Cold, Flu & Cough News and Research

Latest Cold, Flu & Cough News and Research

Inovio Biomedical changes corporate name to Inovio Pharmaceuticals

Inovio Biomedical Corporation, a leader in the development of new preventive and therapeutic vaccines against cancers and infectious diseases, announced today that it has changed its corporate name to Inovio Pharmaceuticals, Inc. by filing a Certificate of Amendment to its Certificate of Incorporation with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware on May 14, 2010. Inovio's trading symbol remains the same.

17 May 2010

NanoViricides signs Research Agreement with UCSF for testing anti-HIV drug candidates

NanoViricides, Inc., announced that it has signed a Research Agreement with the University of California, San Francisco for testing of its anti-HIV drug candidates. Cheryl Stoddart, PhD, Assistant Professor in the UCSF Division of Experimental Medicine, will be the Principal Investigator.

17 May 2010

High fat diet linked to exacerbation of asthma

In a new study researchers have found a connection between exacerbation of bronchial asthma and high calorie burgers and fries. Diet and lifestyle have been linked to asthma for some time now but this is the first real evidence. With the advent of unhealthy diets the incidence and prevalence of asthma is on the rise. In 2007, about 34.1 million Americans had asthma, according to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. From 1980 through 1994, the prevalence of asthma increased by 75 percent.

17 May 2010

Sports physicals keep athletes healthy to play and avoid tragic occurrences, says sports medicine expert

While seemingly invincible teenage athletes at the height of good health and fitness aren't likely candidates for doctor's visits, even the fit need to visit a physician before practice. Sports physicals, often called pre-participation sports examinations, are key to making sure athletes are healthy enough to play and avoiding tragic occurrences, like sudden cardiac death, says a Saint Louis University sports medicine expert.

17 May 2010

Indigenous Australians at higher risk of diseases: studies

Central Australia ranks first in incidences of pneumonia among children with alarming figures like 78.4 cases per 1,000 children annually. This is much higher than even South Africa, Uruguay, Gambia, Fiji or Pakistan.

16 May 2010

Tips for cutting back on added sugar

Coca-Cola, Pepsi, Gatorade, and other drinks now come in versions made with "real" sugar as opposed to the often vilified high-fructose corn syrup. A whole swath of sugar alternatives are now available to consumers including the new BioVittoria, an extract of the monk fruit, which is grown in Southern China. But a new special report from Consumer Reports on Health questions whether turning to alternatives is the solution to America's growing obesity epidemic.

15 May 2010

HSPH researchers succeed in locking malaria parasites within infected blood cells

Harvard School of Public Health researchers and colleagues seeking to block invasion of healthy red blood cells by malaria parasites have instead succeeded in locking the parasites within infected blood cells, potentially containing the disease.

15 May 2010

TRPV4 activity vital to prevent skin dehydration

Japanese research group led by Prof. Makoto Tominaga and Dr. Takaaki Sokabe (National Institute for Physiological Sciences: NIPS) found that TRPV4 ion channel in skin keratinocytes is important for formation and maintenance of barrier function to prevent dehydration. Their finding was reported in the Journal of Biological Chemistry.

15 May 2010

Recent releases in Global Health

As the 193 WHO member states gather at next week's World Health Assembly (WHA) "a draft global code of practice on the international recruitment of health personnel will be on the agenda. Negotiation and adoption of a WHO code of practice is an unprecedented opportunity to advance global consensus to address the critical challenges of migration of health workers and its effect on health systems worldwide," the authors of a Lancet Comment write.

15 May 2010

U.S. healthcare practitioners can resume use of Rotarix, says FDA

GlaxoSmithKline announced that the Food and Drug Administration has determined that U.S. healthcare practitioners can resume the use of Rotarix (Rotavirus Vaccine, Live, Oral), effective immediately. This action supersedes the FDA's recommendation from March 22, 2010 and reflects the agency's assessment that the presence of porcine circovirus type 1 in the vaccine poses no safety risk.

15 May 2010

CSL Behring donates life-saving medicines to assist earthquake victims in Haiti

Direct Relief International announced today that CSL Behring has donated life-saving medicines valued at more than $100,000 to assist earthquake victims in Haiti who are at risk of tetanus or hepatitis B infections. The products will be used in clinics at Hopital Albert Schweitzer in Deschapelles.

14 May 2010

NanoViricides signs research and development agreement with Dr. Ken S. Rosenthal's laboratory

NanoViricides, Inc., reports that it has signed a research and development agreement with Dr. Ken S. Rosenthal's laboratory at Northeastern Ohio Universities Colleges of Medicine and Pharmacy.

14 May 2010

Novel vaccines for deadly diseases to be presented at AAPS' NBC

Novel vaccines for diseases ranging from the flu to HIV highlight a week's worth of biotechnology research at the American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists' National Biotechnology Conference. Scientists from academia, industry, and government will gather at the Hilton San Francisco Union Square Sunday, May 16 -Thursday, May 20 to share research and advances in biotherapeutics.

14 May 2010

DMC recommends Celsion to continue enrollment in ThermoDox clinical study for primary liver cancer

Celsion Corporation announced today that after reviewing data from 294 patients including data from 12 Japanese patients enrolled in the pivotal Phase III ThermoDox® clinical study (HEAT Study) for primary liver cancer, the Data Monitoring Committee (DMC) has recommended that Celsion continue to enroll patients in the trial.

14 May 2010

Mild-mannered organelles can detect virus invasion signals: Researchers

Within cells, an ancient antiviral duo can deliver a one-two knockout to thwart invading viruses, report researchers who have just unmasked the cellular sidekick that throws the first punch. The findings mean scientists must rethink the design of antiviral immunity and how the body fends off viruses of all types, including influenza and HIV.

14 May 2010

Report of 2009 H1N1 influenza VLP vaccine published online

Novavax, Inc. announces the first report of a vaccine protecting ferrets against the 2009 pandemic H1N1 virus has been published in the journal Vaccine May 12, 2010 online issue.

14 May 2010

Sinovac Biotech's sales for first-quarter 2010 decrease 32% to $4.4M

Sinovac Biotech Ltd., a leading China-based vaccine manufacturer, announced today its unaudited financial results for the three-month period ended March 31, 2010.

14 May 2010

Nephros reports 57% increase in revenues for first-quarter 2010

Nephros, Inc. announced today financial results for the three months ended March 31, 2010.

14 May 2010

Chimerix commences first-in-human study of CMX157 for HIV

Chimerix, Inc., a biotechnology company developing orally-available antiviral therapeutics, announced the commencement of a first-in-human study of CMX157, a novel lipid conjugate of the nucleotide tenofovir with in vitro activity against both tenofovir-sensitive and tenofovir-resistant human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). CMX157 has the potential to increase efficacy and decrease toxicity as compared to tenofovir, and may enable the creation of new 'one pill, once-a-day', fixed-dose combination regimens for the treatment of HIV infection.

14 May 2010

U.S. Well-Being Report for April 2010

The Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index was a tie (63.3) for all-time overall well-being in April, revealing a continued recovery of American well-being despite continuing challenges and high unemployment. The only other time in 28 months of measurement the WBI reached 67 was in August 2009.

13 May 2010