Cold, Flu & Cough News and Research

Latest Cold, Flu & Cough News and Research

BiondVax announces successful conclusion of second Phase I/II trial of Multimeric-001 Universal Flu Vaccine

BiondVax Pharmaceuticals Ltd., an Israeli biopharmaceutical company at the forefront of global efforts towards the development of a Universal Influenza Vaccine, announced the successful conclusion of the Company's second Phase I/II clinical trial of the Multimeric-001 Universal Influenza Vaccine.

28 Apr 2010

Myriad Genetics OnDose collection kit eliminates need for frozen sample handling

Myriad Genetics, Inc. today announced a significant improvement in the sample collection kit for OnDoseTM, its 5-Fluorouracil (5-FU) dose optimization product. Patient sample handling can now be conducted at room temperature, eliminating the need for frozen sample handling. Myriad said that it believes the simplified process should increase physician acceptance and utilization of OnDose.

28 Apr 2010

Discovery Labs reports first-quarter results, updates on Surfaxin and key pipeline programs

Discovery Laboratories, Inc., a biotechnology company developing its novel synthetic surfactant and aerosol technologies for respiratory diseases, today provides an update on Surfaxin® and key pipeline and business initiatives and reports financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2010.

28 Apr 2010

Life Technologies first-quarter non-GAAP 2010 revenue increases 13% to $887 million

Life Technologies Corporation today announced results for its first quarter ending March 31, 2010. Non-GAAP revenue for the first quarter was $887 million, an increase of 13 percent over the $785 million reported for the first quarter of 2009. Excluding the impact of currency and completed acquisitions and divestitures, organic revenue for the quarter grew 10 percent over the same period in the previous year.

28 Apr 2010

Alair Bronchial Thermoplasty System receives FDA approval to treat asthma in adults

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved the first medical device that uses radiofrequency energy to treat severe and persistent asthma in certain adults.

28 Apr 2010

Tamiflu and two other drugs used to treat influenza appear safe for pregnant women and babies: Study

Tamiflu and two other drugs used to treat influenza appear safe for pregnant women and their babies, researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have found in a retrospective study of 239 cases of women who received the medications during pregnancy.

28 Apr 2010

Australian Medical Association says doctor followed all procedures in flu shot death

The death of a two year old girl a day after she relieved a flu shot has become an issue for the Brisbane doctor who gave the girl and her twin sister the flu shot. The Australian Medical Association branch in Queenland has warned against making Dr Amir Eskandari the scapegoat in the case.

27 Apr 2010

Medication-free home ventilation system designed to remove allergens

According to a recent report by USA Today, due to 2010's unusually cold winter temperatures, allergy sufferers are now poised to experience the worst pollen season in years, with pollen counts skyrocketing and sufferers hiding indoors to avoid exposure. Yet as allergens creep indoors, sufferers continue to cough, sneeze and seek relief. With the introduction of EZ Breathe, a new innovative home ventilation system designed to remove allergens and reduce indoor concentrations of pollen, allergy sufferers now have a medication-free solution.

27 Apr 2010

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