Disease/Infection News

RSS

Presidio to present PPI-461 data for HCV infection at AASLD meeting

Presidio Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced today that Nathaniel Brown, M.D., Chief Medical Officer, will present a late-breaker poster, "Safety and Pharmacokinetics of PPI-461, a Potent New Hepatitis C virus (HCV) NS5A Inhibitor with Pan-Genotype Activity" at the 61st AASLD meeting in Boston, MA, on November 1, 2010.

30 Oct 2010

New MBP solution helps provide lifesaving HIV-prevention medications to mothers and babies

The Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation is pleased to partner with UNICEF and other organizations in the roll-out of the Mother-Baby Pack (MBP), an innovative solution to help bring lifesaving HIV-prevention medications to mothers and babies.

30 Oct 2010

Cipher announces completion of patient enrolment in CIP-ISOTRETINOIN Phase III study for nodular acne

Cipher Pharmaceuticals Inc. today announced that it has completed patient enrolment in its Phase III safety study of CIP-ISOTRETINOIN, the Company's novel, patented formulation of isotretinoin, which is used in the treatment of severe, nodular acne.

30 Oct 2010

FDA approves Teflaro for treatment of community-acquired bacterial pneumonia

Forest Laboratories, Inc. announced today that Teflaro(ceftaroline fosamil), a broad-spectrum bactericidal cephalosporin with activity against both gram-positive and gram-negative microorganisms, was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of community-acquired bacterial pneumonia (CABP), including cases caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae bacteremia, and acute bacterial skin and skin structure infection (ABSSSI), including cases caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA).

30 Oct 2010

Researchers to investigate new drugs for parasitic disease

Urgently-needed new treatment for a parasitic disease is being investigated in research led at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, Scotland. Human African Trypanosomiasis, also known as sleeping sickness, affects between 50,000 and 70,000 people in Africa and South America. It is transmitted through the bite of the tsetse fly and attacks the nervous system and brain, leading to fever, headaches and disturbed sleep patterns.

30 Oct 2010

Lancet series examines malaria eradication goal

Eliminating malaria can be achieved only with repeated investment over the long term and will require a major shift in policy and funding, according to some experts, Reuters reports.

30 Oct 2010

Teflaro receives FDA approval for treatment of bacterial infections

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Teflaro (ceftaroline fosamil), an injectable antibiotic to treat adults with community acquired bacterial pneumonia (CABP) and acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections (ABSSSI), including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA).

30 Oct 2010

New shuttlte program helps probe spaceflight-induced immune-system impairment

When the space shuttle Discovery lifts off on its final flight Nov. 2, its six astronauts will be joined by 16 rodent passengers on a historic mission of their own. Riding in special self-contained modules that automatically supply them with food and water, the mice will be part of a long-term NASA effort aimed at understanding why spaceflight makes humans more vulnerable to infection by viruses and bacteria.

30 Oct 2010

Recent releases in Global Health

Global Fund Will Make 'Every Possible Effort' To Raise Additional Resources: Although pledges to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria at its recent replenishment meeting did not meet "the lowest estimate of demand," the Fund "will make every possible effort to raise the additional resources that we expect countries to request in the years ahead" through new donor recruitment and "innovative financing approaches," writes Executive Director Michael Kazatchkine in a Lancet comment

30 Oct 2010

Mathematical models and maps to eliminate malaria

Two University of Florida researchers and their international colleagues have used mathematical models and maps to estimate the feasibility of eliminating malaria from countries that have the deadliest form of the disease.

29 Oct 2010

Phytonutrient Report says Americans do not consume enough fruits and vegetables

The majority of Americans report getting a cold or flu in the past year, and more than a third say they'll make lifestyle changes to prevent getting sick again this year. However, 40 percent of Americans don't plan to take what is arguably the easiest and tastiest step to help potentially prevent illness this cold and flu season eat more fruits and vegetables daily.

29 Oct 2010

T.J. Martell Foundation celebrates 35th Annual Awards Gala to raise funds for cancer and AIDS research

The T.J. Martell Foundation for Leukemia, Cancer and AIDS Research celebrated its 35th Annual Awards Gala on Wednesday, October 27th, 2010 at the New York Marriott Marquis and raised a total of $1.45 million.

29 Oct 2010

China CDC signs collaborative agreement with Hutchinson Cancer Research Center

The Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (China CDC) and Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center today formalized an ongoing relationship by signing a collaboration agreement. It marks the first such agreement between the China CDC and a U.S. cancer research center.

29 Oct 2010

Scientists develop new method to analyze early detection of virus

The virus, called enterovirus 71, is closely related to poliovirus, and was first detected in California in the 1960s. Since then the virus has spread across Asia, affecting mostly children and some adults. Serious cases of the disease can include neurological disorders such as meningitis, paralysis and encephalitis.

29 Oct 2010

Scientists identify potential new treatment for Nipah and Hendra viruses

Scientists at Weill Cornell Medical College have identified a potential new treatment for the Nipah and Hendra viruses, two lethal and emerging viruses for which there is currently no treatment or vaccine available. The approach could also lead to new therapies for measles, mumps and the flu. The new research appears in today's edition of the prestigious journal Public Library of Science (PLoS) Pathogens.

29 Oct 2010

CNN reports on recent uptick in cholera cases worldwide

CNN's "the chart" blog examines the rising number of cholera cases around the world. In addition to the cholera outbreak in Haiti, "[a]s of this month, four African nations - Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad and Niger - have reported more than 40,000 cases of cholera and more than 2,000 deaths. And Pakistan, a country that is still suffering from the effects of horrific floods, also is reporting 100+ cases of cholera since last month."

29 Oct 2010

Parasitic disease inflicts damage to women's reproductive organs: Research

Faculty of Life Sciences at the University of Copenhagen shows that the parasitic disease, commonly known as snail fever, or schistosomiasis, almost eats its way into women's reproductive organs. Today researchers from all over the world are gathering in Copenhagen to find out what can be done to halt the disease which is affecting millions of women in Africa.

29 Oct 2010

Opinions: Defense, diplomacy, development; PMTCT in Africa; perils of DIY aid; cholera in Haiti

In a Foreign Affairs essay, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton writes of the need to elevate diplomacy and development alongside defense a 'smart power' approach to solving global problems.

29 Oct 2010

Tenofovir gel to prevent HIV transmission nearing approval

Anti HIV drug Tenofovir in its gel form is to be fast-tracked for approval by the US FDA. The announcement was made by Conrad, a nonprofit scientific organization based in Arlington, Virginia that works with reproductive health.

28 Oct 2010

New nationwide initiative to conduct research on human immune system

A new nationwide research initiative has been launched to define changes in the human immune system's response to infection and vaccination using human rather than animal models, which could lead to better vaccines and other treatments. Baylor Research Institute (BRI), along with five other U.S.-based Human Immune Phenotyping Centers, will receive a total of $100 million over five years to conduct the research.

28 Oct 2010