Cold, Flu & Cough News and Research

Latest Cold, Flu & Cough News and Research

Pennsylvania Department of Health reports four confirmed and six probable cases of H3N2v flu

The Pennsylvania Department of Health today reported four confirmed and six probable human cases of influenza due to a new strain of the flu known as H3N2v.

18 Aug 2012

FibeBiotics aims to prove benefits of polysaccharides in clinical trials

Staying healthy requires constantly stimulating the immune system. Ingesting non-digestible fibres such as polysaccharides is thought to help. Yet companies including such ingredients in their food products cannot claim that they boost the immune system. At least, not until they have been scientifically tested and proven in clinical trials. Only then, would the European Food Safety Agency (EFSA) allow such health claims.

18 Aug 2012

Mylan Pharmaceuticals receives FDA approval for pioglitazone tablets to treat type 2 diabetes

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved the first generic version of Actos (pioglitazone hydrochloride) tablets. Along with diet and exercise, pioglitazone is used to improve blood glucose control in adults with type 2 diabetes.

18 Aug 2012

Viewpoints: Calif. health exchange off to good start; Fay Vincent on access problems for disabled; How 'upcoding' increases health costs

The California Health Benefits Exchange, established under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act to offer subsidized private coverage to most of the uninsured, represents an excellent opportunity to improve the quality and cost of healthcare in this state.

18 Aug 2012

Promising new treatment for bronchiectasis

Researchers have identified a promising new treatment for non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis, a long-term lung disorder which causes persistent coughing and breathlessness. The results, published in The Lancet, could represent an important advance in the treatment of this debilitating disease, for which very few evidence-based treatments are currently available.

17 Aug 2012

Retail medical clinic visits increase four-fold from 2007-2009

Fast-growing retail medical clinics are attracting more older patients and delivering more preventive care, particularly flu shots and other vaccinations, according to a new study from the RAND Corporation.

17 Aug 2012

Parkland Hospital struggles with 1,300 unfilled positions; Largest Boston hospitals pay chiefs up to $3 million

Vacant jobs at Parkland Memorial Hospital have reached "crisis mode" -- almost 16 percent, or more than 1,300 unfilled positions -- a top official said Wednesday. Parkland's board of managers was presented a grim picture of an understaffed facility and a lagging effort to keep track of how many jobs were available. The situation was further crippled by the hospital's inability to process tens of thousands of job applications.

17 Aug 2012

Study helps explain how large DNA viruses undergo rapid evolution

Scientists have discovered that poxviruses, which are responsible for smallpox and other diseases, can adapt to defeat different host antiviral defenses by quickly and temporarily producing multiple copies of a gene that helps the viruses to counter host immunity.

17 Aug 2012

Curcumin shows promise in fighting devastating viruses

The popular spice turmeric packs more than just flavor - it shows promise in fighting devastating viruses, Mason researchers recently discovered.

17 Aug 2012

Nostrum, VCU sign license agreement to develop inhaled dapsone for respiratory diseases

Virginia Commonwealth University and Nostrum Pharmaceuticals, LLC, are pleased to announce the signing of a license agreement for the development of inhaled dapsone for the treatment of respiratory diseases.

17 Aug 2012

Researchers identify molecular and protein signatures that predict HCV virus-induced liver injury

Researchers have discovered molecular and protein signatures that predict rapid onset of liver damage in hepatitis C patients following a liver transplant. The markers appeared soon after transplant and well before clinical evidence of liver damage.

17 Aug 2012

Be ‘medicinewise’ with cough and cold medicines in young children

NPS MedicineWise is urging parents and health professionals to heed the advice from the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) this week restricting the use of cough and cold medicines to treat young children amidst concerns they have limited efficacy and may even be harmful.

16 Aug 2012

Kessler Foundation to present recent findings in spinal cord injury research at ASCIP conference

Scientists from Kessler Foundation are presenting recent findings in spinal cord injury research during Beyond Boundaries: the 2012 Conference of the Academy of Spinal Cord Injury Professionals (ASCIP).

16 Aug 2012

U.S. FDA warns of post-surgery codeine deaths in children

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today issued a Drug Safety Communication concerning three children who died and one child who experienced a non-fatal but life-threatening case of respiratory depression after taking the pain reliever codeine following surgery to remove tonsils (tonsillectomy) and/or adenoids (adenoidectomy).

16 Aug 2012

Tofacitinib drug shows promise against moderate-to-severe ulcerative colitis

An investigational drug currently under FDA review for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis has now shown positive results in patients with moderate-to-severe ulcerative colitis, according to researchers at the University of California San Diego, School of Medicine.

16 Aug 2012

Medicago, IDRI receive FDA approval to commence Phase 1 H5N1 vaccine trial

The Infectious Disease Research Institute (IDRI), a Seattle-based non-profit research organization that is a leading developer of adjuvants used in vaccines combating infectious disease, and Medicago Inc., a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing highly effective and competitive vaccines based on proprietary manufacturing technologies and Virus-Like Particles (VLPs), announce that they have been cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to initiate a Phase 1 clinical trial for an H5N1 Avian Influenza VLP vaccine candidate.

16 Aug 2012

Study to test how osteopathic treatment helps patients with COPD

Researchers at Michigan State University are working to show how a noninvasive, drug-free form of hands-on medical care can help patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease improve their breathing.

15 Aug 2012

Roundup: Abortion-rights groups mostly silent on fetal pain laws; Conn. advocates worry over Medicaid cuts; Examining readmission penalties

When new limits on abortions are proposed, abortion-rights groups usually go all out to stop them. So why haven't they gone all out against state fetal-pain laws, enacted in nine states since early 2010? These laws ban abortion after 20 weeks, based on the controversial assertion that the fetus can then experience pain. They're handing victories to anti-abortion groups, and so far there's only one major challenge from an abortion-rights group: in Arizona, where the 9th Circuit Court early this month temporarily blocked the state law.

15 Aug 2012

Heartburn and cancer: an interview with Mindy Mintz Mordecai

What most of us think of as heartburn is a symptom of Reflux Disease or GERD (Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease). It’s that burning discomfort an individual experiences when stomach acids and other fluids come back up into their esophagus.

14 Aug 2012

Six manufacturers receive FDA approval to produce 2012-2013 flu vaccines

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced today that it has approved the 2012-2013 influenza (flu) vaccine formulation for all six manufacturers licensed to produce and distribute the vaccines in the United States.

14 Aug 2012