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New SPC3649 drug found effective in treating HCV infections

In a dramatic finding, a new drug for hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections that targets liver cells produced a substantial drop in blood levels of the virus in animals and continued to work up to several months after treatment, say scientists at the Southwest Foundation for Biomedical Research (SFBR) in San Antonio.

4 Dec 2009

Santaris Pharma's LNA technology based microRNA-targeted therapy holds promise for HCV

A study published online in this week's Science shows that SPC3649, a breakthrough microRNA-targeted therapy developed by Santaris Pharma A/S using its proprietary Locked Nucleic Acid (LNA) technology, holds promise as a novel treatment for patients infected with the Hepatitis C virus (HCV).

4 Dec 2009

Adaptive vaccination strategies outperform seasonal influenza vaccination allocation strategies

Adaptive vaccination strategies, based on age patterns of hospitalizations and deaths monitored in real-time during the early stages of a pandemic, outperform seasonal influenza vaccination allocation strategies, according to findings reported Dec. 3 by researchers, including two from Arizona State University, in the online journal PLoS ONE.

4 Dec 2009

Integrative medicine and treatment strategies for the H1N1 infection discussed at the Buchang Forum

According to the World Health Organization, the human H1N1/09 Type A influenza ("Swine Flu") has reached a pandemic level. Over 500,000 cases have been confirmed worldwide with at least 6,500 fatalities. Since there is no longer a requirement to test and report individual cases, these numbers undoubtedly understate the real situation.

4 Dec 2009

Vaccination, social distancing and antiviral drugs may help lessen swine flu impact

The relatively low number of new cases created by a single case of H1N1 influenza indicates that mitigation strategies such as vaccination, social distancing and the use of antiviral drugs may help to lessen the final impact of the virus, suggests an epidemiological modelling study

4 Dec 2009

Two antimicrobial drug developing companies evaluate new approach for treating bacterial infections

Chaperone Technologies, Inc. and MerLion Pharmaceuticals Pte Ltd., both privately-held companies developing new antimicrobial drugs, announced today that they are together evaluating a unique approach for the treatment of resistant and life-threatening bacterial infections.

4 Dec 2009

New medical-scientific article on A/H1N1 epidemic

A special issue of Deutsches -rzteblatt International contains the first scientific presentation of clinical experience with the novel influenza A virus (H1N1/09) in the German-speaking countries since the start of the pandemic.

4 Dec 2009

Expert advice for organ transplant surgeons on clinical issues posed by swine flu pandemic

Surgeons and other healthcare professionals specialising in solid organ transplants have been issued with expert advice to guide them through the complex clinical issues posed by the global H1N1 (swine flu) pandemic.

4 Dec 2009

Researchers discover new strategy against invasive parasite

Researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University have discovered a possible strategy against an invasive parasite that infects more than a quarter of the world's population, including 50 million Americans.

4 Dec 2009

U.N.-backed report features recommendations to scale up fight against HIV/AIDS in Pacific

A report released Wednesday by the Commission on AIDS in the Pacific region outlines the challenges of preventing the spread of HIV in "22 geographically and culturally diverse countries" of the Pacific and recommends efforts to scale up the region's fight against HIV/AIDS, U.N. News Centre reports.

4 Dec 2009

WHO investigates Tamiflu resistance, updates antiviral recommendations for H1N1 patients with severely compromised immune systems

Following recent reports of clusters of Tamiflu resistance, the WHO on Wednesday recommended that patients with severely weakened immune systems who become infected with the H1N1 (swine flu) virus receive additional antiviral treatment as needed throughout the duration of their illness, Agence France-Presse reports. "

4 Dec 2009

PlusNews examines push to evaluate HIV prevention strategies

PlusNews examines the growing need to test how well HIV prevention strategies work - a topic addressed Monday at a Social Aspects of HIV/AIDS Research Alliance (SAHARA) conference in Johannesburg, South Africa.

4 Dec 2009

Opinions: Media coverage of HIV/AIDS; WTO and global health; G8, HIV/AIDS; stopping syringe reuse

In a New Republic/NPR opinion piece, Harold Pollack, an associate professor at the University of Chicago School of Social Service Administration, looks at the media's coverage of World AIDS Day. "Almost six thousand people died of AIDS [Tuesday]. ... That it happened to be World AIDS Day was almost incidental. AIDS was certainly incidental to much of the mainstream media.

