Cold, Flu & Cough News and Research

Latest Cold, Flu & Cough News and Research

Ticagrelor drug may reduce risk of dying following heart attack

Scientists from the University of Sheffield have discovered ground breaking clues as to how the pioneering heart drug ticagrelor might reduce the risk of dying following a heart attack, in comparison to previous standard treatments.

16 Oct 2013

New type of antibiotic kills multidrug-resistant germ common to health care settings

A new type of antibiotic called a PPMO, which works by blocking genes essential for bacterial reproduction, successfully killed a multidrug-resistant germ common to health care settings, UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers report.

16 Oct 2013

Phase 3 ODYSSEY MONO trial with alirocumab meets primary efficacy endpoint

Sanofi and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced that the Phase 3 ODYSSEY MONO trial with alirocumab, an investigational monoclonal antibody targeting PCSK9 (proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9), met its primary efficacy endpoint.

16 Oct 2013

House dust mite allergy treatment: an interview with Steve Harris, CEO & Co-founder of Circassia

House dust mite allergy is a surprisingly prevalent problem. Something like 27% of the U.S. population and 20% of the European population are what’s called skin-prick test positive for house dust mites, which is a test for sensitivity to allergens to find out if a person is likely to get that allergy.

15 Oct 2013

Shutdown commentaries: The man who championed the strategy; 'opening salvo in a generational war;' lack of funding hurts public health efforts

'I really believe we are in a great position right now," says Michael Needham, the 31-year-old president of Heritage Action, the lobbying arm of the nation's largest conservative think tank. By "we" he means the Republican Party and the conservative movement; their "great position" refers to the potential to win the political battle over the government shutdown. Though Texas Sen. Ted Cruz is the public face of the high-risk strategy to "defund" ObamaCare, the masterminds behind it are a new generation of young conservatives, chief among them Mr. Needham. From a tactical view, the strategy has been deployed with precision.

15 Oct 2013

IBS Treatment Center opens new clinic in Santa Monica, California

The IBS Treatment Center, which specializes in treating irritable bowel syndrome, announced the opening of a new clinic in Santa Monica, California, in late October. Conveniently located next to the UCLA Medical Center, this new branch of the clinic will provide a progressive approach to digestive health as well as easy access to treatment for patients previously without adequate care.

15 Oct 2013

Measles-containing vaccines administered at 12-5 months of age associated with reduced risk of fever, seizures

Children receiving measles-containing vaccines at 12-15 months of age have a lower increased risk of fever and seizures than those who receive them at 16-23 months of age, according to a new Kaiser Permanente study published in JAMA Pediatrics.

15 Oct 2013

Research finding may help patients to better survive severe infectious diseases

Scientists of Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin for the first time have solved the 3-dimensional structure of the protein LBP and it´s genetic variant. This finding may help certain patients to better survive severe infectious diseases. The results have been published in the recent issue of the journal Immunity.

15 Oct 2013

Drug treatment ineffective for acute bronchitis

A study published in the BMJ indicates that neither oral antibiotics nor nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are more effective than placebo for the treatment of acute bronchitis.

14 Oct 2013

FDA approves OTREXUP injection for adults with RA, children with active pJIA

Antares Pharma, Inc. today announced the approval of OTREXUP (methotrexate) injection by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. OTREXUP is the first FDA approved subcutaneous methotrexate for once weekly self-administration with an easy-to-use, single dose, disposable auto injector.

14 Oct 2013

Study: Statin do not improve VAP outcomes

Laurent Papazian, M.D., Ph.D., of H-pital Nord, Marseille, France, and colleagues conducted a study to determine whether statin therapy decreased day-28 mortality among intensive care unit patients with ventilator-associated pneumonia.

11 Oct 2013

FDA accepts, files Genentech's sBLA for subcutaneous use of Xolair in people with CIU

Genentech, a member of the Roche Group, today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has accepted and filed the company's supplemental Biologics License Application for subcutaneous use of Xolair (omalizumab) in people with Chronic Idiopathic Urticaria who remained symptomatic despite treatment with H1-antihistamine therapy at approved doses.

11 Oct 2013

Vivaldi Buys Flu Vaccine R&D Assets From Baxter

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10 Oct 2013

Gov't shutdown triggered by Capitol Hill causes damage to public health

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention calls in furloughed scientists after a salmonella outbreak in California sickened people in 18 states.

10 Oct 2013

Lakewood-Amedex, Wainwright enter into strategic advisory agreement

Lakewood-Amedex Inc., a leading developer of novel anti-infective pharmaceuticals, announced today that it has entered into a strategic advisory agreement with H.C. Wainwright & Co., LLC.

9 Oct 2013

Hypothermia does not improve result in patients with severe bacterial meningitis

Bruno Mourvillier, M.D., of the Université Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris, and colleagues conducted a study to examine whether treatment with hypothermia would improve the functional outcome of comatose patients with bacterial meningitis compared with standard care.

9 Oct 2013

Abortion of female fetuses in northern India results in gender imbalance

Modern ultrasound technology and economic pressure leads to female fetuses in the Ballabgarh area of northern India being aborted more often than male fetuses. Additionally, girls up to the age of five die more frequently than boys, which results in a gender imbalance in the area, according to Anand Krishnan, MD and doctoral candidate at Ume- University, who defends his thesis on 11 October.

9 Oct 2013

New combinations of postoperative pain treatment decreased both pain and use of pain relievers

New combinations of postoperative pain treatment decreased both pain and the use of narcotic pain relievers according to two studies presented this week at the 2013 Clinical Congress of the American College of Surgeons.

9 Oct 2013

Study explores impact of altitude and anemia in children with pneumonia

Pneumonia is the leading cause of death of young children around the world, and a study from an international group of researchers now finds that the risk of poor outcomes - including persistent pneumonia, secondary infections, organ failure or death - in children who contract pneumonia is four times higher in those who also have anemia and live at high altitudes (over 2,000 meters or about 6,500 feet).

9 Oct 2013

New method for improving cord blood transplant success

Starting with a discovery in zebrafish in 2007, Harvard Stem Cell Institute researchers have published initial results of a Phase Ib human clinical trial of a therapeutic that has the potential to improve the success of blood stem cell transplantation.

9 Oct 2013