Influenza News and Research

Latest Influenza News and Research

National organization releases “Lessons from the Frontlines” report on H1N1

The Canadian Medical Association (CMA), the College of Family Physicians of Canada (CFPC), and the National Specialty Society of Community Medicine (NSSCM) today released Lessons from the Frontlines, a collaborative report on H1N1 describing the physician experience on the frontlines of the pandemic.

13 Aug 2010

WHO releases H1N1 Emergency Committee roster

Five of the 15 experts advising the WHO on H1N1 (swine flu) had ties to the pharmaceutical industry, "including for flu vaccine research," according to the Emergency Committee members' list released by the agency Wednesday, Agence France-Presse reports.

13 Aug 2010

Emergency Committee Members report on post-pandemic period of H1N1

The world is no longer in phase 6 of influenza pandemic alert. We are now moving into the post-pandemic period. The new H1N1 virus has largely run its course.These are the views of members of the Emergency Committee, which was convened earlier today by teleconference.The Committee based its assessment on the global situation, as well as reports from several countries that are now experiencing influenza. I fully agree with the Committee's advice.

12 Aug 2010

Human Immune Phenotyping Centers to receive NIAID grants for research

A new nationwide research initiative has been launched to define changes in the human immune system, using human and not animal studies, in response to infection or to vaccination. Six U. S.-based Human Immune Phenotyping Centers will receive a total of $100 million over five years to conduct this research.Funding for the centers is provided by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health. Support for the first year of this initiative will come from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

12 Aug 2010

TLV, Emergent BioSolutions form joint venture to develop broad spectrum pandemic flu vaccine

Temasek Life Science Ventures Pte Ltd and Emergent BioSolutions Inc. today announced their agreement to form EPIC BIO Pte Ltd, a joint venture to develop, manufacture, and commercialize a multivalent, cross-protective human vaccine to protect against influenza caused by a broad range of circulating H5 influenza strains.

12 Aug 2010

Lower outdoor temperature associated with 2% increase in heart attack risks

Lower outdoor temperatures are linked to an increase in the risk of heart attacks, according to a new study by scientists at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM).For the study (published in the British Medical Journal and released online today at bmj.com), the researcher, led by Krishnan Bhaskaran of LSHTM found that each 1°C reduction in temperature on a single day is associated with around 200 extra heart attacks.

11 Aug 2010

Medicago USA awarded $21M to develop vaccine facility in Research Triangle Park

Medicago USA Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Medicago Inc., a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on developing highly effective and affordable vaccines based on proprietary manufacturing technologies and Virus-Like Particles, today announced that it has been awarded a $21 Million grant from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, Broad Agency Announcement, Defense Sciences Research & Technology to demonstrate the scalable manufacturing of its plant-expressed VLP vaccines in the U.S.A. under a Technology Investment Agreement.

11 Aug 2010

Tamir Biotechnology's three compounds effective show potential for yellow fever

Tamir Biotechnology, Inc.(formerly Alfacell Corporation) announced today that scientists supported by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) confirmed that testing of three of our company's compounds showed in vitro results rarely seen before by the U.S. government for yellow fever.

11 Aug 2010

WHO declares end of H1N1 pandemic

"World Health Organisation Director-General Margaret Chan announced Tuesday the end of the [H1N1] swine flu pandemic, more than a year after it was declared," Agence France-Presse reports. "The world is no longer in phase 6 of influenza pandemic alert. We are now moving into the post-pandemic period," Chan said during a virtual press conference from Hong Kong, according to a WHO press release (8/10).

11 Aug 2010

Response Biomedical second-quarter revenue from product sales increases 2%

Response Biomedical Corporation today announced financial results for the second quarter and six months ended June 30, 2010.

10 Aug 2010

Hemispherx Biopharma second-quarter net loss decreases to $3.67 million

Hemispherx Biopharma, Inc. announced its financial results for the three months ended June 30, 2010. The net loss (including non-cash expenses) for the 2nd fiscal quarter was approximately $3,676,000 or $0.03 per share compared to a loss of approximately $3,870,000 or $0.04 per share for the same period in 2009.

7 Aug 2010

Novavax reports net loss of $9.4M for second-quarter 2010

Novavax, Inc. today announced financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2010.

7 Aug 2010

GenVec signs new agreement with Novartis for supply of services relating to development materials

GenVec, Inc. today announced a new agreement for the supply of services relating to development materials with Novartis, related to the companies' collaboration in hearing loss and balance disorders. Under this new agreement, GenVec could receive approximately $13 million over four years to manufacture clinical trial material for up to two lead candidates.

7 Aug 2010

GenVec reports net loss of $4.2M for second-quarter 2010

GenVec, Inc. today announced its financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2010.

6 Aug 2010

Akonni Biosystems receives patent for TruTip Extraction Kits

Akonni Biosystems, a developer of low-cost, multiplex molecular diagnostic testing systems, today announced that the United States Patent and Trademark Office issued a patent on July 20, 2010 for its method for rapidly purifying nucleic acids. U.S. Patent No. 7,759,112 entitled, "Apparatus, system, and method for purifying nucleic acids" protects the Company's use of its pioneering nucleic acid binding matrix when inserted into a pipette tip, tubing or cartridge for nucleic acid purification. The patent is owned by Akonni Biosystems.

6 Aug 2010

BioCryst second-quarter total revenues increase to $7.6 million

BioCryst Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced financial results for the second quarter and six months ended June 30, 2010.

5 Aug 2010

Alnylam second-quarter revenues increase to $26.6 million

Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a leading RNAi therapeutics company, today reported its consolidated financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2010, and company highlights.

5 Aug 2010

Vical second-quarter revenues decrease to $2.1 million

Vical Incorporated today reported financial results for the three months and six months ended June 30, 2010. Revenues decreased to $2.1 million for the second quarter of 2010 from $4.0 million for the second quarter of 2009, primarily as a result of a $1.5 million milestone payment in 2009 from Merck & Co., Inc., based on Merck's ongoing Phase 1 clinical-stage development of an investigational cancer vaccine.

3 Aug 2010

Severe swine flu cases on the rise

Severe cases of swine flu requiring intensive care are on the rise this week. This has prompted a warning for the vulnerable to be vaccinated. NSW Health Communicable Diseases Branch director Dr Jeremy McAnulty said that the cases appear to be caused by the flu strain that caused the 2009 pandemic.

3 Aug 2010

Merck reports strong bottom-line performance in second quarter

Merck & Co., Inc. today announced financial results for the second quarter of 2010. The company reported non-GAAP (generally accepted accounting principles) earnings per share (EPS) for the second quarter of $0.86, which excludes purchase accounting adjustments, merger-related expenses, restructuring costs and the gain on AstraZeneca's asset option exercise. Second-quarter GAAP EPS was $0.24.

2 Aug 2010