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Two Influenza test kits receive FDA clearance for use in JBAIDS

Last week, the U.S. Army Office of the Surgeon General received Food and Drug Administration (FDA) clearance of two Influenza test kits for use on the Joint Biological Agent Identification and Diagnostic System.

30 Sep 2011

Global Fund board supports recommendations of Independent Review Panel, will implement 'wide-reaching reforms'

"The Board of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria approved an action plan Monday in response to recommendations made recently by the High-Level Independent Review Panel on Fiduciary Controls and Oversight Mechanism (HLP)," the Center for Global Health Policy's "Science Speaks" blog reports, adding, "The board stated that it accepts the underlying analysis made by the panel and that it 'presents a compelling case for a rapid and urgent transformation of the Global Fund.'"

30 Sep 2011

Sexually transmitted infection epidemic worries health experts

Researchers at the University of New South Wales (NSW) revealed that new cases of gonorrhea and Chlamydia are on the rise in Australia, particularly among young members of indigenous communities.

29 Sep 2011

Powerful HIV vaccine being tested on humans

Spanish researchers have developed a prototype of a vaccine against the AIDS-causing HIV virus that is “much more powerful” than those made to date.

29 Sep 2011

FDA CDER assigned for pre-market review of CorMedix's Neutrolin

CorMedix Inc., a pharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercializing therapeutic products for the prevention and treatment of Cardiorenal disease, today announced that on September 15, 2011, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration advised CorMedix, that the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research has been assigned as the lead agency for the pre-market review of Neutrolin.

29 Sep 2011

IRIN examines rise in new leprosy cases in remote region of Madagascar

IRIN examines an increase in new leprosy cases in Antalaha, a once-prosperous vanilla-exporting town in a remote region of Madagascar, where a 2009 military-supported coup brought the suspension of some foreign aid and trade benefits.

29 Sep 2011

Aborigines have higher STD rates than general Australian population

Aborigines in Australia have higher rates of sexually transmitted diseases such as gonorrhea, syphilis, and chlamydia than the country's general population, according to research by the University of New South Wales' Kirby Institute and reported on Tuesday at a sexual health conference, the Associated Press/Seattle Times reports.

29 Sep 2011

Cubist plans to move CB-183,315 into Phase 3 trial for treatment of CDAD

Cubist Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced it plans to move CB-183,315, being studied for the treatment of a severe and sometimes life-threatening diarrhea caused by Clostridium difficile known as C. difficile-associated diarrhea, or CDAD, into late-stage trials.

29 Sep 2011

Thanks from Global Fund Executive Director Kazatchkine

The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, "[a]long with our partners, both donors and implementers, is changing the story of scores of nations that were once devastated by three killer diseases -- diseases which seemed invincible," Global Fund Executive Director Michel Kazatchkine writes in a Huffington Post opinion piece, adding "we are now saving more than one million lives every year."

29 Sep 2011

African leaders showing 'clear commitment' to fighting malaria

"The focused attention that malaria has received by African governments and international organizations has had a major impact, with the rates of mortality coming down dramatically in the continent," and the African Leaders Malaria Alliance (ALMA) has helped lead this campaign, an IPP Media editorial states.

29 Sep 2011

Scientists report discovery of potential new drug for epidemic keratoconjunctivitis

Scientists are reporting discovery of a potential new drug for epidemic keratoconjunctivitis (EKC) - sometimes called "pink eye" - a highly infectious eye disease that may occur in 15 million to 20 million people annually in the United States alone. Their report describing an innovative new "molecular wipe" that sweeps up viruses responsible for EKC appears in ACS's Journal of Medicinal Chemistry.

29 Sep 2011

With ALMA scorecard, African leaders are taking responsibility in malaria fight

The African Leaders Malaria Alliance (ALMA) is "spearheading the fight against malaria" in Africa, bringing together 40 heads of state and "offering a compelling example of what is possible through co-operation, leadership, commitment, and sound management of national and international funds," Tanzania President Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete writes in a post on the Guardian's "Poverty Matters Blog."

29 Sep 2011

Researchers identify 'programmed cell death' pathway in parasitic worms

Researchers from the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute have for the first time identified a 'programmed cell death' pathway in parasitic worms that could one day lead to new treatments for one of the world's most serious and prevalent diseases.

29 Sep 2011

AASLD publishes updated practice guidelines on hepatitis C

On Monday, September 26, 2011, the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases published online at its journal Hepatology's website an update to its practice guidelines for hepatitis C – "An Update on Treatment of Genotype 1 Chronic Hepatitis C Virus Infection: 2011 Practice Guideline by the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases."

29 Sep 2011

VOICE HIV prevention trial to discontinue use of tenofovir tablets

VOICE, an HIV prevention trial evaluating two antiretroviral (ARV)-based approaches for preventing the sexual transmission of HIV in women - daily use of one of two different ARV tablets or of a vaginal gel - will be dropping one of the oral tablets from the study.

29 Sep 2011

Post-Soviet economic breakdown may have contributed to re-emergence of NTDs in Central Asia

According to an article by Peter Hotez, president of the Sabin Vaccine Institute, and Ken Alibek of Nazarbayev University in Astana, Kazakhstan, published Tuesday in the journal PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, Central Asia "continues to suffer from a post-Soviet economic breakdown that may have contributed to a re-emergence of several NTDs in the area, especially among its most economically disadvantaged groups," a PLoS press release states.

29 Sep 2011

Viewpoints: Blocking, replacing health law; a doc's HPV advice; County wellness plan working

Too often, the Republican Party health-care agenda seems to consist of incanting "repeal and replace" and then to stop thinking - if the thinking ever begins at all. Certainly the current Presidential field is saying little beyond promising to repeal ObamaCare, but in the nick of time Paul Ryan has provided some intellectual guidance in an important speech yesterday at Stanford's Hoover Institution. he said "we cannot simply revert to the status quo."

29 Sep 2011

Roche to sponsor 3rd Annual World MRSA Day

As part of its ongoing work in the prevention and control of serious infections in healthcare settings, Roche announced today its sponsorship of the 3rd Annual World MRSA Day.

From Roche Sequencing and Life Science 29 Sep 2011

Phase I clinical trials reveal MVA-B preventive vaccine's immune efficiency against HIV

Phase I clinical trials developed by Spanish Superior Scientific Research Council (CSIC) together with Gregorio Mara--n Hospital in Madrid and Cl-nic Hospital in Barcelona, reveals MVA-B preventive vaccine's immune efficiency against Human's immunodeficiency virus (HIV).

28 Sep 2011

Anthrax defenses need to be strengthened: Experts

It has been a decade since the anthrax attacks brought home the reality of bioterrorism and the nation now has a stockpile of some basic tools to fight back against a few of the threats that worry defense experts the most.

28 Sep 2011