4 Dec 2009

Malaria campaign kicks off, will coincide with 2010 World Cup Soccer

The United Against Malaria (UAM) campaign, which will work in collaboration with the 2010 Soccer World Cup, was launched Wednesday in Johannesburg, South Africa, SAPA/IOL reports (12/2).

4 Dec 2009

Also in global health news: U.S. aid to Philippines, Swaziland, Guyana; Uganda Bills; Botswana HIV/AIDS

U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines Kristie Kenney said the U.S. will give the country an additional $10 million worth of food aid for people affect by the recent typhoons, the Manila Bulletin reports. This brings "the total amount of its disaster relief and recovery assistance to US$30 million" (Sabater, 12/3).

3 Dec 2009

Fear of swine flu impacts lifestyle

One of the lasting legacies of 2009 and looming challenges of 2010 is the H1N1 virus. Fears about contracting H1N1 (commonly known as the swine flu) have consumed many Americans for most of the year, so EarnMyDegree.com (http://www.earnmydegree.com), a web resource of EducationDynamics, which connects prospective students with online classes, commissioned a new study about whether flu-related worries have caused people to change their habits.

3 Dec 2009

Global HIV reporting and monitoring system provides good indication of overall progress towards HIV goal

Although much work remains to be done, a United Nations global reporting system on HIV/AIDS has already yielded an "unequaled wealth of data" on progress toward meeting UN targets for responding to the global HIV epidemic.

3 Dec 2009

China's SFDA initiates quality investigation of Simcere Pharmaceutical Group subsidiary's rabies vaccine

Simcere Pharmaceutical Group, a leading pharmaceutical company specializing in the development, manufacturing, and marketing of branded generic and proprietary pharmaceuticals in China, today reported that China's State Food and Drug Administration ("SFDA") has initiated a comprehensive investigation into quality issues regarding human use rabies vaccine (vero cell) manufactured by Simcere's subsidiary Jiangsu Yanshen Biological Technology Stock Co., Ltd. ("Jiangsu Yanshen").

3 Dec 2009

UK DFID awards CNTD £10M in elimination of elephantiasis initiative

The Centre for Neglected Tropical Diseases (CNTD) at the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine has been awarded £10 million by the UK Department for International Development (DFID) to support endemic countries in tackling lymphatic filariasis (LF) - a crippling disease more commonly known as elephantiasis.

3 Dec 2009

NIDA funds proposed 'seek and treat' strategy in the fight against HIV/AIDS

Dr. Julio Montaner - Director, British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS (BC-CfE), and President, International AIDS Society - congratulated Dr. Nora Volkow, Director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), for taking a leadership role in the evaluation of the "Seek and Treat" strategy originally developed at the BC-CfE.

3 Dec 2009

Disease/Infection News

New SPC3649 drug found effective in treating HCV infections

Santaris Pharma's LNA technology based microRNA-targeted therapy holds promise for HCV

Adaptive vaccination strategies outperform seasonal influenza vaccination allocation strategies

Integrative medicine and treatment strategies for the H1N1 infection discussed at the Buchang Forum

Vaccination, social distancing and antiviral drugs may help lessen swine flu impact

Two antimicrobial drug developing companies evaluate new approach for treating bacterial infections

New medical-scientific article on A/H1N1 epidemic

Expert advice for organ transplant surgeons on clinical issues posed by swine flu pandemic

Researchers discover new strategy against invasive parasite

U.N.-backed report features recommendations to scale up fight against HIV/AIDS in Pacific

WHO investigates Tamiflu resistance, updates antiviral recommendations for H1N1 patients with severely compromised immune systems

PlusNews examines push to evaluate HIV prevention strategies

Opinions: Media coverage of HIV/AIDS; WTO and global health; G8, HIV/AIDS; stopping syringe reuse

Malaria campaign kicks off, will coincide with 2010 World Cup Soccer

Also in global health news: U.S. aid to Philippines, Swaziland, Guyana; Uganda Bills; Botswana HIV/AIDS

Fear of swine flu impacts lifestyle

Global HIV reporting and monitoring system provides good indication of overall progress towards HIV goal

China's SFDA initiates quality investigation of Simcere Pharmaceutical Group subsidiary's rabies vaccine

UK DFID awards CNTD £10M in elimination of elephantiasis initiative

NIDA funds proposed 'seek and treat' strategy in the fight against HIV/AIDS

Exploring the nanoscale: How AFM is transforming cosmetic science

Innovating Texture and Culture in Plant-Based Foods

Advancing brain microphysiological systems (bMPS)

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