Cold, Flu & Cough News and Research

Latest Cold, Flu & Cough News and Research

Study explains importance of identifying global pandemic risk factors to predict spread of diseases

A recent study led by Dr. Parviez Hosseini, a senior research fellow from EcoHealth Alliance (formerly Wildlife Trust), explains the importance of identifying global pandemic risk factors as early as possible, in order to predict the spread of diseases like H1N1 "swine" flu and SARS. "Predictive Power of Air Travel and Socio-Economic data for Early Pandemic Spread," recently published in the scientific publication PLoS ONE, examines the interplay among travel, trade, and national healthcare resources in predicting the emergence and spread of H1N1 and other viruses.

7 Oct 2010

Synthetic Genomics, JCVI announce formation of new company to develop next generation vaccines

The company Synthetic Genomics Inc. (SGI) and the not-for-profit research organization, the J. Craig Venter Institute (JCVI) today announced the formation of a new company, Synthetic Genomics Vaccines Inc. (SGVI).

7 Oct 2010

VAP bundle helps eliminate hospital-acquired infection

Critically ill patients on a breathing tube are at risk not only from their injuries or diseases, but also from infections they can contract in the hospital. One of the most common infections is pneumonia from breathing tubes. A study of a new multidisciplinary protocol that has all but eliminated such infections at one hospital was reported on today at the 2010 Annual Clinical Congress of the American College of Surgeons.

7 Oct 2010

Pharmaxis receives FDA approval to market ARIDOL Test Kit

Pharmaxis, a global specialty pharmaceutical company focused on therapeutic products for chronic respiratory and immune disorders, announced today that it has received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to market ARIDOL™ (mannitol inhalation powder) Bronchial Challenge Test Kit, the first new bronchial challenge test in more than two decades.

7 Oct 2010

American Cancer Society awards 94 national research, training grants to 70 institutions nationwide

The American Cancer Society, the largest non-government, not-for-profit funding source of cancer research in the United States, has awarded 94 national research and training grants totaling $46,633,000 to 70 institutions nationwide in the first of two grants cycles for 2011.

7 Oct 2010

Johnson & Johnson to acquire all outstanding equity of Crucell for euro 1.75 billion

Johnson & Johnson and Crucell N.V. today announced an agreement whereby Johnson & Johnson, through an affiliate, would acquire all outstanding equity of Crucell that it does not already own for approximately euro 1.75 billion in a recommended cash tender offer.

6 Oct 2010

Amgen to present oncology portfolio results at ESMO Congress

Amgen today announced that results from several important studies from the Company's ncology portfolio will be presented at the 35th European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Congress, Oct. 8-12, 2010, in Milan, Italy.

6 Oct 2010

Rochester General Hospital Research Institute awarded $7M for Prevnar 13 study of ear infections in children

The Rochester General Hospital Research Institute has been awarded a $7.1 million grant to study the effectiveness of a new vaccine on the bacteria that cause ear infections in children. Michael E. Pichichero MD, Director of the Research Institute, has been named Principal Investigator of the five year study which will follow children who receive the Prevnar 13 vaccine. The vaccine is manufactured by Pfizer Vaccine Research of Collegeville, Pennsylvania which is funding the grant.

6 Oct 2010

IDMC recommends early termination of Phase 3 intramuscular depot aripiprazole trial

Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. (OPC) and Otsuka Pharmaceutical Development & Commercialization, Inc. (OPDC) announced today that an independent data monitoring committee (IDMC) has recommended the early termination of its Phase 3, 52-week, placebo-controlled, intramuscular depot aripiprazole trial.

6 Oct 2010

Altravax receives two SBIR grants for antibody-inducing vaccines research on HIV-1

Altravax, Inc. announced today that it has been awarded two SBIR grants totaling $1.2 million from the NIH's National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases for research on antibody-inducing vaccines for HIV-1.

6 Oct 2010

Walgreens September sales increases 5.3% to $5.64 billion

Walgreens had September sales of $5.64 billion, an increase of 5.3 percent from $5.36 billion for the same month in fiscal 2010. Duane Reade stores, acquired in April 2010, contributed 2.8 percentage points to the total sales increase for the month.

5 Oct 2010

Liquidia commences dosing in LIQ-001 Phase 1 trial for seasonal influenza

Liquidia Technologies, a privately held nanotechnology company developing particle-based vaccines and therapeutics, today announced the initiation of human dosing of its lead vaccine product candidate, LIQ-001, in a Phase 1 clinical trial. LIQ-001, the first in a pipeline of PRINT® vaccines, is being developed as a seasonal influenza vaccine for enhanced protection in the elderly and represents the company's migration from proof of concept to the clinical application of PRINT technology.

5 Oct 2010

Tris Pharma receives FDA final approval for generic Tussionex ANDA

Par Pharmaceutical Companies, Inc. today announced that its licensing partner, Tris Pharma, Inc., has received final approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for its Abbreviated New Drug Application for hydrocodone polistirex and chlorpheniramine polistirex (CIII) extended-release (ER) oral suspension (equivalent to 10 mg of hydrocodone bitartrate and 8 mg of chlorpheniramine maleate per 5 mL).

5 Oct 2010

FMCNA offers annual flu vaccine to patients and clinical staff

Beginning in mid-October, Fresenius Medical Care North America will offer all of its patients and clinical staff an annual flu vaccine, which protects against both seasonal flu and H1N1 this year. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) cautions that it is likely that H1N1 will continue to spread along with seasonal viruses this flu season.

5 Oct 2010

Dangers of not vaccinating children

Deadly diseases are making a comeback. Pertussis, or whooping cough, has killed nine infants this year in California, and outbreaks of measles and Hib meningitis have struck U.S. communities in the past three years.

5 Oct 2010

Maternal influenza vaccination prevents flu in infants

Babies whose mothers who receive influenza vaccines while pregnant appear less likely to be infected with flu or hospitalized for respiratory illnesses in their first six months of life, according to a report posted online today that will appear in the February 2011 print issue of Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

5 Oct 2010

Merck's boceprevir Phase III studies for HCV to be presented at 61st AASLD

Merck today announced that final results from two pivotal Phase III studies of boceprevir, its investigational oral hepatitis C protease inhibitor, will be presented in oral plenary sessions at the 61st Annual Meeting of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD), which is taking place from Oct. 29 through Nov. 2 in Boston. Results for boceprevir in response-guided therapy strategies, which evaluated treatment durations shorter than current standard therapy, will be presented during the meeting.

4 Oct 2010

IRSF awards $1.5M in research grants for Rett syndrome treatment

The International Rett Syndrome Foundation (IRSF) announced today that it will award an additional $1.5M in research grants, bringing the 2010 total to $2.15 million for innovative basic and translational research that moves treatments for Rett syndrome a step closer to the clinic.

4 Oct 2010

New SymPath kit measures DBH activity of Sympathetic Nervous System

Biotech Corporation in acquiring licenses to commercialize 12 Neuro-biomarkers has first focused on SymPath(R) and is now ready to give you the opportunity to shed some light about this Neuro-biomarker of the Sympathetic Nervous System (SNS). Here is a peak into the research behind the Neuro-blood testing that will be available to all patients through their health system.

4 Oct 2010

NIH to award $64M under Transformative Research Projects program

The National Institutes of Health will award up to $64 million over five years to encourage exploration of exceptionally innovative and original research ideas that have the potential for extraordinary impact.

4 Oct 2010