Disease/Infection News

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GeoVax receives US Patent for pGA series of plasmids

GeoVax Labs, Inc., a biotechnology company that creates, develops and tests innovative HIV/AIDS vaccines, has been issued via an exclusive license from Emory University, a US Patent for its "DNA expression vectors and methods of use. Issued on September 14, 2010, the patent claims cover novel vectors and novel HIV vaccine inserts.

7 Oct 2010

Researchers unveil clues to combat enteritis in humans

The bacterium Campylobacter jejuni is a major cause of food poisoning in humans. It is normally transmitted from contaminted chicken meat, as it is frequently found in the intestines of chickens, where it apparently does not result in any symptoms. Researchers at the University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna have now solved the puzzle, showing that Campylobacter can survive ambient oxygen levels thanks to the presence of other bacteria, species of Pseudomonas.

7 Oct 2010

Vical to manufacture pDNA vaccines against HIV

Vical Incorporated today announced that the company has agreed to manufacture plasmid DNA (pDNA) vaccines against HIV under a $2.4 million contract with the IPPOX Foundation, a collaborating institution for the Poxvirus Vaccine Regimen Design (PVRD) led by the Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois (CHUV) under the auspices of the Collaboration for AIDS Vaccine Discovery (CAVD).

7 Oct 2010

Privigen IVIg therapy effective for primary, secondary immunodeficiencies: Study

Privigen, the first and only 10% liquid intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg) therapy stabilized with proline, is effective and well tolerated in patients with several primary and secondary immunodeficiencies, according to data presented today at the XIVth Meeting of the European Society for Immunodeficiencies. Results also demonstrate that Privigen offers significant protection against infection.

7 Oct 2010

Study explains importance of identifying global pandemic risk factors to predict spread of diseases

A recent study led by Dr. Parviez Hosseini, a senior research fellow from EcoHealth Alliance (formerly Wildlife Trust), explains the importance of identifying global pandemic risk factors as early as possible, in order to predict the spread of diseases like H1N1 "swine" flu and SARS. "Predictive Power of Air Travel and Socio-Economic data for Early Pandemic Spread," recently published in the scientific publication PLoS ONE, examines the interplay among travel, trade, and national healthcare resources in predicting the emergence and spread of H1N1 and other viruses.

7 Oct 2010

Donors pledge nearly $12b for Global Fund, missing lowest funding target

Donors at a replenishment meeting in New York on Tuesday pledged $11.7 billion over three years for the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, "higher than past support but below the lowest target set by the agency in its efforts to combat disease in the developing world," the Financial Times reports.

7 Oct 2010

VAP bundle helps eliminate hospital-acquired infection

Critically ill patients on a breathing tube are at risk not only from their injuries or diseases, but also from infections they can contract in the hospital. One of the most common infections is pneumonia from breathing tubes. A study of a new multidisciplinary protocol that has all but eliminated such infections at one hospital was reported on today at the 2010 Annual Clinical Congress of the American College of Surgeons.

7 Oct 2010

HHS partners with PEPFAR to invest $130M for African medical education

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is partnering with the U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief with a plan to invest $130 million over five years to transform African medical education and dramatically increase the number of health care workers.

7 Oct 2010

Trekkers and climbers face high risk for Acute Mountain Sickness

Climbers of high peaks such as Mount Kilimanjaro are at high risk for Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS). Trekkers should not ignore AMS warning signs, which can progress to more serious medical outcomes.

7 Oct 2010

Scientists develop first screening method to identify river blindness disease

Scientists from The Scripps Research Institute have developed the first screening method that rapidly identifies individuals with active river blindness, a parasitic disease that afflicts an estimated 37 million people. The test could change the current strategy of mass treatment in areas where river blindness, also known as onchocerciasis, is suspected.

7 Oct 2010

Progenics receives NIH grant to develop novel monoclonal antibodies to treat C. difficile infection

Progenics Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced the award of a grant totaling $4,143,652 from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for Progenics' program to develop novel monoclonal antibodies to treat Clostridium difficile (C. difficile) infection.

7 Oct 2010

Lumosity.com launches Italian version of cognitive training service

Lumosity.com, the leading online provider of games that improve brain performance, announced today the launch of an Italian version of their cognitive training service -- i.lumosity.com/it. The translation of the site into Italian was sponsored by Abbott Laboratories. Abbott also sponsored hundreds of memberships to make the Lumosity.com cognitive training program available to doctors and patients throughout Italy in an effort to raise awareness about the cognitive deficits associated with HIV/AIDS.

6 Oct 2010

WHO Eastern Mediterranean meeting opens in Cairo

The 57th WHO Eastern Mediterranean regional meeting opened Sunday in Cairo, Egypt, the Emirates News Agency reports.

6 Oct 2010

ISTA Pharmaceuticals announces Phase 1/2 clinical study results of bepotastine besilate nasal spray

ISTA Pharmaceuticals, Inc., today announced positive preliminary results from a Phase 1/2 clinical study of bepotastine besilate nasal spray conducted in Canada for the treatment of symptoms associated with seasonal allergic rhinitis, the inflammation of the nasal passages caused by allergies.

6 Oct 2010

Research to focus on effective use of artemisinin stocks for malaria

The frontline malaria treatment artemisinin could soon be treating more people for less cost, thanks to a research collaboration between Bradford and Shanghai.

6 Oct 2010

Miller-Mccune examines impact of limited access to schistosomiasis drug in Africa

Miller-McCune examines the limited access populations living in Africa have to the schistosomiasis drug praziquantel the only commercially available treatment for the disease.

6 Oct 2010

RDI launches HIV-TRePS system to predict patients’ response to HIV drugs

A ground-breaking system for predicting how individual patients with HIV and AIDS will respond to different drugs is launched today by RDI, a UK-based not-for-profit research group. The experimental system, called the HIV Treatment Response Prediction System (HIV-TRePS), is available free of charge over the Internet and helps physicians select the best treatment for their patients.

6 Oct 2010

AHF applauds Obama administration for reasserting U.S. leadership in contributions to fight global AIDS

AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) today lauded the Obama administration's announcement that it will seek $4 billion for the Global Fund to Fight HIV/AIDS, Malaria and Tuberculosis over the next three years—a 38% increase over what has been provided in the previous three-year period. The U.S. also urged better management of grants by participating countries, as well as increased accountability and efficiency by the Global Fund.

6 Oct 2010

Global health fund to get big boost from U.S.

The Wall Street Journal: "The Obama administration is expected on Tuesday to announce a large increase in its pledge to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, and to call for reform of the organization. The pledge of $4 billion over the next three fiscal years to the Geneva-based organization comes as governments and donors around the world have slowed increases in spending to combat HIV/AIDS, with weaker economies straining budgets."

6 Oct 2010

Chevron Corporation raises $25 million for Global Fund

Chevron Corporation today announced that it will commit an additional $25 million to The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, raising its 6-year investment in the organization to $55 million.

6 Oct 2010