Cold, Flu & Cough News and Research

Latest Cold, Flu & Cough News and Research

Kinetic Concepts' first-quarter 2010 total revenues increase 3% to $485.8M

Kinetic Concepts, Inc. today reported first quarter 2010 total revenue of $485.8 million, an increase of 3% from the first quarter of 2009. Foreign currency exchange movements favorably impacted total revenue for the first quarter of 2010 by 2% compared to the corresponding period of the prior year.

27 Apr 2010

People infected with gastrointestinal worms respond better to injected vaccines

According to the World Health Organization, two billion people around the globe suffer from chronic parasitic worm infections, which, in addition to causing illness and developmental delay, are also suspected to interfere with the effectiveness of ordinary vaccines, making their victims more vulnerable to life-threatening diseases. A recent discovery by researchers at the Trudeau Institute promises to bypass these obstacles and help deliver more effective vaccines to these people, boosting their protection against common childhood diseases.

27 Apr 2010

Fever in kids underestimated by Doctors: new study

In a new study researchers have found that some physicians may be missing the seriousness of an infection in a child presenting with fever. The study published in the British Medical Journal involved 16,000 children from 2004 to 2006 with fever and found that doctors could not diagnose up to one third of the potentially life-threatening illnesses in these children.

27 Apr 2010

Fears over flu jab adverse reactions in children

Till now more than 250 under five kids have developed some or other adverse reaction to seasonal flu jabs. There has been a mad rush at the adverse events hotline with many parents and healthcare staff panicking as more reports are streaming in. Initially there was a spike in cases in Western Australia but now more cases are being reported from Queensland and South Australia. The affected children developed fever, vomiting and seizures. Even New Zealand has reported three cases of febrile convulsions.

27 Apr 2010

Dozens of states pass, debate greater restrictions on abortion

Dozens of states are passing or debating new restrictions on abortion, a trend fueled in part by passage of the nation's new health care law. Both sides of the hot-button issue are seeing new approaches to reduce abortions. … So far, 2010 has been 'very successful,' said Mary Spaulding Balch of the National Right to Life Committee.

26 Apr 2010

OSI Pharmaceuticals completes enrollment in Phase III clinical trial of Tarceva

OSI Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced today that it has completed enrollment in the RADIANT study, a Phase III clinical trial testing Tarceva (erlotinib) as an adjuvant therapy in patients with Stage IB-IIIA non-small cell lung cancer who have undergone surgery and have EGFR-positive tumors.

26 Apr 2010

Nanoviricides become registered trademark under USPTO

NanoViricides, Inc., announced today that the mark "nanoviricides" has now become a registered trademark under the US Patents and Trademarks Office. The mark was entered into the "principal register" of trademarks at the USPTO on April 20, 2010.

26 Apr 2010

First Edition: April 26, 2010

Today's headlines reflect state-level health policy developments as well as forward-looking stories related to the cost of federal health reforms.

26 Apr 2010

Toddler dies after seasonal flu shot – health authorities on alert

Last Friday, Australia's Chief Medical Officer Professor Jim Bishop had announced his decision to suspend free seasonal flu vaccinations after more than 20 under-five kids mainly in Western Australia developed reactions to the shots. They developed fever, vomiting and convulsions. One of the children was reported to be severely ill.

25 Apr 2010

1976 "swine flu" vaccine protects against 2009 pandemic H1N1 influenza virus

New evidence shows immunization against "swine flu" in 1976 might provide individuals with some protection against the 2009 pandemic H1N1 influenza virus, according to new research from St. Jude investigators.

24 Apr 2010

Temperature-sensing ability in proteins remain a mystery

Scientists at The Scripps Research Institute and the Genomics Institute of the Novartis Research Foundation (GNF) have shed new light on the molecular mechanism that enables us to sense temperature, such as the heat from a sizzling stove. In addition to contributing to our knowledge of basic biology, the findings could one day lead to new therapies for conditions such as acute or chronic inflammatory pain.

24 Apr 2010

JHUSON introduces Text4Baby program to provide parenting tips to new parents

Having a baby is a very exciting time for new parents, with all the preparation and anticipation that comes with it. But how do parents find help and assistance—from prenatal care to parenting tips? Researchers at the Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing have come up with innovative ways to provide parenting tips to new parents of all demographics.

24 Apr 2010

U.S., other donors commit $880M for new World Bank-hosted Global Food Security fund

The U.S. Treasury Thursday announced $880 million in contributions from the U.S., Canada, Spain, South Korea and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation for the new World Bank-hosted Global Agriculture and Food Security Program, Reuters reports (Lawder, 4/22).

24 Apr 2010

Children need to be immunized against 14 vaccine-preventable diseases: Secretary of Health

Pennsylvania parents are strongly urged to protect their children by making certain they are fully immunized against preventable diseases, Secretary of Health Everette James said today to mark the start of National Infant Immunization Week, April 24-May 1.

24 Apr 2010

New hopes to improve cancer diagnosis and treatment for children

Motivated clinicians and an Internet connection combined with computers and e-mail access have the power to transform pediatric cancer treatment in the most remote corners of earth, according to a St. Jude investigator writing in a recent issue of The Lancet Oncology.

24 Apr 2010

News outlets examine H1N1's impact on U.S. vaccine development plans, Mexico's handling of outbreak

"A year after the emergence of swine flu [H1N1], U.S. health authorities and laboratories say the pandemic illustrated the need for new vaccine production techniques that are faster and more reliable," Agence France-Presse writes in an article that examines the challenges associated with current vaccine development practices and plans for future development.

24 Apr 2010

UIC College of Dentistry awarded $10M federal grant to upgrade research facilities

The University of Illinois at Chicago College of Dentistry has received a $10 million federal grant to transform its research facilities into a state-of-the-art clinical and translational research center.

23 Apr 2010

Long-term monitoring of young leukaemia survivors necessary to identify declining lung health: Researchers

Children who have survived leukaemia may need to have regular monitoring to ensure their lungs remain healthy if they had a bone marrow transplantation during their treatment, US scientists have said.

23 Apr 2010

Genentech submits sBLA for Herceptin plus chemotherapy for advanced HER2-positive stomach cancer

Genentech, Inc., a wholly owned member of the Roche Group, announced today that the company submitted a supplemental Biologics License Application (sBLA) to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for Herceptin® (trastuzumab) plus chemotherapy in people with advanced, HER2-positive adenocarcinoma of the stomach, including gastroesophageal junction cancer.

23 Apr 2010

Deadly fungus on the move

Researchers revealed this Thursday that a deadly fungus that is usually found only in the tropics is making its way to the Pacific Coast of British Columbia and south into Washington, Oregon and Idaho.

23 Apr 2010