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NIH awards Akonni $435K to develop point-of-care diagnostics for multi-drug resistant strains of MTB

Akonni Biosystems a molecular diagnostics company focused on developing and manufacturing rapid, high multiplex solutions for infectious disease testing, today announced receipt of a $435K grant from the National Institutes of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering at the National Institutes of Health. The award will enable Akonni to accelerate development of its hands-free, sample-to-answer system for identifying a broader range of multi-drug resistant strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

28 Jul 2010

DIATHERIX Laboratories opens rapid response diagnostic panels for STD, HSV

DIATHERIX Laboratories ,adds a Sexually Transmitted Disease (STD) panel and Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV) panel to its line up of highly sensitive, rapid response diagnostic panels. The HSV panel identifies herpes simplex viruses 1 and 2 and the STD panel identifies 10 sexually transmitted diseases simultaneously, many of which cannot be accurately identified by current testing methods. These STD organisms, if not appropriately treated, can cause diseases such as syphilis, gonorrhoeae, chlamydia, bacterial vaginosis, etc. and may lead to blindness, infertility or complications during pregnancy.

28 Jul 2010

35 cases of hepatitis C among Melbourne abortion clinic patients

Over the last few months there has been a rise in hepatitis C cases at an abortion clinic in Melbourne. In a new development 13 new cases have been diagnosed. This brings the total count to 35. The Victorian police are investigating the source of the infections. The link between the Croydon Day Surgery and the cluster was first revealed in April, when there were only 12 cases.

28 Jul 2010

Antigenics announces positive results of AG-707 genital herpes vaccine

Antigenics announced positive results with AG-707, an investigational therapeutic vaccine being developed to treat herpes simplex virus-2,the virus that causes genital herpes, in infected patients. Developed by Antigenics, the vaccine triggers a cellular immune response, stimulating both CD4+ and CD8+ T cells.

28 Jul 2010

Haiti: might the earthquake worsen TB rates?

Prior to the earthquake of January 12th 2010, Haiti had experienced the highest TB notification rate in the Latin America and Caribbean region. In a forthcoming editorial in Expert Review of Respiratory Medicine, Kevin Schwartzman and colleagues from the McGill University Health Centre (Montreal, Canada) discuss whether the devastation of Haiti six months ago will lead to an unavoidable increase in the incidence of TB.

27 Jul 2010

NPMA releases results of 2010 Comprehensive Global Bed Bug Study

A new survey conducted by the National Pest Management Association and the University of Kentucky, confirms what pest management professionals across the U.S. and around the world have been seeing in the field - bed bugs are back in a very big way, with 95 percent of U.S. survey respondents indicating that their company has encountered a bed bug infestation in the past year. Prior to 2000, only 25 percent of U.S. survey respondents encountered a bed bug infestation.

27 Jul 2010

Singapore hepatitis C therapeutics market revenue to increase to $4.5 billion by 2017

The Singaporean government's emphasis on raising awareness on the benefit of frequent health check-ups have significantly raised the number of Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) diagnosed cases in the country, expanding the patient pool. Therapeutics companies have a challenging task ahead for improving treatment for this market as current treatment requires high dosage frequency, but potentially has serious side effects.

27 Jul 2010

Neurodegenerative disease-causing infectious protein can erupt from healthy brain tissue: Study

In a startling new study that involved research on both sides of the Atlantic, scientists from The Scripps Research Institute in Florida and the University College London Institute of Neurology in England have shown for the first time that abnormal prions, bits of infectious protein devoid of DNA or RNA that can cause fatal neurodegenerative disease, can suddenly erupt from healthy brain tissue.

27 Jul 2010

EFINTD awards 850,000 Euros for medical research on neglected tropical diseases in Africa

More than one billion people all over the world suffer from tropical diseases which are mostly unknown to the wider public and have also been neglected economically. In a joint effort with four other European foundations, the Volkswagen Foundation has opened a second round of funding for African scientists conducting research on these neglected diseases.

27 Jul 2010

Female sexual dysfunction can affect quality of life: Research

Almost two-thirds of females attending a general urology practice reported that they suffered from sexual dysfunction, according to a paper in the August issue of BJUI. Dysfunction rose with age in all categories except orgasm, with more than half of women aged from 18 to 30 reporting orgasm problems, significantly higher than women aged 31 to 54.

27 Jul 2010

Advanced Life Sciences enters agreement with UBC to develop antimicrobial peptides

Advanced Life Sciences Holdings, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company engaged in the discovery, development and commercialization of novel drugs in the therapeutic areas of infection, oncology and respiratory diseases, today announced that the Company has entered into a sponsored research and option agreement with The University of British Columbia (UBC) to develop several antimicrobial peptides.

27 Jul 2010

Global Fund director calls on emerging countries to invest more in programs to reduce HIV/AIDS, TB and malaria at AIDS 2010

On the final day of the International AIDS Conference-AIDS 2010 Friday, Michel Kazatchkine, executive director of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria called upon "China, India and other fast-growing economies" to chip in to help close the funding gap in efforts to battle HIV/AIDS, Agence France-Presse reports. "Until now, these countries have been recipients of AIDS funds, not donors," the news service writes.

