Cold, Flu & Cough News and Research

Latest Cold, Flu & Cough News and Research

Good bacteria may help counteract negative effects of antibiotics in humans

Scientists have long pondered the seeming contradiction that taking broad-spectrum antibiotics over a long period of time can lead to severe secondary bacterial infections. Now researchers from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine may have figured out why.

27 Jan 2010

WHO addresses handling of H1N1 at Council of Europe meeting

During a Council of Europe meeting on Tuesday to address the WHO's handling of the H1N1 virus, the WHO said it had not "fallen under the sway of drugs firms and exaggerated the dangers of the H1N1 flu virus, but said it might have handled the crisis better," Reuters reports.

27 Jan 2010

Juvaris BioTherapeutics completes second close on its Series B equity financing

Juvaris BioTherapeutics, Inc., a biotechnology company developing adjuvanted vaccines for infectious diseases, announced that it has completed a second close on its Series B equity financing of up to $25 million. The additional equity investment came from an undisclosed strategic corporate investor who joins SV Life Sciences and Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers in the round.

27 Jan 2010

NIST researchers determine best practices for storing and monitoring refrigerated vaccines

Every year, billions of dollars worth of vaccines are shipped to thousands of medical providers across the country, and every year doctors must dispose of tens of millions of dollars worth of those vaccines because they became too warm or too cold while in storage.

27 Jan 2010

Hypothermic machine perfusion outperforms standard cold-storage liver preservation

Preserving organs on ice prior to transplantation, an approach known as cold storage or CS, has been the standard practice in liver transplant for 20 years. Now there is new evidence that a technique called hypothermic machine perfusion (HMP) may offer an improvement, according to the first-ever study comparing the impact of the two techniques on transplant outcomes.

27 Jan 2010

New research project aims at understanding the genetic origins of childhood cancers

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, today announced an unprecedented effort to identify the genetic changes that give rise to some of the world's deadliest childhood cancers.

27 Jan 2010

WellPoint announces net income of $2.7 billion for fourth-quarter fiscal 2009

WellPoint, Inc. today announced that fourth quarter 2009 net income was $2.7 billion, or $5.95 per share. The results included net after-tax income of approximately $2.2 billion, or $4.79 per share, resulting from a gain on the sale of the NextRx pharmacy benefit management subsidiaries ("NextRx"), partially offset by costs for restructuring activities and intangible asset impairments.

27 Jan 2010

MBL generates human monoclonal antibodies against pandemic A type influenza virus

Medical & Biological Laboratories Co., Ltd. (MBL), with the collaboration of Osaka University, has successfully generated several fully human monoclonal antibodies against pandemic A (H1N1 and H3N2) type influenza virus by utilizing blood samples from volunteers who were inoculated with influenza vaccine.

27 Jan 2010

Health Canada approves first post-surgical treatment for patients with gastrointestinal stromal tumours

Patients with gastrointestinal stromal tumours (GIST) can now take action at an earlier stage of this rare form of cancer to reduce the risk of their disease returning following surgery. Novartis Pharmaceuticals Canada announced today that Gleevec* (imatinib mesylate) has received conditional approval by Health Canada for the adjuvant (post-surgical) treatment of adult patients who are at intermediate to high risk of disease recurrence following the surgical removal of GIST.

27 Jan 2010

Massachusetts Department of Public Health grants WDL to Pharmarama

Pharmarama, a leader in the strategic sourcing of comparator drugs for global clinical trials, today announced that the Massachusetts Department of Public Health has granted the company a Wholesale Distributor’s License (WDL). The license enables Pharmarama to operate its pharmaceutical cold-chain and ambient storage and distribution facility in suburban Boston to provide extensive sourcing and comparator product storage services for its clients.

27 Jan 2010

Patients with COPD could benefit from treatment with drugs that block sestrin function

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is defined by emphysema and/or chronic bronchitis. It destroys the normal architecture of the lung and inhibits the mechanical aspects of breathing, which prevents necessary gas exchange. Patients suffer from coughing fits, wheezing, and increased incidence of lung infections.

27 Jan 2010

UCF researcher develops first dual vaccine to fight malaria and cholera

A University of Central Florida biomedical researcher has developed what promises to be the first low-cost dual vaccine against malaria and cholera.

27 Jan 2010

Low-cost ventilators for healthcare emergencies

A group of UK anaesthetists have designed and tested three prototype low-cost ventilators that could provide vital support during major healthcare emergencies involving large numbers of patients or casualties. The devices, detailed in a paper published online by Anaesthesia, could also be used where resources are limited, such as in developing countries, remote locations or by the military.

27 Jan 2010

Idaho Technology commences clinical trials of FilmArray RP

Idaho Technology, Inc. (ITI) announced today that clinical trials of the FilmArray Respiratory Panel (RP) have commenced at three US Hospital Laboratories.

27 Jan 2010

Health care providers play a critical role in H1N1 vaccinations

Results from the latest C.S. Mott Children's Hospital National Poll on Children's Health indicate health care providers play a critical role in influencing parents and patients to vaccinate their children and themselves against H1N1 flu.

27 Jan 2010

Twenty nations meet in Montreal to discuss Haiti recovery; Haitian officials increase Port-Au-Prince death toll estimate

Officials from 20 countries are meeting in Montreal, Canada, Monday "to discuss long-term reconstruction and arrangements for a donor conference to be held in March," the U.N. said, Bloomberg reports (Gaouette/Craze, 1/25). "U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner and others will examine eventual debt forgiveness and" a strategy for rebuilding Haiti at the one-day gathering, according to Reuters (Palmer, 1/25).

27 Jan 2010

WHO rejects accusations it mishandled H1N1, updates worldwide stats

WHO spokesperson Gregory Hartl on Monday rejected accusations that the organization miscategorized H1N1 (swine flu) as a pandemic, calling such accusations "irresponsible," the Associated Press/Washington Post reports. "WHO also dismissed claims it colluded with drug companies to bring economic benefit to the industry by playing up the danger of the new H1N1 [swine flu] influenza strain," the news service writes.

27 Jan 2010