Infectious Diseases News and Research

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PRA International to host audio conference on CV drug development strategy

PRA International, a leading Clinical Research Organization, will host an audio conference on strategies for successful cardiovascular (CV) drug development on 24 August 2010 at 11:30 am (EDT). Dr. Michael Kirchengast, Vice President and Head of PRA's Scientific Affairs unit, will be the presenter.

17 Aug 2010

Simple, low-cost interventions reduce most common hospital-acquired infections

Urinary catheters are often left in place longer than needed, and new research shows that reminder systems that encourage hospital staff to remove catheters promptly can reduce the rate of catheter-associated urinary tract infections by 52 percent.

17 Aug 2010

Black AIDS Institute launches BTAN program to care for Black Americans with HIV

The Black AIDS Institute, with support from Merck, announced the launch of the Black Treatment Advocates Network. BTAN, the first collaborative Network of its kind, will train and mobilize a team of treatment advocates with a mission to link Black Americans with HIV into care and treatment; strengthen local and national leadership; raise HIV science and treatment literacy in Black communities; and advocate for policy change and research priorities.

17 Aug 2010

Studies provide evidence for new approach to MRSA vaccines

Two recent studies provide evidence for a new approach to vaccines to prevent infections caused by drug-resistant Staphylococcus aureus -- better known as MRSA - the leading cause of skin and soft tissue, bloodstream and lung infections in the United States. One demonstrates a way to counteract the bacteria's knack for evading the immune system. The other shows how to disrupt the germ's tissue-damaging mechanism.

17 Aug 2010

Intercell reports significant increase in second quarter revenue

Today, Intercell AG announced its financial results for Q2 and H1 2010.IXIARO/JESPECT sales increased significantly from EUR 2.4m in Q2 2009 to EUR 5.2m in Q2 2010 Continued focus on growing marketing and sales of product in traveler and military markets

17 Aug 2010

IVAX Diagnostics second quarter 2010 operating expenses decrease 11.9%

IVAX Diagnostics, Inc., a fully integrated in vitro diagnostics company, reports its financial results for the quarter ended June 30, 2010.

17 Aug 2010

Also in Global Health News: Hunger in Guatemala; Flooding worsens Niger's food crisis; 'New Delhi' gene name concerns

"The efforts of public agencies, non-governmental organisations, private entities and international agencies have become indispensable in addressing the food crisis" in Guatemala, however "activists believe a greater public effort is necessary," Inter Press Service reports. The article examines efforts by various agencies working in Guatemala including the Rural Development Programme for Las Verapaces (PRODEVER), and Accion Contra el Hambre, a local anti-hunger organization.

16 Aug 2010

Alverix and BD partner to develop point of care infectious disease diagnostic assay systems

As consumers begin to take greater ownership of their own healthcare, there is a growing demand for accessibility to diagnostic testing. Alverix, Inc. and BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company) are on the cutting edge of this trend and today announced an agreement to produce assay systems at the point-of-care (POC) that will improve infectious disease diagnoses.

From BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company) 16 Aug 2010

Inovio Pharmaceuticals 2010 second quarter net loss decreases

Inovio Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today reported financial results for the quarter ended June 30, 2010.Total revenue was $1.1 million and $2.5 million for the three and six months ended June 30, 2010, compared to $2.5 million and $2.9 million for the three and six months ended June 30, 2009, respectively.

16 Aug 2010

Nymox second-quarter net loss increases to $1.75 million

Nymox Pharmaceutical Corporation announced today its financial results for the second quarter of 2010. Nymox reported a net loss of $1,745,798, or $0.05 per share for the quarter and $3,015,348, or $0.10 per share for the six months ending June 30, 2010, compared to $1,220,152, or $0.04 per share for the quarter and $2,224,411, or $0.07 per share for the six months ending June 30, 2009. Net losses include stock compensation charges for the quarter of $245,245 in 2010 and $248,886 in 2009 and for the six months ending June 30 of $440,465 in 2010 and $558,536 in 2009.

