Pneumonia News and Research

Latest Pneumonia News and Research

KaloBios Pharmaceuticals, Sanofi Pasteur partner in development of KB001 biologic for Pa infections

KaloBios Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced an agreement with Sanofi Pasteur, the vaccines division of the sanofi-aventis Group, for the development and commercialization of KB001, an investigational new biologic for the treatment or prevention of Pseudomonas aeruginosa (Pa) infections. Sanofi Pasteur will be responsible for the development and commercialization of KB001 and initially focus on hospital indications, including the prevention of Pa pneumonias in mechanically ventilated patients.

11 Jan 2010

Clinical Foundations' edition provides comprehensive review of hospital-acquired infections

Clinical Foundations, a patient-focused education program dedicated to helping respiratory care professionals stay current on clinical trends, has recently published a new edition titled “Pathogens Associated with the Intensive Care Unit Environment –Considerations for the Respiratory Therapist.”

9 Jan 2010

Medicare Part D beneficiaries can now avail free review sessions at Walgreens pharmacy

Walgreens, the nation’s largest drugstore chain with more than 70,000 health service providers, is now offering free review sessions to Medicare Part D beneficiaries at all of its more than 7,100 pharmacies throughout the country.

9 Jan 2010

Recent releases in Global Health

A Lancet Comment examines the "grossly insufficient" progress towards meeting the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) of reducing under-5 child mortality. "Accelerated progress can be achieved, even in the poorest environments, through: integrated, evidence-driven, and community-based programmes that focus on addressing the major causes of death, including pneumonia, diarrhoea, newborn disorders, malaria, HIV, and undernutrition; reaching the unreached with a basic package of interventions at large scale and achieving coverage with equity; and using data for action and advocacy," the comment concludes (You et al., 1/9).

9 Jan 2010

LSUHSC receives $2.1 million grant for pneumonia research

Dr. Jay Kolls, Professor and Chairman of Genetics at the LSU Health Sciences Center New Orleans School of Medicine, has been awarded a $2.1 million grant over five years by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute of the National Institutes of Health to further his work on a discovery that plays a critical role in the body's defense against pneumonia.

8 Jan 2010

Rituximab treatment reduces patients' response to pneumonia vaccine

Researchers from Johns Hopkins University determined that immune responses to the tetanus vaccine were not changed when rituximab in combination with methotrexate (MTX) was compared with MTX alone in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

7 Jan 2010

CDC and AAFP recommend whooping cough vaccine for adults and adolescents

Many people may think of whooping cough as a disease of the past -- something eradicated generations ago. However, the number of cases reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) indicate that whooping cough (pertussis) is still very much a public health concern; health experts estimate that up to 600,000 cases occur each year in adults alone. In fact, whooping cough cases are on the rise in San Diego

6 Jan 2010

VELCADE sNDA receives FDA approval

Millennium: The Takeda Oncology Company today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a supplemental new drug application (sNDA) for VELCADE, which expands the label to include long-term (median follow-up 36.7 months) overall survival (OS) data from the landmark VISTA trial and provides specific dosing recommendations for patients with hepatic impairment. The VISTA trial examined the use of VELCADE based therapy in patients with previously untreated multiple myeloma (MM).

5 Jan 2010

H1N1 vaccine available at Walgreens pharmacies and Take Care Clinics

Every Walgreens pharmacy, every day. The once-scarce H1N1 vaccine is now available daily at all of the more than 7,100 Walgreens pharmacies and 350 Take Care Clinics throughout the country.

5 Jan 2010

Discovery of key process in bacterial infection could lead to new drug targets to prevent infection

Bacteria can swim, propelling themselves through fluids using a whip-like extension called a flaggella. They can also walk, strolling along solid surfaces using little fibrous legs called pili. It is this motility that enable some pathogenic bacteria to establish the infections - such as meningitis - that cause their human hosts to get sick or even die.

4 Jan 2010

Rite Aid offers H1N1 flu shots through certified immunizing pharmacists

Rite Aid now is offering the H1N1 (swine) flu shots by its certified immunizing pharmacists at 1,257 Rite Aid stores in 30 states and the District of Columbia. Customers can go to www.riteaid.com/H1N1 to find the most convenient Rite Aid store offering the H1N1 flu shots.

31 Dec 2009

Pfizer provides update on Prevnar 13

Pfizer Inc. announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not yet completed its review of the Biologics License Application (BLA) for Prevnar 13™, (Pneumococcal 13-valent Conjugate Vaccine [Diphtheria CRM197 Protein]), the Company’s candidate 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine.

31 Dec 2009

J&JPRD receives FDA Complete Response Letter for ceftobiprole

Johnson & Johnson Pharmaceutical Research & Development, L.L.C. (J&JPRD) today announced it received a Complete Response letter from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for ceftobiprole. The New Drug Application (NDA) was originally submitted to the FDA in May 2007 for the treatment of complicated skin and skin structure infections (cSSSI), including diabetic foot infections.

30 Dec 2009

JAMA: New series on caring for the aging patient

To assist physicians in caring for a patient demographic that is rapidly growing in size, JAMA is launching a new series, "Care of the Aging Patient: From Evidence to Action."

29 Dec 2009

Eclipsys acute care EMR retains its No. 2 ranking in KLAS awards

Eclipsys Corporation®, The Outcomes Company®, today announced that the company’s focus on delivering an enterprise portfolio of high-quality health information software solutions is reflected in the findings of the 2009 “Top 20 Best in KLAS Award: Software and Professional Services” report (2009 Top 20 Best in KLAS Awards report).

24 Dec 2009

Forest Laboratories acquires additional rights to NXL 104 beta-lactamase inhibitor

Forest Laboratories announced today its agreement to acquire additional rights to NXL 104, which amends the terms of its prior agreement with Novexel covering the combination of NXL 104 with ceftaroline and adds additional rights to the combination of ceftazidime and NXL 104, through a transaction with AstraZeneca executed immediately following AstraZeneca’s announced acquisition of Novexel, S.A.

24 Dec 2009

AstraZeneca signs definitive agreement to acquire Novexel

Novexel, a speciality pharmaceutical company focused on the discovery and development of novel antibiotics designed to overcome the significant global problem of microbial drug resistance, announces today that its shareholders have signed a definitive agreement whereby Novexel shall be acquired by AstraZeneca for a total cash consideration of up to $505 million, including contingent payments and the net cash position of the company at closing.

24 Dec 2009

Older adults face higher risk of hospitalization for pneumonia when exposed to pollution

Older adults with long-term exposure to higher levels of pollution are at higher risk for hospitalization for pneumonia, according to researchers in Canada.

23 Dec 2009

Prolonged exposure to higher levels of pollutants can lead to hospitalization for pneumonia

A McMaster University researcher has found the first evidence that prolonged exposure to higher levels of the pollutants found in car exhaust fumes and industrial air pollution can lead to hospitalization for pneumonia in adults aged 65 and older.

23 Dec 2009

New community-associated strain of MRSA more apt to cause serious problems

The often feared and sometimes deadly infections caused by MRSA - methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus - are now moving out of hospitals and emerging as an even more virulent strain in community settings and on athletic teams, and raising new concerns about antibiotic resistance.

23 Dec 2009