Cold, Flu & Cough News and Research

Latest Cold, Flu & Cough News and Research

Survey shows Americans are unaware about causes of lung cancer

Men and women worry about prostate and breast cancer, yet the number one cancer killer in the United States – lung cancer – isn't on their radar. According to a survey released today by the National Lung Cancer Partnership, Americans know little about lung cancer's causes, symptoms and the number of lives it takes compared to other cancers.

27 Oct 2010

Study: lncRNA are involved in host response to viral infection

Scientists have demonstrated for the first time that a certain class of RNA (known as long non-protein-coding RNA [lncRNA]) are involved in the host response to viral infection. These findings, published today in the online journal mBio-, could greatly change the way scientists look at the body's response to viral infection.

27 Oct 2010

B.C. pharmacists are authorized to administer flu shots

As British Columbians get ready for flu season, the BC Pharmacy Association is reminding patients that they can get their seasonal vaccination from their pharmacist.

27 Oct 2010

Older adults with severe sepsis at higher risk for cognitive impairment

Older adults who survive severe sepsis are at higher risk for long-term cognitive impairment and physical limitations than those hospitalized for other reasons, according to researchers from the University of Michigan Health System.

27 Oct 2010

Dobkin technique delays brain damage in heart attack victims

After a heart attack and the victim stops breathing, a process of irreversible brain damage starts to occur within 3 to 4 minutes. Or does it?

27 Oct 2010

Jamieson releases flu-fighting formula with echinacea

Jamieson Laboratories, Canada's largest manufacturer of advanced natural-health products, announced the release of FluShield™, a clinically proven flu-fighting formula that is made with a patented, next-generation echinacea extract known as LPx3.

27 Oct 2010

Long non-protein coding RNAs respond to SARS virus infection, says study

For the first time, scientists have discovered that a poorly understood class of RNA produced in a mammal's cells during a respiratory virus attack may affect the outcome of the infection. Their findings are reported today in mBio, a journal of the American Society for Microbiology.

27 Oct 2010

Mundus studies potential for VTOL UAV against Malaria

Mundus Group Inc., studies potential for VTOL UAV to provide increased capabilities in fight against Malaria and disease spread through mosquitoes with precision aerial laser eradication treatments.

26 Oct 2010

Kinetic Concepts 2010 third quarter total revenue increases 2% to $506.7 million

Kinetic Concepts, Inc. today reported third quarter 2010 total revenue of $506.7 million compared to $504.4 million in the third quarter of 2009 and up 2% from the second quarter of 2010.

26 Oct 2010

New tools could help detect wildlife disease outbreaks

Two new tools that enable the public to report sick or dead wild animals could also lead to the detection and containment of wildlife disease outbreaks that may pose a health risk to people.

26 Oct 2010

Eye-gaze technology opens world of communication for Rett Syndrome children

Special eye-gaze technology now being used in the Department of Neurology at The Children's Hospital at Montefiore (CHAM) is revealing the hidden, inner world of children who have Rett Syndrome, a rare and severe autism spectrum disorder that primarily affects little girls. It is a neurological disease in which mobility and autonomic functions are severely impaired, seizures and orthopedic problems are common, and the children lose functional hand use and the ability to speak.

26 Oct 2010

LigoCyte presents Phase I/II study results of NoV vaccine for gastroenteritis at IDSA Meeting

LigoCyte Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a private, clinical-stage biopharmaceuticals company developing innovative vaccine products, today announced positive results from a Phase I/II challenge study of its norovirus virus-like particle (VLP) vaccine candidate.

26 Oct 2010

Sanofi Pasteur presents Fluzone quadrivalent Phase II trial data for influenza at IDSA Annual Meeting

Sanofi Pasteur, the vaccines division of the sanofi-aventis Group announced today the results of a clinical trial of its investigational Fluzone Quadrivalent (Influenza Virus Vaccine) compared to the currently licensed Fluzone (Influenza Virus Vaccine). Data from the Phase II trial assessing the immunogenicity and safety of the investigational quadrivalent vaccine were presented at the 48th Annual Meeting of the Infectious Diseases Society of America in Vancouver, British Columbia.

26 Oct 2010

Baxter announces launch of GLASSIA in the U.S.

Baxter International Inc. today announced the commercial launch of GLASSIATM [Alpha1-Proteinase Inhibitor (Human)] in the United States. GLASSIATM is the first available ready-to-use liquid alpha1-proteinase inhibitor (Alpha1-PI) and is indicated as a chronic augmentation and maintenance therapy in adults with emphysema due to congenital deficiency of alpha-1 antitrypsin (AAT), an under-diagnosed hereditary condition characterized by a low level of alpha-1 protein in the blood.

From Baxter International Inc. 26 Oct 2010

Vertex initiates OPTIMIZE Phase 3b study in patients infected with genotype 1 HCV

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated today announced the initiation of a Phase 3b study called OPTIMIZE that will evaluate twice-daily (BID) dosing of a telaprevir-based combination regimen in people chronically infected with genotype 1 hepatitis C virus (HCV) who have not been treated previously. This is the first Phase 3 study to evaluate twice-daily dosing of a protease inhibitor for the treatment of hepatitis C. OPTIMIZE will not include a control arm of pegylated-interferon and ribavirin alone.

26 Oct 2010

CBER's Laboratory Quality System program receives accreditation

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today announced that the American Association for Laboratory Accreditation has accredited the Laboratory Quality System program in the Center for Biologics and Evaluation Research (CBER) under ISO/IEC 17025 in the fields of biological and chemical testing.

26 Oct 2010

Inviragen commences Phase 1 clinical trial of DENVax dengue vaccine in Colombia

Inviragen, a company developing vaccines to protect against infectious diseases worldwide, and the Program for the Study and Control of Tropical Diseases (PECET), jointly announced the initiation of a Phase 1 clinical trial of DENVax™ in Colombia. DENVax is an investigational vaccine designed to provide protection against all four dengue virus serotypes. The trial will measure the safety of DENVax as well as the immune responses induced by the vaccine in healthy adults in Rionegro, Colombia.

25 Oct 2010

H1N1 linked to increased rate of empyema in children

The H1N1 influenza pandemic has led to a sharp increase in the number of children with a serious "secondary" bacterial infection called empyema in children, suggests a study in the October issue of The Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal. The journal is published by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, a part of Wolters Kluwer Health, a leading provider of information and business intelligence for students, professionals, and institutions in medicine, nursing, allied health, and pharmacy.

25 Oct 2010

New synthetic population can help computational modelers to study infectious diseases

To help computational modelers who study the spread of infectious diseases, including flu, researchers supported by the National Institutes of Health at RTI International in North Carolina created a synthetic population mirroring U.S. demographics. Now they've added another layer of realism: where the virtual citizens live.

25 Oct 2010

Beijing CDC selects Sinovac as first priority supplier of seasonal influenza vaccine

Sinovac Biotech Ltd., a leading provider of biopharmaceutical products in China, announced today that it has been selected by the Beijing Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Beijing CDC) as one of the five manufacturers to supply seasonal influenza vaccine to the citizens of Beijing.

25 Oct 2010