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HHS awards two contracts to accelerate flu vaccine availability

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services awarded two contracts today to help make vaccine available more quickly for seasonal flu outbreaks and pandemics. The contracts for advanced development of new types of vaccine and new ways to make flu vaccine known as next-generation recombinant influenza vaccine total $215 million.

28 Feb 2011

EDMA supports the Rare Disease Day

On the occasion of the 2011 Rare Disease Day, EDMA, the European Diagnostic Manufacturers Association, underlines the crucial role the In Vitro Diagnostic industry can play to diagnose rare diseases.

28 Feb 2011

Tenofovir gel may help reduce risk of HIV from anal sex

A gel developed to protect against HIV during vaginal sex produced a strong antiviral effect when used in the rectum, according to an early-phase study presented today at the 18th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI). The results, based on rectal tissue biopsies sampled from HIV-negative men and women who used the product daily for one week, provide the first-ever evidence that tenofovir gel could help reduce the risk of HIV from anal sex, even though the vaginal gel formulation may not be optimal for rectal use.

28 Feb 2011

Synageva supports Fourth International Rare Disease Day

Synageva BioPharma Corp., a privately held biopharmaceutical company that is developing therapeutic products for rare disorders, announced today that the company is supporting the Fourth International Rare Disease Day observance on February 28, 2011.

28 Feb 2011

Positive results from Trius torezolid Phase 1 lung study

Trius Therapeutics, Inc. today announced results from its Phase 1 clinical trial to evaluate the ability of torezolid to penetrate into the lung for potential use to treat lung infections. In this study a 200 mg dose of torezolid phosphate was administered orally once-daily for three days to healthy adult volunteers. The trial achieved its primary goal of establishing the steady-state plasma pharmacokinetics and distribution of active drug into epithelial lining fluid (ELF).

28 Feb 2011

EPA approves BioNeutral's Ygiene 206 antimicrobial disinfectant

BioNeutral Group, Inc., a specialty life science technology-based company, today announced that it has received approval and registration from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in response to the Company's regulatory application for its Ygiene™ 206.

28 Feb 2011

19th annual EJAF Academy Awards Viewing Party raises nearly $4 million to fight against HIV/AIDS

The 19th annual Elton John AIDS Foundation Academy Awards Viewing Party hosted by Sir Elton John and David Furnish raised nearly $4 million for the fight against HIV/AIDS. The gala, which took place on Sunday, February 27, at the Pacific Design Center in Los Angeles, was co-sponsored by Chopard and Jo & Raffy Manoukian.

28 Feb 2011

Immunitor to present latest results from imm01 trial in tuberculosis patients at African conference

Immune Network Ltd. advises that Immunitor will present latest results from its imm01 clinical trial in tuberculosis patients in Abuja, Nigeria at the 18th Union TB and Lung Diseases Conference of the African Region, 2nd to 5th March, 2011.

28 Feb 2011

MEPs, OETC visit new TB vaccine trial site to express support for candidate development

Emergent BioSolutions Inc. announced that a joint delegation of Members of the European Parliament and representatives from the Oxford-Emergent Tuberculosis Consortium today visited the trial site where MVA85A, the world's most clinically advanced tuberculosis vaccine candidate in development, is being studied in a Phase IIb infant efficacy clinical trial.

28 Feb 2011

New research may shed light on how HIV virus reactivates from latency

New research enhances the current knowledge of how human immunodeficiency virus type-1, which causes AIDS, controls the cell cycle of cells that it infects. The new findings may shed light on how the virus reactivates after entering a dormant state, called latency.

28 Feb 2011

House, Senate leaders continue negotiations on FY11 budget; global health advocates protest spending cuts

Federal budget negotiations continued on Thursday, "as Senate Democrats looked for targets for cuts in the remaining months of fiscal 2011 and House Republicans appeared ready to unveil a stopgap plan that would make deep reductions over the next two weeks," CQ reports.

28 Feb 2011

Scientists identify new pathogen linked to childhood dental disease

Researchers at The Forsyth Institute have made a significant discovery about the nature of childhood dental disease. The scientific studies led by Anne Tanner, BDS, Ph.D., identified a new pathogen connected to severe early childhood caries.

28 Feb 2011

New study identifies recurrent wound botulism among injection drug users

Botulism is a rare disease and recurrent botulism even more rare. However, in California, recurrent wound botulism among injection drug users has been on the rise and makes up three-quarters of reported cases in the United States.

28 Feb 2011

STD testing for elderly may be covered by Medicare

According to a new report testing for sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) may soon be covered by Medicare plans for the elderly. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has announced that they are considering adding these tests as part of standard Medicare health insurance plans. At present the national health insurance program already pays for HIV tests. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) officials are expected to announce a draft decision by August 24.

28 Feb 2011

Authorities work to contain measles scare

Health authorities are trying to prevent an outbreak of measles after a woman carrying the transmissible infection travelled widely throughout the United States. The lady in question, 27, allegedly contracted the airborne virus in the United Kingdom and arrived in the United States last week, passing through three U.S. airports on her way to New Mexico, where she is believed to reside. She arrived at Washington Dulles International Airport on Tuesday, February 22, from London.

28 Feb 2011

Scripps Health offers genetic testing to patients with Hepatitis C

Scripps Health is one of the first health systems in the United States to offer genetic testing as part of its care for hepatitis C patients planning to undergo drug treatment.

28 Feb 2011

Acute viral infection does not appear to cause exacerbation of IPF

Acute viral infection does not appear to be a primary cause of acute exacerbation of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, a progressive, deadly disease resulting in thickening and scarring of the lungs, according to a study conducted by researchers from the U.S., Korea and Japan.

28 Feb 2011

NIH-funded study finds way to reduce transmission of malaria to humans

Spraying malaria-transmitting mosquitoes with a genetically modified fungus can kill the malaria parasite without harming the mosquito, potentially reducing malaria transmission to humans, according to a new study published in the journal Science. Funded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health, the study was led by Raymond J. St. Leger, Ph.D., of the University of Maryland, College Park.

25 Feb 2011

Targets against MRSA in microgravity

NASA astronauts onboard Space Shuttle Discovery's final mission to the International Space Station (ISS) will carry out the eleventh scientific payload for Astrogenetix, a commercial biotech company based out of Austin, Texas. The research on STS-133 will focus on changes that occur to methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in microgravity, which can be targeted to create new vaccines and therapeutics.

25 Feb 2011

Researchers explain genetic differences that distinguish early-transmitting HIVs-viruses

A new finding from scientists at the National Institutes of Health could help efforts to design vaccines and other prevention tools to block HIV in the early stages of sexual transmission, before infection takes hold. Researchers at the NIH National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases have helped explain genetic differences that can distinguish some early-transmitting HIVs-viruses found in an infected individual within the first month after infection-from forms of HIV isolated later in infection.

25 Feb 2011