of noncommunicable diseases in S. Asia

"South Asia is facing a health crisis, with rising rates of heart disease, diabetes and obesity, and patients facing impoverishment as they pay for treatment out of their own pockets," according to a report released Wednesday by the World Bank, Reuters reports (Lyn, 2/9).

10 Feb 2011

OraSure registers $3.5 million net loss for full year 2010

OraSure Technologies, Inc., a market leader in oral fluid diagnostics, today announced revenues of $75.0 million and $18.8 million for the year and quarter ended December 31, 2010, respectively. This compares to revenues of $77.0 million and $20.9 million for the year and quarter ended December 31, 2009.

10 Feb 2011

PolyMedix commences PMX-60056 Phase 2 clinical trial in patients undergoing PCI

PolyMedix, Inc., an emerging biotechnology company focused on developing new therapeutic drugs to treat infectious diseases and acute cardiovascular disorders, has initiated a Phase 2 clinical trial, following conclusion of a review by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of a protocol submitted by PolyMedix, to assess the safety and efficacy of its heptagonist, PMX-60056, in reversing heparin in patients undergoing Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI) procedures.

9 Feb 2011

Drugs against protective action of bacteria's antitoxin molecules

Bacteria often attack with toxins designed to hijack or even kill host cells. To avoid self-destruction, bacteria have ways of protecting themselves from their own toxins.

9 Feb 2011

Gates Foundation awards USF $5.45M for malaria research

The University of South Florida received $5.45 million in grants from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The first grant is to create advanced devices that mimic the human liver to better study the life cycle of the malaria parasite - particularly the elusive liver stage where the disease may be most vulnerable to attack.

9 Feb 2011

Novel technique could speed up the development of peptide-based drugs against cancer

Researchers at the University at Buffalo have devised two new ways of "stapling" peptide helices to prevent these medically important molecules from losing their shape and degrading in the presence of enzymes.

9 Feb 2011

Vical announces issuance of US patent for HSV-2 vaccine

Vical Incorporated announced today the issuance of U.S. Patent No. 7,879,339, assigned to Vical and the University of Washington, covering DNA vaccines for herpes simplex virus type 2.

9 Feb 2011

Babies born to HIV-infected mothers have lower antibody levels against bacterial infections

Babies whose mothers have HIV, but who are not HIV-infected themselves, are born with lower levels of specific proteins in their blood called antibodies, which fight infection, compared with babies not exposed to HIV, a new study has found.

9 Feb 2011

Total flu cover with one shot

In a medical breakthrough, English scientists have developed a so-called “universal” vaccine to influenza - one that protects against all strains of the potentially deadly illness. This would do away with the need for a new vaccine each flu season they say. Seasonal flu affects up to 20 percent of the population and kills an average of 24,600 people each year. This vaccine would act against swine flu as well assure researchers.

8 Feb 2011

Infectious Diseases News and Research

New York Times examines factors contributing to presence of 'exotic' infectious diseases in New York City

HIV infection in mothers reduces disease resistance in babies: Study

53 share a needle & HIV risk due to a clinic blunder

Richard J. Fasenmyer Foundation awards $3M to Cleveland physicians for AIDS research

Medivir initiates phase 1a clinical trial of TMC649128 for chronic HCV infection

Vical 2010 net loss increases to $30.4 million

Avian flu vaccine stockpiled in 2004 still useful

First patient treated in cytomegalovirus~ACE/ASPECT Phase II randomised clinical trial

NIAID doctor receives Will Rogers Institute's award for outstanding contributions to lung research

Akonni signs license agreement with USAMRIID to develop multiplex testing products for bio-security applications

HIV-negative babies born to HIV-positive mothers have lower antibody levels for some infections, study finds

World Bank report documents rise of noncommunicable diseases in S. Asia

OraSure registers $3.5 million net loss for full year 2010

PolyMedix commences PMX-60056 Phase 2 clinical trial in patients undergoing PCI

Drugs against protective action of bacteria's antitoxin molecules

Gates Foundation awards USF $5.45M for malaria research

Novel technique could speed up the development of peptide-based drugs against cancer

Vical announces issuance of US patent for HSV-2 vaccine

Babies born to HIV-infected mothers have lower antibody levels against bacterial infections

Total flu cover with one shot

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

Examining how pain could play a direct protective role in the gut

From Puberty to Menopause: Clue’s CEO, Audrey Tsang on the Power of Femtech

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