27 Jul 2010

Albert Einstein College of Medicine receives research grant to help people with MDR-TB

For the third time in four months, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases of the National Institutes of Health has awarded Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University a research grant aimed at helping people infected with multidrug-resistant tuberculosis. Taken together, all three NIH grants total $8.57 million.

27 Jul 2010

Study on interactions between new antitubercular drug candidates SQ109 and TMC207

Sequella, Inc., a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing drugs for treatment of life-threatening infectious diseases, announced today the publication of studies in the scientific journal Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy on synergy between SQ109, its lead drug candidate for the treatment of TB, and TMC207, Tibotec lead TB drug candidate:

27 Jul 2010

AHF denies BMS sales reprepresentatives access to healthcare centers

Today AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) announced that it has banned pharmaceutical sales representatives from Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMS) from calling on AHF's medical providers and staff in its sixteen U.S. healthcare centers. The decision is based on BMS' refusal to lower the price of its key AIDS drug Reyataz for cash-strapped AIDS Drug Assistance Programs.

27 Jul 2010

Quidel recommences shipments of QuickVue+ lateral flow diagnostic test for infectious mononucleosis

Quidel Corporation, a leading provider of rapid diagnostic testing solutions, announced today that it has begun taking orders for its QuickVue®+ lateral flow diagnostic test for infectious mononucleosis. Due to strong customer demand, the Company has restarted manufacturing its previous mononucleosis product with shipments to customers expected during the first week of August.

27 Jul 2010

Scientists discover mechanism of herpes virus cell entry machinery

The mechanism by which a herpes virus invades cells has remained a mystery to scientists, but now research from Tufts University and the University of Pennsylvania reveals the unusual structure of a key member of the protein complex that allows a herpes virus to invade cells.The new map details an essential piece of the herpes virus "cell-entry machinery," providing scientists with a new target for antiviral drugs.

27 Jul 2010

Study analyses anesthetic effects on surgical site infections

A study appearing in the August 2010 issue of Anesthesiology found that patients receiving a total hip or knee replacement in Taiwan had a higher incidence of surgical site infections (SSIs) when general anesthesia was administered for the operation than when the same procedures were performed under epidural/spinal (regional) anesthesia.

27 Jul 2010

AIDS 2010 opinions: U.S. funding for global HIV/AIDS programs; Empowering women, girls in fight against HIV/AIDS

The first letter, Ambassador Eric Goosby, U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator, addresses an opinion piece by Desmond Tutu, archbishop emeritus of Cape Town and honorary chairman of the Global AIDS Alliance. Goosby writes, "The United States has been and continues to be the global leader on HIV/AIDS. The best metric of our success is lives saved." Goosby cites an increased number of people on antiretrovirals financed by the United States and a commitment to treat 4 million more as part of the Global Health Initiative.

27 Jul 2010

Can-Fite's CF102 decreases HCV viral load in liver cancer patients

Can-Fite BioPharma Ltd, a biotechnology company traded on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange reported today that a significant decrease in HCV viral load was detected in 3 patients with liver cancer who are treated daily orally with CF102. The company is studying CF102 as a treatment for liver cancer (hepatocellular carcinoma, or HCC). The results announced today relate to data which came out of a Phase 1/2 clinical trial of CF102 in the treatment of patients with advanced HCC.

26 Jul 2010

Disease/Infection News

NIH awards Akonni $435K to develop point-of-care diagnostics for multi-drug resistant strains of MTB

DIATHERIX Laboratories opens rapid response diagnostic panels for STD, HSV

35 cases of hepatitis C among Melbourne abortion clinic patients

Antigenics announces positive results of AG-707 genital herpes vaccine

Haiti: might the earthquake worsen TB rates?

NPMA releases results of 2010 Comprehensive Global Bed Bug Study

Singapore hepatitis C therapeutics market revenue to increase to $4.5 billion by 2017

Neurodegenerative disease-causing infectious protein can erupt from healthy brain tissue: Study

EFINTD awards 850,000 Euros for medical research on neglected tropical diseases in Africa

Female sexual dysfunction can affect quality of life: Research

Advanced Life Sciences enters agreement with UBC to develop antimicrobial peptides

Global Fund director calls on emerging countries to invest more in programs to reduce HIV/AIDS, TB and malaria at AIDS 2010

Albert Einstein College of Medicine receives research grant to help people with MDR-TB

Study on interactions between new antitubercular drug candidates SQ109 and TMC207

AHF denies BMS sales reprepresentatives access to healthcare centers

Quidel recommences shipments of QuickVue+ lateral flow diagnostic test for infectious mononucleosis

Scientists discover mechanism of herpes virus cell entry machinery

Study analyses anesthetic effects on surgical site infections

AIDS 2010 opinions: U.S. funding for global HIV/AIDS programs; Empowering women, girls in fight against HIV/AIDS

Can-Fite's CF102 decreases HCV viral load in liver cancer patients

Transforming Lab Workflows with Cell Culture Automation

Building Bridges to Scalable Allogeneic Cell Therapy

Edoardo Fabini

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