Pneumonia News and Research

Latest Pneumonia News and Research

Former CDC head to lead Merck's vaccine division

The pharmaceutical company Merck on Monday named former CDC head Julie Gerberding as president of the company's vaccine division, Reuters reports. "Gerberding, who led the CDC from 2002 to 2009 and stepped down when President Barack Obama took office, will head up the company's $5 billion global vaccine business that includes shots to prevent chickenpox, cervical cancer and pneumonia," the news service reports.

22 Dec 2009

Health Canada approves Prevnar 13 vaccine for invasive pneumococcal disease

Following a Priority Review, Health Canada has approved Prevnar 13 (Pneumococcal 13-valent Conjugate Vaccine (Diphtheria CRM197 Protein)) for children aged six weeks through five years for active immunization against invasive pneumococcal disease, a bacterial infection that can include meningitis (inflammation of the coverings of the brain and spinal cord), sepsis (bloodstream infection), bacteremic pneumonia, pleural empyema (accumulation of pus in the cavity surrounding the lungs) and bacteremia (bacteria in the blood).

22 Dec 2009

PolyMedix completes first two segments of its PMX-30063 antibiotic drug candidate Phase 1B study

PolyMedix, Inc., an emerging biotechnology company developing acute care products for infectious diseases and acute cardiovascular disorders, has successfully completed the first two segments of a Phase 1B clinical safety study with its novel antibiotic drug candidate PMX-30063.

18 Dec 2009

New licensing agreement to develop and commercialize prophylactic vaccine against MRSA signed

Sanofi Pasteur, the vaccines division of the sanofi-aventis Group, announced today that it has entered into an exclusive, world-wide licensing agreement with Syntiron to develop and commercialize its prophylactic vaccine against Staphylococcus, including Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus or MRSA.

17 Dec 2009

Survey examines disease R&D investment in 2008

According to an annual survey released Tuesday by the George Institute for International Health that looks at research and development (R&D) funding of diseases that affect the developing world, the U.S. government in 2008 "remained the single biggest contributor as it again provided almost half of the total funding but the report notes developing countries like Brazil [and] India ... were becoming a growing force," AAP/Sydney Morning Herald reports (Rose, 12/15).

17 Dec 2009

New study to evaluate the effectiveness of H1N1 and seasonal flu vaccines in pregnant women conducted

Abt Associates will conduct a study for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to evaluate the effectiveness of the H1N1 and seasonal flu vaccines among pregnant women, one of the high risk populations identified by CDC.

16 Dec 2009

Walgreens offers H1N1 vaccine in 27 states

Walgreens, the nation’s largest drugstore chain and an industry leader with more than 17,000 certified or licensed immunizers, today announced it is offering H1N1 vaccine at more than 1,500 Walgreens pharmacies and select Take Care Clinics in 27 states, as well as the District of Columbia.

16 Dec 2009

Drug monitoring may provide alternative treatments for patients with severe H1N1

An international team of Canadian and Spanish scientists have found the first potential immunological clue of why some people develop severe pneumonia when infected by the pandemic H1N1 virus.

16 Dec 2009

Genocea Biosciences to develop Chlamydia trachomatis vaccine with UPMC grant

Genocea Biosciences, a leading vaccine discovery and development company, today announced it has been awarded a grant from the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center’s (UPMC) Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI) Cooperative Research Center for the development of vaccines for Chlamydia trachomatis.

15 Dec 2009

Cubist Pharmaceuticals signs definitive agreement to acquire Calixa Therapeutics

Cubist Pharmaceuticals, Inc. a leading acute care therapeutics company, announced today the signing of a definitive agreement under which Cubist has agreed to acquire privately held Calixa Therapeutics Inc., a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of novel antibiotics that address the expanding problem of multi-drug resistant Gram-negative pathogens.

14 Dec 2009

Pfizer's Prevenar 13 granted European marketing authorization

The European Commission has granted Pfizer Inc. a European marketing authorization for its pneumococcal conjugate vaccine, Prevenar 13 (Pneumococcal Polysaccharide Conjugate Vaccine [13-valent, adsorbed]). Prevenar 13 is indicated for active immunization for the prevention of invasive disease, pneumonia, and acute otitis media caused by 13 Streptococcus pneumoniae serotypes in infants and children from 6 weeks to 5 years of age. Invasive pneumococcal disease includes sepsis, meningitis, bacteremia, bacteremic pneumonia, and empyema.

11 Dec 2009

Pharmacies to provide H1N1, seasonal flu and pneumonia vaccinations under TRICARE program

The Department of Defense today issued an interim final rule designating pharmacies as providers for H1N1, seasonal flu and pneumonia vaccinations under its TRICARE program.

11 Dec 2009

Tasigna demonstrates greater efficacy over Gleevec in chronic Ph+ CML patients

In a large Phase III clinical trial, Tasigna (nilotinib capsules) demonstrated greater efficacy over Gleevec (imatinib) in the treatment of adult patients with newly diagnosed Philadelphia chromosome-positive chronic myeloid leukemia (Ph+ CML) in chronic phase. The new clinical data were just presented as a late breaking abstract at the 51st annual meeting of the American Society of Hematology (ASH), in New Orleans, Louisiana.

11 Dec 2009

Flu vaccine shortages in developing countries could destabilize global security, says former WHO deputy head

"Flu vaccine shortages in developing nations may destabilize global security should the H1N1 [swine flu] virus become more deadly … David Heymann, a former deputy head of the World Health Organization" said Monday, Bloomberg reports.

10 Dec 2009

Schizophrenia: Once-monthly INVEGA SUSTENNA not inferior to bi-weekly RISPERDAL CONSTA

Treatment with once-monthly INVEGA® SUSTENNA(TM) is not inferior to treatment with bi-weekly RISPERDAL® CONSTA®, according to new data from a comparative study of both treatments in patients with schizophrenia. Results of the 13-week clinical trial were released this week.

10 Dec 2009

Patients' urine may provide rapid diagnosis of pneumonia

Doctors may soon be able to quickly and accurately diagnose the cause of pneumonia-like symptoms by examining the chemicals found in a patient's urine, suggests a new study led by UC Davis biochemist Carolyn Slupsky.

10 Dec 2009

Scientists discover the potential basis for urine test to diagnose CAP

Scientists are reporting a discovery of the potential basis for a urine test to diagnose community-acquired pneumonia (CAP), a difficult-to-diagnose disease that is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States.

10 Dec 2009

Washington Post, New York Times examine PEPFAR

The Washington Post examines the Obama administration's goal "to get the 'emergency' out of the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief" and integrate HIV/AIDS programs more into the health infrastructure of recipient countries. A five-year strategy for PEPFAR was released last week.

9 Dec 2009

VERTICAL Phase II trial results for NHL released

The Takeda Oncology Company today reported data from a clinical trial evaluating a VELCADE based combination for patients with relapsed/refractory non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL).

9 Dec 2009

Report on the community-acquired pneumonia drug market

Decision Resources, one of the world's leading research and advisory firms for pharmaceutical and healthcare issues, finds that the patent expiries of three blockbuster antibiotics -- levofloxacin, moxifloxacin and piperacillin/tazobactam -- will be the primary factors contributing to a decline of more than 15 percent in the community-acquired pneumonia drug market though 2018.

9 Dec 2009