Cold, Flu & Cough News and Research

Latest Cold, Flu & Cough News and Research

Experts to present latest information on paediatric infectious diseases at ESPID 2011

The Annual ESPID Meeting has become the world's largest meeting in the field of Paediatric Infectious Diseases (PID): it provides the latest information on the number one threat to global child health.

1 Jun 2011

New online tool can help detect and monitor dengue outbreaks

Researchers at Children's Hospital Boston and Google.org have found web-based search data to be a viable source of information for early detection and monitoring of outbreaks of dengue, an emerging mosquito-borne virus found in tropical areas of the world.

1 Jun 2011

FDA approves APP Pharmaceuticals' Piperacillin and Tazobactam for Injection

APP Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Fresenius Kabi Pharmaceuticals Holding, Inc., announced today that it has received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to market Piperacillin and Tazobactam for Injection, the number one prescribed intravenous antibiotic in the U.S. APP will launch the product immediately.

1 Jun 2011

AIDS epidemic turns 30

It is 30 years since the beginning of the AIDS epidemic. It was fatal then but has now become a treatable, if still incurable, chronic illness. AIDS therapy now has tools that prolong the lives of people infected with the virus and prevent others from acquiring it. They range from antiretroviral therapy (ART), to circumcision and campaigns to reduce promiscuity. On the horizon are gels and pills that protect against infection during intercourse. Even the outlook for an AIDS vaccine is no longer as bleak as it used to be.

31 May 2011

Takeda, Affymax submit peginesatide NDA to FDA for treatment of anemia linked with chronic renal failure

Affymax, Inc. and Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited today announced the submission of a New Drug Application to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the investigational agent peginesatide for the treatment of anemia associated with chronic renal failure in adult patients on dialysis.

31 May 2011

Study suggests new therapeutic targets for virally-induced asthma attacks

When children with asthma get the flu, they often land in the hospital gasping for air. Researchers at Children's Hospital Boston have found a previously unknown biological pathway explaining why influenza induces asthma attacks.

30 May 2011

Flu vaccines at the ready this season

Manufacturers of flu vaccines are nearly ready with the new supply of vaccinations for this upcoming flu season in the northern hemisphere. Two weeks ago, five vaccine manufacturers announced plans to make between 166 million and 173 million doses for the coming season. That's at least 6 million more than the maximum ever produced. However they add that many might not actually need the shots.

29 May 2011

Interim analysis of AIM-HIGH study affirms positive impact of Niaspan on HDL and triglyceride lipid values

The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI), a division of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), disclosed results from an interim analysis of the AIM-HIGH clinical trial.

27 May 2011

Possible defense for community-acquired pneumonia among the elderly

Community-acquired pneumonia is the leading cause of infectious death among the elderly. Newly published research from The University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio suggests why older people are vulnerable and offers a possible defense.

27 May 2011

IDF applauds Representatives for Medicare IVIG Access Act

The Immune Deficiency Foundation applauds Representatives Kevin Brady and Doris Matsui and Senators John Kerry and Lamar Alexander for introducing H.R. 1845 and S. 960, both entitled the Medicare IVIG Access Act.

27 May 2011

Positive results from CEL-SCI's LEAPS H1N1-activated dendritic cells trial in mice

CEL-SCI Corporation today announced the positive results of efficacy studies in mice of L.E.A.P.S.TM H1N1 activated dendritic cells to treat the H1N1 virus.

27 May 2011

Germany increases funding for GAVI Alliance to €30 million

Germany said on Wednesday it will contribute €30 million to the GAVI Alliance in 2012, up from €20 million in 2011, to support childhood immunisation in developing countries.

26 May 2011

Specific influenza immunization strategies for RA patients may be required for future flu pandemics

A Brazilian hospital-based study assessed responses to flu vaccines in 340 RA patients in regular follow-up compared to 234 healthy patients.

26 May 2011

Medicago, USAMRIID enter research collaboration for Ebola vaccine candidate

Medicago Inc., a biotechnology company focused on developing highly effective and competitive vaccines based on proprietary manufacturing technologies and Virus-Like Particles (VLPs), today announced that it has entered into a research collaboration agreement with the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID) for the development of a plant-based VLP vaccine candidate for the prevention of Ebola. Ebola is a very serious hemorrhagic fever virus for which no licensed treatment or vaccine exists.

26 May 2011

BioCryst presents positive data from two BCX4208 Phase 2 studies in gout at EULAR 2011

BioCryst Pharmaceuticals, Inc. presented positive data from its two completed, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase 2 studies of BCX4208 in patients with gout at the Annual European Congress of Rheumatology hosted by the European League Against Rheumatism in London, U.K.

26 May 2011

Gestational high-fat diet programs woman's baby for future diabetes

A high-fat diet during pregnancy may program a woman's baby for future diabetes, even if she herself is not obese or diabetic, says a new University of Illinois study published in the Journal of Physiology.

26 May 2011

NEJM publishes ZYTIGA plus prednisone Phase 3 trial data in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer

A study titled "Abiraterone and Increased Survival in Metastatic Prostate Cancer," published in the May 26 issue of NEJM, found that patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer who have received prior chemotherapy containing docetaxel showed a significant improvement in overall survival when treated with ZYTIGA plus prednisone compared to patients treated with prednisone plus placebo.

26 May 2011

Coronary artery disease is a leading cause of death in U.S. women

It's a silent killer, most women don't even know they have it. It's often thought of as a man's disease and may not receive as much attention as other illnesses, but coronary artery disease (CAD) is the leading cause of death in women in the U.S. It is so common that if you combine the number of women who die from the next five leading causes of death it would equal the number of women who die from CAD.

26 May 2011

New findings from STELARA psoriasis clinical trial to be presented at 22nd World Congress of Dermatology

New findings to be presented from pooled analyses of the STELARA psoriasis clinical development program showed that the safety profile of STELARA and rates of adverse events remained consistent and stable over time in adults with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis receiving up to four years of treatment.

25 May 2011

Vuvuzela unhealthy in more ways than one: Study

According to health experts, Vuvuzelas - the horns used by football fans celebrating last year's World Cup - not only cause noise pollution but may also spread diseases. According to a new study published in PLoS One journal it is seen that a short burst on the instrument creates a spittle shower similar to a sneeze, travelling at a four million droplets a second. Authors write that in crowded venues one person blowing a Vuvuzela could infect many others with airborne illness like the flu or TB.

24 May 2011