Allergies News and Research

Latest Allergies News and Research

New genes associated with osteoarthritis progression

Scientists from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine and Interleukin Genetics, Inc. announced today findings from a large clinical study to evaluate the role played by genetic factors in the worsening of osteoarthritis.

21 Sep 2010

Annals of Internal Medicine publishes GRACE study data on HIV therapy

Data from the GRACE study will be published in the September 21st issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine. GRACE is the largest-ever study of treatment experienced adult women with HIV-1 to examine gender differences in response to HIV therapy. Sponsored by Tibotec Therapeutics Clinical Affairs, a division of Centocor Ortho Biotech Services, LLC, the GRACE study enrolled 67 percent women, demonstrating that it is possible to recruit large numbers of women into U.S.-based HIV treatment studies.

21 Sep 2010

Study reveals molecular steps for pneumonia therapy

A structural molecule and the cellular pump that regulates its levels influence the severity of pneumonia and could provide new ways of treating the lung infection, which is a leading cause of hospitalization and death, according to scientists at the University of Pittsburgh and the University of Iowa. Their findings are available online in Nature Medicine.

21 Sep 2010

Inovio Pharmaceuticals completes enrollment for PENNVAX-B vaccine Phase I clinical study

Inovio Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a leader in the development of therapeutic and preventive vaccines against cancers and infectious diseases, announced today the Phase I clinical study assessing Inovio's PENNVAX-B DNA vaccine delivered using its proprietary electroporation technology in a preventive setting has fully completed the enrollment of 48 healthy volunteers. The multi-center study is being conducted by Inovio's clinical collaborator, the HIV Vaccine Trials Network (HVTN), at several clinical sites under a protocol designated HVTN-080.

21 Sep 2010

USP PET results qualify Apricus Bio's NexACT as anti-microbial preservative

Apricus Biosciences, backed by a revenue generating CRO business and seeking to leverage its multi-route NexACT® drug delivery technology and internal pipeline through out-licensing partnerships, today announced that results from a United States Pharmacopeia Preservative Efficacy Test (USP PET) qualified NexACT as an anti-microbial preservative. The results show that NexACT was effective in killing more than 23 strains of bacteria, fungus and mold, well beyond the requirements for passing the USP PET.

21 Sep 2010

Sanofi-aventis releases Lantus(R) study results for type 2 diabetes

Sanofi-aventis announced today results of two studies presented at the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) 46th Annual Meeting in Stockholm, Sweden.

20 Sep 2010

Prestige Brands agrees to acquire Blacksmith Brands stock for $190 million

Prestige Brands Holdings, Inc., a leading marketer of branded consumer products, today announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire 100% of the stock of Blacksmith Brands Holdings, Inc., for $190 million in cash.

20 Sep 2010

Immunotherapy accepted for coverage in MEDLINE®

Future Medicine Ltd announced today that its journal Immunotherapy (ISSN 1750-743X) has been selected for coverage in MEDLINE®. Maintained by the U.S. National Library of Medicine, MEDLINE® (Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System Online) is a premier bibliographic database containing approximately 13 million references to journal articles in life sciences.

19 Sep 2010

Asthma symptoms peak 17 days after Labor Day: Study

Next week, Thursday could be the worst day of the year for people with asthma. If past experience holds, on September 23 there will be 3 times more asthma-related deaths and 4 times more asthma-related hospitalizations than on any other day of the year.

18 Sep 2010

Diverse coalition urges California Governor to sign bill to provide health coverage for smoking cessation treatments

A large and unusually diverse of group of interests have come together to urge Governor Schwarzenegger to sign a key health related measure, Senate Bill 220 (Yee, D-San Francisco), which would provide health coverage of smoking cessation treatments and services.

18 Sep 2010

Emergent BioSolutions signs contract with HHS to develop rPA anthrax vaccine

Emergent BioSolutions Inc. announced today that it has signed a contract, valued at up to $186.6 million, with the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority of the Department of Health and Human Services, for the development of a recombinant protective antigen anthrax vaccine.

18 Sep 2010

Conference to discuss frontline of immunological research, its clinical application

The immune system is evolved to protect our body against a variety of infectious agents which can cause serious and often fatal diseases. We now appreciate that the immune system is also involved in surveillance of malignant transformation of normal cells that constitute our body, as well as rejection of transplanted organs.

17 Sep 2010

Researchers to develop vaginal microbicide gels to reduce HIV risk

With the support of an $11.8 million, five-year federal grant, researchers at the University of Pittsburgh and their collaborators are developing a quick-dissolving vaginal film containing a powerful drug that reduces the risk of HIV infection, and they plan to begin testing it locally within a year.

17 Sep 2010

American Lung Association data shows improvement in health benefits

The American Lung Association in California released new data today showing significant public health benefits from pursuing a smart growth future for California. The American Lung Association data shows health benefits, including reduced asthma attacks and premature deaths linked to the Vision California "mixed growth" and "growing smart" scenarios in 2035 that include more compact, sustainable development patterns.

17 Sep 2010

Abbott issues statement in response to FDA's mixed vote for weight loss medication sibutramine

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today held an Endocrinologic and Metabolic Drugs Advisory Committee to review the results of SCOUT and the weight loss medication sibutramine (sold as Meridia® in the United States).

16 Sep 2010

FDA approves Krystexxa drug to treat gout

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Krystexxa (pegloticase) to treat the painful condition known as gout in adults who do not respond to or who cannot tolerate conventional therapy.

15 Sep 2010

Children with severe, therapy-resistant asthma more likely to have poorer lung function: SARP

A subset of children with asthma suffers from severe, treatment-resistant disease associated with more illness and greater allergic hypersensitivity, according to the results of the National Heart, Blood, and Lung Institute's Severe Asthma Research Program, presented in a recently published article in Pediatric Allergy, Immunology, and Pulmonology, a peer-reviewed journal published by Mary Ann Liebert, Inc..

10 Sep 2010

ASNM to hold annual conference on nanomedicine

There is enormous excitement and expectation surrounding the multidisciplinary field of nanomedicine the science and technology of diagnosing, treating and preventing disease using nanotechnology. The American Society for Nanomedicine (ASNM) is holding its second annual conference on October 14-16, 2010 in the Washington, D.C. area, where some of the biggest stakeholders in this emerging technology operate and practice.

10 Sep 2010

Scientists discover molecular gatekeeper for arthritis

Elimination of a molecular gatekeeper leads to the development of arthritis in mice, scientists report in a study published in the Journal of Experimental Medicine. The newly discovered gatekeeper is a protein that determines the fate survival or death of damaging cells that mistakenly attack the body's own tissues and lead to autoimmune disorders such as arthritis.

9 Sep 2010

Team of scientists issues HIV vaccine strategy

The Council of the Global HIV Vaccine Enterprise on Tuesday released a new strategy for HIV vaccine research, which marked "the culmination of an 18-month effort that included the input of 400 scientists worldwide," VOA News reports (DeCapua, 9/7).

9 Sep 2010