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Biomagnetics signs agreement with LANL to develop validated TB biomarker assay

Biomagnetics Diagnostics Corp., (PINK SHEETS: BMGP) a developer of revolutionary diagnostic systems and related technology for detecting HIV, hepatitis, tuberculosis, cholera and malaria, and other innovative technologies, today announced it has now completed a series of payments to Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) pursuant to the cooperative research and development agreement (CRADA) executed in 2010 between the two organizations.

21 Apr 2011

Antenatal infection and ventilation with BPD associated with excessive accumulation of dendritic cells in lungs

Rates of premature births have increased in recent years, affecting more than 12% of all births and making strategies for managing the associated perinatal complications an important public goal. Preterm infants are particularly at risk for bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), a chronic lung disease. BPD has multiple causes, and uncovering critical interactions within the immune system can lead to new approaches for treatment.

21 Apr 2011

Opinions: Eliminating TB; HIV prevention trial; Reducing stillbirths; Foreign aid, global stability; Safe injection sites

In a U.S. News & World Report opinion piece, African Health Ministers Aaron Motsoaledi of South Africa, Mphu Ramatlapeng of Lesotho, and Benedict Xaba of Swaziland call upon the international community to join with them in the fight to rid the world of tuberculosis (TB). "That goal might seem overambitious or unrealistic. [But i]t's not," they write

21 Apr 2011

TRIM5 cellular protein helps rhesus monkeys resist HIV

Thanks to a certain protein, rhesus monkeys are resistant to HIV. Known as TRIM5, the protein prevents the HI virus from multiplying once it has entered the cell. Researchers from the universities of Geneva and Zurich have now discovered the protein's mechanism, as they report in Nature. This also opens up new prospects for fighting HIV in humans.

21 Apr 2011

Immigrant screening fails to detect more than 70% cases of latent tuberculosis infection

Current UK procedures to screen new immigrants for tuberculosis (TB) fail to detect more than 70 per cent of cases of latent infection, according to a new study published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases.

21 Apr 2011

Genetically modified mosquitoes tested to prevent spread of malaria: Study

According to the latest study in the journal Nature, researchers from Imperial College London and the University of Washington, Seattle found that after making specific genetic changes to a few mosquitoes and then allowing them to breed could eventually dramatically reduce the spread of the deadly disease malaria.

20 Apr 2011

$2.3 million of malaria medicines stolen

According to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, malaria medications valued at almost $2.3 million may have been stolen from government-run distribution centers in Africa and other locations.

20 Apr 2011

Gilead, MicroDose enter collaboration for inhalable small molecule antiviral fusion inhibitor MDT-637

Gilead Sciences, Inc. and MicroDose Therapeutx, Inc. today announced that the companies have entered into an exclusive worldwide license and collaboration agreement for the development and commercialization of MDT-637, MicroDose's inhalable small molecule antiviral fusion inhibitor for the treatment of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).

20 Apr 2011

Mylan launches Famciclovir Tablets

Mylan Inc. today announced that its subsidiary Mylan Pharmaceuticals Inc. has launched Famciclovir Tablets, 125 mg, 250 mg and 500 mg, the generic version of Novartis' Famvir® Tablets, a treatment for herpes.

20 Apr 2011

BIOTECH Development Partners provides funds to Biomagnetics

Biomagnetics Diagnostics Corp., (PINK SHEETS:BMGP) a developer of revolutionary diagnostic systems and technology for HIV, hepatitis, tuberculosis, cholera and malaria detection, and other innovative technologies, today announced it has begun receiving funds from a biotech-oriented investment group called BIOTECH Development Partners, LLC.

20 Apr 2011

Study shows possibility of women living with AIDS to breastfeed with lower risk

In low-income countries, 1.4 million women are living with the Aids virus. If no prevention measures are taken, the risk for future mothers of transmitting HIV to their child in utero, during delivery or when breastfeeding is 35%.

20 Apr 2011

Furiex acquires full rights to JNJ-Q2, a novel broad-spectrum fluoroquinolone antibiotic

Furiex Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced today that it has acquired full exclusive license rights to develop and commercialize the compound JNJ-Q2 under its existing development and license agreement with Janssen Pharmaceutica N.V.. Furiex acquired these rights as a result of Janssen's decision not to exercise its option under the agreement that gave Janssen the opportunity to continue development of JNJ-Q2.

20 Apr 2011

Durata commences dalbavancin Phase 3 study in acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections

Durata Therapeutics today announced the Company initiated a global, pivotal, Phase 3 study (DISCOVER-1) of its lead product, dalbavancin, a long-acting, intravenous (IV) lipoglycopeptide for the treatment of acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections (abSSSI). The pivotal study is being conducted under a Special Protocol Assessment (SPA) agreed upon with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

20 Apr 2011

Researchers to wind down HIV prevention trial in women after interim results find drug not offering protection from HIV

Researchers on Monday announced they were calling off a trial to test whether taking an oral HIV drug reduces the risk of HIV infection in women after interim analysis of the study showed women taking the medication were no less likely to become infected with HIV than those who were not taking the medicine, the Associated Press reports.

