Cold, Flu & Cough News and Research

Latest Cold, Flu & Cough News and Research

Laser technology lowers manufacturing cost of artificial joints and arterial stents

Researchers are developing technologies that use lasers to create arterial stents and longer-lasting medical implants that could be manufactured 10 times faster and also less expensively than is now possible.

16 Sep 2009

Urgent vaccine requirements for treating epidemic diseases voiced at ECI 2009

As a result of dominant media coverage of new epidemic threats such as swine influenza, other infection risks receive less public attention than they deserve. "We would like to bring to everybody's attention that the infectious diseases with the most severe consequences continue to be old acquaintances such as tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS, malaria and hepatitis C. About six million people worldwide die of these diseases every year," says Professor Dr. Dr. h. c. Stefan H. E. Kaufmann, Director of the Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology in Berlin, at the 2nd European Congress of Immunology ECI 2009.

16 Sep 2009

CIDRAP summit to address employee protection measures during H1N1 pandemic

Business and healthcare leaders looking to fast-track preparedness for the H1N1 pandemic are gathering with infectious disease experts and Fortune 500 planners this month to determine how best to protect their employees and preserve their operations.

16 Sep 2009

Also in Global Health News: PNG, Nepal outbreaks; Taliban Oks polio vaccination; Technology helps in developing countries; Satellite images for malaria control

VOA News examines the ongoing struggle for Papua New Guinea's health system to treat thousands of people infected by the "simultaneous outbreaks of influenza, dysentery and cholera that have killed about 120 people." The article includes information about the difficulties heath officials are having in assessing the various outbreaks and concerns of medical workers that conditions may soon worsen (Mercer, 9/14).

16 Sep 2009

WHO says 3b people worldwide could receive H1N1 vaccine

Recent findings that a single dose of an H1N1 (swine) flu vaccine offers protection against the virus and anticipation of vaccination programs starting earlier than predicted will increase the number of people worldwide with access to the vaccine and the likelihood health officials may be able to control the spread of the virus, Bloomberg reports.

16 Sep 2009

Four H1N1 vaccines approved by FDA

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced today that it has approved four vaccines against the 2009 H1N1 influenza virus. The vaccines will be distributed nationally after the initial lots become available, which is expected within the next four weeks.

16 Sep 2009

Pre-clinical studies of ID-12 orally-bioavailable inhibitor completes

ChemDiv Inc. of San Diego, and iDialog (Intellektualniy Dialog) of Yaroslavl, Russia, announced today the successful completion of a pre-clinical development and the subsequent nomination of ID-12 as lead clinical development candidate for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C. This novel small molecule orally-bioavailable inhibitor of hepatitis C virus (HCV) blocks early stage of viral infection.

16 Sep 2009

Members of BCBSF to receive coverage for the administration of the H1N1 vaccine

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida, Inc. (BCBSF) announces today its plans to offer coverage for the administration of the H1N1 vaccine to all members when it becomes commercially available to the public. The vaccine administration will be covered for members whose health care plans cover vaccines, as well as for those members whose plans currently do not include immunizations.

15 Sep 2009

American Lung Association urges families to get immunized against seasonal influenza

The American Lung Association is intensifying its seasonal influenza public education initiative to urge families to get vaccinated as soon as possible. The Faces of Influenza campaign aims to ensure Americans get immunized against seasonal influenza, which each year causes an estimated 36,000 deaths and over 226,000 hospitalizations from the virus and its related complications.

15 Sep 2009

Biocryst signs agreement with three partners to represent its anti-viral peramivir outside U.S.

BioCryst Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: BCRX) today announced that it has signed binding letters of intent with three partners who will exclusively represent BioCryst and its anti-viral peramivir for influenza stockpiling opportunities, as well as for marketing and distribution of peramivir for seasonal influenza upon local regulatory approval, within their territories outside the U.S.

15 Sep 2009

First edition: September 15, 2009

Today's headlines zero in on the soon-to-be unveiled Baucus health bill. Reports indicate it likely will address many GOP concerns but also raising new issues for some Democrats.

15 Sep 2009

FluCide more effective than Tamiflu

NanoViricides, Inc. (OTC BB: NNVC.OB) (the "Company"), announced today that Anil Diwan, PhD, President of the Company presented a talk at NanoBusiness 2009 - the 8th annual NanoBusiness Conference in Chicago, IL, on Wednesday, September 9th.

15 Sep 2009

H1N1 flu preparedness guide for small industries

Small Business Administration Administrator Karen Mills and Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano today announced the availability of a preparedness guide designed to assist small businesses in planning for the possibility of an H1N1 flu outbreak this fall.

15 Sep 2009

New book on human genetics helps to unravel complex human diseases

Many human diseases-including Alzheimer's disease, schizophrenia, cancer, and cardiovascular disease-are caused by multiple genetic variants and the interaction of those variants with the environment. Because such diseases lack a clear-cut inheritance pattern, sophisticated technological approaches and statistical analyses are required to determine their underlying cause.

15 Sep 2009

Gentic circuits that cause mucous hyper-production identified

Scientists have identified the main genetic switch that causes excessive mucous in the lungs, a discovery that one day could ease suffering for people with chronic lung diseases like asthma and cystic fibrosis, or just those fighting the common cold.

15 Sep 2009

NSF International certification for COLD-FX(R)

Afexa Life Sciences Inc. ("Afexa") (TSX:FXA) today announced that COLD-FX(R) has received the highest sports certification in North America from the leading product safety and banned substances testing body for elite athletes.

15 Sep 2009

Risk for patients contracting pneumonia increases threefold when treated with pantoprazole: Study

A popular stomach-acid reducer used to prevent stress ulcers in critically ill patients needing breathing machine support increases the risk of those patients contracting pneumonia threefold, according to researchers at Wake Forest University School of Medicine.

15 Sep 2009

Possible link between El Ni-o and flu pandemic

Research conducted at Texas A&M University casts doubts on the notion that El Ni-o has been getting stronger because of global warming and raises interesting questions about the relationship between El Ni-o and a severe flu pandemic 91 years ago. The findings are based on analysis of the 1918 El Ni-o, which the new research shows to be one of the strongest of the 20th century.

15 Sep 2009

Phase II VICTOR-E1 clinical study results reported

Schering-Plough Corporation today reported long-term data with vicriviroc, its investigational CCR5 receptor antagonist, from an ongoing, open-label extension of the Phase II VICTOR-E1 study in treatment-experienced HIV-infected patients.

15 Sep 2009

Oil-and-water-based nanoemulsion could be more effective for treating burns

Treating second-degree burns with a nanoemulsion lotion sharply curbs bacterial growth and reduces inflammation that otherwise can jeopardize recovery, University of Michigan scientists have shown in initial laboratory studies.

15 Sep 2009