Leprosy News and Research

Latest Leprosy News and Research

New vaccines on the horizon

In a report published in The Lancet, researchers say there is the potential to develop 20 new or improved vaccines over the next decade. They emphasize that funding is crucial - but so is trust and confidence in vaccines. It is said that AIDS and malaria vaccines as the most important areas for research. Authors further suggest that neglected tropical diseases, such as leprosy, should also be investigated.

9 Jun 2011

Novartis employees to do volunteer work for non-profit groups during 15th annual Community Partnership Day

Some 200 employees of Novartis Pharmaceuticals Canada Inc. will again this year be helping out with cleaning, painting and various other chores and activities at 15 Montreal-area organizations as part of their 15th annual Community Partnership Day, during which they leave their offices for the day to do volunteer work for non-profit groups. It is part of a global effort by Novartis employees that involves 20,000 employees in 55 countries.

30 May 2011

New genetic study suspects Armadillos as source of leprosy in the U.S.

A new genetic study on leprosy bacteria reports that armadillos may be a source of infection in the Southern United States.

29 Apr 2011

Researchers begin approved drugs screening for clinical use against rare diseases

Researchers have begun screening the first definitive collection of thousands of approved drugs for clinical use against rare and neglected diseases. They are hunting for additional uses of the drugs hoping to find off-label therapies, for some of the 6,000 rare diseases that afflict 25 million Americans.

28 Apr 2011

Breakdown products of thalidomide cause birth defects: New study

Thalidomide may have been withdrawn in the early 1960s for use by pregnant women, but its dramatic effects remain memorable half a century later. Now, researchers have taken a major step toward understanding exactly how thalidomide causes the birth defects.

20 Apr 2011

Thirty organizations call on Congress to reverse cuts to life-saving programs in the U.S. budget

A coalition of 30 Christian and Jewish organizations in the U.S. have joined together with the ONE Campaign to urge senators now considering fiscal 2011 budget measures to reverse the disproportionate and devastating cuts to international assistance approved by House lawmakers last week.

2 Mar 2011

New York Times examines factors contributing to presence of 'exotic' infectious diseases in New York City

"When New York City's health department revealed last weekend that three people had contracted cholera, it was a reminder that the city is not just a world capital of arts, business and the like - but also of exotic diseases," the New York Times writes in an article that explores how diseases from around the world often make their way to the city through its diverse population of travelers.

14 Feb 2011

DARPA grants million dollar to IDRI to develop single dose influenza vaccine

The Infectious Disease Research Institute today announced it has received a multi-million dollar grant from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, and the Army Research Office, both parts of United States Department of Defense.

7 Jan 2011

Drug to reverse immunological decline in aging

UCSF researchers have identified an existing medication that restores key elements of the immune system that, when out of balance, lead to a steady decline in immunity and health as people age.

14 Dec 2010

News outlets report on polio outbreaks in Central, East Africa

"Bad immunisation strategy has been blamed for an outbreak of polio, which has killed nearly 200 and is believed to have caused paralysis in more than 2,000 others across Angola, Congo and the Democratic Republic of the Congo," the Mail & Guardian writes in a story examining the emergence of the disease in the three countries and efforts to control it.

10 Dec 2010

IDRI awarded $1.8M contract to develop adjuvant formulations for pandemic influenza

The Infectious Disease Research Institute has been awarded an $1.8 million contract from the Biomedical Advance Research and Development Authority. IDRI's work will focus on development of adjuvant formulations with options up to $8.5 million over three years when further development and manufacture of priority candidates are approved by the agency.

4 Dec 2010

IDRI receives $790,200 BARDA grant to develop pandemic flu vaccine

The Infectious Disease Research Institute (IDRI) today announced it has received a $790,200 grant from the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), part of the US Department of Health and Human Services. The grant enables technology transfer between IDRI and the Cantacuzino National Institute of Research and Development for Microbiology and Immunology (Bucharest, Romania), with the goal of producing a pandemic flu vaccine.

4 Dec 2010

Report documents increase in R&D projects on developing world diseases

Drugmakers are now working on over 100 R&D projects designed to tackle diseases of the developing world and almost 80% of them are being carried out with non-industry partners, according to a report released on Wednesday by the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers & Associations (IFPMA).