20 Apr 2011

IBD patients at greater risk of death if infected with Clostridium difficile

Patients admitted to hospital with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) face a sixfold greater risk of death if they become infected with Clostridium difficile, a new study has found. The researchers say IBD patients should be screened on admission to protect them from serious illness.

20 Apr 2011

Diagnostic test Xpert MTB/RIF proven fast and effective in low-resource settings

The Lancet published a significant development for TB diagnostics yesterday with concrete and encouraging study outcomes on the effectiveness of the new Xpert MTB/RIF test for TB and rifampicin resistance in realistic health care field conditions. One of the authors, Prof. Mark Nicol of the University of Cape Town (South Africa) who contributed to this study, is an EDCTP Senior Fellow. The article demonstrates that the test can effectively be used in low-resource settings to simplify early and accurate diagnosis of patients. The potential impact is a reduction in the morbidity associated with diagnostic delay, dropout and mistreatment. The article has appeared online on 19 April 2011 and will be published in volume 377 on 30 April 2011.

20 Apr 2011

SERI selects AB SCIEX TripleTOF 5600 system to test chronic eye inflammations

AB SCIEX, a global leader in life science analytical technologies, today announced that the Singapore Eye Research Institute, an internationally known eye research center, will advance biomarker candidates it identified for chronic inflammatory eye conditions into large-scale clinical trials for validation with the AB SCIEX TripleTOF™ 5600 System.

20 Apr 2011

Acorda receives patent for AMPYRA tablets to improve walking in MS patients

Acorda Therapeutics, Inc. today announced that the United States Patent and Trademark Office has allowed U.S. Patent Application No. 11/010,828 entitled "Sustained Release Aminopyridine Composition."

20 Apr 2011

MSF calls on African governments, WHO to switch to newer, more expensive treatment for severe malaria

Nearly 200,000 deaths from severe malaria could be averted if African governments replaced the low-cost antimalarial quinine with the more expensive but more effective drug artesunate, according to a report (.pdf) released Tuesday by Medicins Sans Frontieres (MSF), Reuters reports (Kelland, 4/19).

20 Apr 2011

FHI to stop FEM-PrEP study of HIV prevention among heterosexual women

On the heels of Centers for Disease Control announcement earlier today that an ongoing study of the use of Gilead's top selling AIDS treatment, Truvada, as a possible form of pre-exposure prophylaxis for HIV prevention in women is being abruptly halted because the, "…trial could not demonstrate efficacy," the AIDS Healthcare Foundation renewed its call on Gilead Sciences to slow its fast track pursuit of its application for FDA approval of use of its AIDS drug as a possible form of HIV prevention.

20 Apr 2011

Disease/Infection News

Biomagnetics signs agreement with LANL to develop validated TB biomarker assay

Antenatal infection and ventilation with BPD associated with excessive accumulation of dendritic cells in lungs

Opinions: Eliminating TB; HIV prevention trial; Reducing stillbirths; Foreign aid, global stability; Safe injection sites

TRIM5 cellular protein helps rhesus monkeys resist HIV

Immigrant screening fails to detect more than 70% cases of latent tuberculosis infection

Genetically modified mosquitoes tested to prevent spread of malaria: Study

$2.3 million of malaria medicines stolen

Gilead, MicroDose enter collaboration for inhalable small molecule antiviral fusion inhibitor MDT-637

Mylan launches Famciclovir Tablets

BIOTECH Development Partners provides funds to Biomagnetics

Study shows possibility of women living with AIDS to breastfeed with lower risk

Furiex acquires full rights to JNJ-Q2, a novel broad-spectrum fluoroquinolone antibiotic

Durata commences dalbavancin Phase 3 study in acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections

Researchers to wind down HIV prevention trial in women after interim results find drug not offering protection from HIV

IBD patients at greater risk of death if infected with Clostridium difficile

Diagnostic test Xpert MTB/RIF proven fast and effective in low-resource settings

SERI selects AB SCIEX TripleTOF 5600 system to test chronic eye inflammations

Acorda receives patent for AMPYRA tablets to improve walking in MS patients

MSF calls on African governments, WHO to switch to newer, more expensive treatment for severe malaria

FHI to stop FEM-PrEP study of HIV prevention among heterosexual women

Real-time Raman monitoring for pharmaceutical hot melt extrusion

Synthetic Psychedelics: A Growing Public Health Concern

How the Vutara VXL simplifies single-molecule imaging

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