16 Aug 2010

Mathematical model projects potential impact of current tools fighting malaria in Africa

Current tools for combating malaria, such as artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT) and increasing coverage of long-lasting insecticide treated nets (LLINs) insecticide-treated bednets (ITN) "could dramatically reduce the burden of malignant malaria on parts of Africa if a comprehensive, sustained intervention programme were in place," according to a study published this week in PLoS Medicine, CORDIS News reports.

16 Aug 2010

Common genetic variation in HLA region associated with late-onset sporadic Parkinson's disease: Research

A team of researchers has discovered new evidence that Parkinson's disease may have an infectious or autoimmune origin. "Common genetic variation in the HLA region is associated with late-onset sporadic Parkinson's disease" appears online in Nature Genetics.

16 Aug 2010

Trubion Pharmaceuticals signs definitive merger agreement with Emergent BioSolutions

Trubion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced the signing of a definitive merger agreement with Emergent BioSolutions Inc., in which Emergent has agreed to acquire Trubion. Under the terms of the agreement, each share of Trubion common stock will be converted into the right to receive an upfront payment of $1.365 per share in cash and 0.1641 shares of Emergent BioSolutions common stock.

13 Aug 2010

Achillion second-quarter net loss increases to $6.4 million

Achillion Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a leader in the discovery and development of small molecule drugs to combat the most challenging infectious diseases, today reported financial results for the three and six months ended June 30, 2010. For the second quarter of 2010, the Company reported a net loss of $6.4 million, compared with a net loss of $6.1 million for the same period last year. Cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities as of June 30, 2010 were $19.5 million.

13 Aug 2010

Floods: U.N. issues $459.7M appeal for Pakistan, China concerned about disease outbreaks after mudslides

The U.N. appealed for $459.7 million on Wednesday "to aid flood victims in Pakistan as the magnitude of the disaster widened, with about one-fifth of the country submerged and the annual monsoon season still potent," the New York Times reports (MacFarquhar, 8/11).

13 Aug 2010

A*STAR's Singapore Immunology Network, Institut M-rieux and bioM-rieux partner in TB research

An investment of S$3 million is being pumped into tuberculosis (TB) research by A*STAR's Singapore Immunology Network (SIgN), bioindustrial group Institut M-rieux and its in vitro diagnostics company bioM-rieux. The project, which involves setting up a joint laboratory in Biopolis, Singapore aims to investigate and identify novel biomarkers that could allow early identification of individuals at risk of TB disease development and disease reactivation. This could lead to better diagnosis and treatment for the highly contagious disease.

13 Aug 2010

Severe inflammatory response to initial UTI causes bladder damage: Research

The immune system may open the door to recurrent urinary tract infections (UTIs) by overdoing its response to an initial infection, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have found.Researchers showed in mice that severe inflammatory responses to an initial UTI cause bladder damage and allow infection to persist longer. After one to two weeks of infection, the bladder wall undergoes additional changes that leave mice more vulnerable to later infection. Suppressing the immune system during initial infection decreases these vulnerabilities, they report Aug. 12 in PLoS Pathogens.

13 Aug 2010

WHO releases H1N1 Emergency Committee roster

Five of the 15 experts advising the WHO on H1N1 (swine flu) had ties to the pharmaceutical industry, "including for flu vaccine research," according to the Emergency Committee members' list released by the agency Wednesday, Agence France-Presse reports.

13 Aug 2010

Emergent BioSolutions enters agreement to acquire Trubion Pharmaceuticals

Emergent BioSolutions Inc. announced today it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Trubion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. for upfront consideration of $96.8 million of value and up to $38.7 million of success-based milestones, resulting in a total consideration of up to $135.5 million. The acquisition will diversify Emergent's product development pipeline with the addition of Trubion's two clinical-stage product candidates focused on the targeted disease areas of oncology and autoimmunity.

13 Aug 2010

Superbug purportedly from Asia on the rise in UK & Australia

British scientists have claimed that a new gene called New Delhi metallo-beta-lactamase, or NDM-1 has emerged that makes the bacteria resistant to almost all antibiotics. India has rejected the claim that it is the source of this superbug. Cases have been detected in the UK and Australia and are on the rise in the UK.

12 Aug 2010