15 Nov 2010

Pres. Obama, Indian PM Singh announce partnership to improve global food security

During a joint press conference with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Monday, President Barack Obama announced a new partnership between U.S. and Indian agriculture sectors to help improve food security globally, Press Trust International/Livemint.com reports.

8 Nov 2010

Cempra to present information on solithromycin antimalarial agent at Atlanta Annual Meeting

Cempra Pharmaceuticals today announced abstracts to be presented on its novel fluoroketolide antibiotic, solithromycin (CEM-101), at the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene 59th Annual Meeting, November 3 to 7 in Atlanta. The abstracts will present new information on solithromycin's antimalarial activity. Additional data will demonstrate activity against Mycobacterium leprae.

4 Nov 2010

Officials discuss leadership, donor commitments, eliminating leprosy at start of WHO Western Pacific Region Committee Session

The WHO "must demonstrate strong leadership backed by impeccable technical competency, [Malaysian] Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said" at the opening ceremony of the 61st Session of the WHO Regional Committee for the Western Pacific Monday, Bernama reports.

13 Oct 2010

Scientists proves Yersinia pestis as causative agent for Black Death epidemics in European continent

The latest tests conducted by anthropologists at the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU) have proven that the bacteria Yersinia pestis was indeed the causative agent behind the "Black Death" that raged across Europe in the Middle Ages. The cause of the epidemic has always remained highly controversial and other pathogens were often named as possible causes, in particular for the northern European regions.

11 Oct 2010

Past exposure to pathogens leads to disease resistance spreading through populations

A study by researchers at Royal Holloway, University of London, University College London and Oxford University, has found that a genetic variant which reduces the chance of contracting diseases such as tuberculosis and leprosy is more prevalent in populations with long histories of urban living.

24 Sep 2010

Opinions: Aid to Pakistan; Criteria for effective aid

A New York Times editorial about the flooding in Pakistan and the global response to it, cautions: "The world, especially the United States, must not blow this one. We worry it already could be doing that."

18 Aug 2010

MMV joins Pool for Open Innovation against neglected tropical diseases

The Medicines for Malaria Venture (MMV) today became the first product development partnership (PDP) to contribute intellectual property to the Pool for Open Innovation against Neglected Tropical Diseases. MMV joins GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in contributing to the Pool, which is administered by BIO Ventures for Global Health (BVGH).

17 Aug 2010

Leprosy News and Research

Latest Leprosy News and Research

New vaccines on the horizon

Novartis employees to do volunteer work for non-profit groups during 15th annual Community Partnership Day

New genetic study suspects Armadillos as source of leprosy in the U.S.

Researchers begin approved drugs screening for clinical use against rare diseases

Breakdown products of thalidomide cause birth defects: New study

Thirty organizations call on Congress to reverse cuts to life-saving programs in the U.S. budget

New York Times examines factors contributing to presence of 'exotic' infectious diseases in New York City

DARPA grants million dollar to IDRI to develop single dose influenza vaccine

Drug to reverse immunological decline in aging

News outlets report on polio outbreaks in Central, East Africa

IDRI awarded $1.8M contract to develop adjuvant formulations for pandemic influenza

IDRI receives $790,200 BARDA grant to develop pandemic flu vaccine

Report documents increase in R&D projects on developing world diseases

Pres. Obama, Indian PM Singh announce partnership to improve global food security

Cempra to present information on solithromycin antimalarial agent at Atlanta Annual Meeting

Officials discuss leadership, donor commitments, eliminating leprosy at start of WHO Western Pacific Region Committee Session

Scientists proves Yersinia pestis as causative agent for Black Death epidemics in European continent

Past exposure to pathogens leads to disease resistance spreading through populations

Opinions: Aid to Pakistan; Criteria for effective aid

MMV joins Pool for Open Innovation against neglected tropical diseases

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

Examining how pain could play a direct protective role in the gut

From Puberty to Menopause: Clue’s CEO, Audrey Tsang on the Power of Femtech

Leprosy News and Research

Latest Leprosy News and Research

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

Examining how pain could play a direct protective role in the gut

From Puberty to Menopause: Clue’s CEO, Audrey Tsang on the Power of Femtech

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