Tuberculosis News and Research

Latest Tuberculosis News and Research

American Heart Association partners in global effort to prepare for UN non-communicable diseases summit

The American Heart Association is participating in an international effort to prepare for a United Nations (UN) high-level summit next year on non-communicable diseases (NCDs). These diseases — mainly cardiovascular illnesses including stroke, diabetes, cancer and chronic respiratory conditions — were estimated to cause more than 60 percent of deaths worldwide in 2005.

5 Jan 2011

Lancet editorial highlights similarities between current health challenges, those from 1911

"After a century of progress, the issues that medicine must tackle in the coming year aren't that different from the ones that faced doctors at the start of 1911, according to the observations" published Jan. 1 in a Lancet editorial, LiveScience reports (Parry, 12/30).

4 Jan 2011

Immunitor reports positive safety imm01 clinical trial against tuberculosis

Immune Network Ltd., advises that Immunitor has published data from the first half of the 120-patient imm01 clinical trial of its V5 immunomodulator product against tuberculosis, including difficult-to-treat forms of the disease.

30 Dec 2010

Centocor Ortho Biotech files REMICADE sBLA for ulcerative colitis in pediatric patients

Centocor Ortho Biotech Inc. announced today that it has filed a supplemental Biologics License Application (sBLA) with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requesting the approval of REMICADE® (infliximab) for the treatment of moderately to severely active ulcerative colitis (UC) in pediatric patients who have had an inadequate response to conventional therapy.

29 Dec 2010

Research reaffirms bovine TB's threat to humans, animals, and to international trade

As part of his doctoral research at The Norwegian School of Veterinary Science, Demelash Biffa has carried out extensive field and laboratory work on bovine tuberculosis (TB) in Ethiopia since 2007. The main aims of his study were to investigate risk factors associated with prevalence of the disease and to discover the molecular genetic characteristics of mycobacteria, which cause serious pathologic lesions in cattle. The work has led to the development of a new numeric expression approach known as Spoligotype Evolutionary Index (SEI).

24 Dec 2010

Chinese government should show more leadership on HIV/AIDS, says AHF

In response to news that the most recent round of grants issued by the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria is nearly $1 billion less than just two years ago, AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) today called on nations to give more to help fight HIV/AIDS around the globe.

23 Dec 2010

Merck announces FDA approval for GARDASIL against HPV-related anal cancer

Merck, known as MSD outside the United States and Canada, announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved GARDASIL® [Human Papillomavirus Quadrivalent (Types 6, 11, 16, and 18) Vaccine, Recombinant] for the prevention of anal cancer caused by human papillomavirus (HPV) types 16 and 18 and for the prevention of anal intraepithelial neoplasia (AIN) grades 1, 2 and 3 (anal dysplasias and precancerous lesions) caused by HPV types 6, 11, 16 and 18, in males and females 9 through 26 years of age.

23 Dec 2010

Life expectancy, other health indicators improve in Asia-Pacific, OECD report says

A report from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) released on Tuesday, found that "Asia-Pacific countries have seen steady gains in key health indicators since 1970, but developing nations there are still far behind standards in the industrialised world," Deutsche Presse-Agentur/M&C reports. OECD looked at "[h]ealth systems for 27 Asia-Pacific economies," according to the news service (12/21).

22 Dec 2010

New CPT code for use with T-SPOT.TB test

Oxford Immunotec, Inc. announces that a new and specific Current Procedural Terminology (CPT®) code has been established by the American Medical Association for use with the T-SPOT®.TB test. The new Category I code, 86481, is described as "Tuberculosis test, cell mediated immunity antigen response measurement; enumeration of gamma interferon-producing T-cells in cell suspension." This new code will be effective as of January 1, 2011.

21 Dec 2010

Sanofi-aventis, Oxford University to conduct multi-phase oncology research in India

Sanofi-aventis US and Oxford University have entered into an agreement to conduct multi-phase oncology clinical and epidemiological research with INDOX, India's leading academic oncology network.

20 Dec 2010

Global Fund approves 79 grants with two-year commitment of $1.7B

The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria Board of Directors on Wednesday approved 79 grants with a two-year commitment of "$1.7 billion dollars for projects against the diseases, amid warnings that some hard-hit African countries were being left out," Agence France-Presse reports. The commitment, according to Ethiopian Health Minister Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, who chairs the Global Fund's board, "shows that even in hard economic times, we can continue to expand the fight against the three diseases" (12/15).

17 Dec 2010

Akonni receives $150,000 Phase I NSF grant to assess feasibility of developing lab-on-a-film microarray device

Akonni Biosystems, a molecular diagnostics company that develops, manufactures, and plans to market sophisticated molecular testing devices for diagnosing infectious diseases and human genetic disorders, announced today the receipt of a $150,000 Phase I Grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF). This initial round of funding from NSF will enable Akonni to assess the feasibility of developing a lab-on-a-film microarray device that can be manufactured in a reel-to-reel format.

16 Dec 2010

Global Fund to draw up action plan against drug theft, invites stakeholders to participate

The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria on Friday appealed to international donors to join them in an effort to fight medicine theft, SAPA/News24 reports.

15 Dec 2010

Sniffer rats detect TB more accurately than traditional microscopic analysis

Trained giant African rats increased positive TB detection rates by 44 percent over microscopy, the most commonly-used technique for diagnosing TB, according to a new study released in the December issue of the American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene.

15 Dec 2010

CGEN-15001 administration shows dramatic therapeutic potential in CIA animal model

Compugen Ltd. announced today that administration of CGEN-15001 in an animal model of rheumatoid arthritis dramatically ameliorates the clinical symptoms of the disease.

15 Dec 2010

Also in Global Health News: Drought in Middle East; HIV/AIDS, TB in Indonesia; MSF warnings over needs of HIV/AIDS patients; Non-profit at work in Uganda

Inter Press Service examines the effects a "devastating drought this fall" has had on farmers in the Middle East, particularly those living in Syria. Once "[a] large wheat exporter, the drought's impact has now forced the agriculturally self-reliant Syrian government to import the staple to meet local consumption," the news service writes.

15 Dec 2010

New DNA-based testing technology for tuberculosis treatment

The driving force behind the rapid tuberculosis test that received World Health Organization endorsement this week is Dr. David Alland, chief of the Division of Infectious Disease at UMDNJ-New Jersey Medical School.

13 Dec 2010

Everolimus plus tamoxifen delays disease progression in HR+/HER2- metastatic breast cancer

A new study shows that the addition of everolimus (Afinitor® tablets) to the hormonal therapy tamoxifen in patients with hormone-receptor positive/human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative (HR+/HER2-) metastatic breast cancer who have been previously treated with an aromatase inhibitor (AI) delays disease progression compared to tamoxifen alone. These results were presented today at the 33rd Annual CTRC-AACR San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium in San Antonio, Texas.

10 Dec 2010

Opinions: Questioning WHO's relevance; Reforming foreign aid; Efforts to prevent child marriage

"The WHO - for 62 years the world's go-to agency on all public health matters - is today outmoded, underfunded, and overly politicized," Jack Chow, former assistant director-general on HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria at WHO, writes in a Foreign Policy Argument where he outlines some of the major issues facing the WHO, including personnel challenges, the agency's "archaic" governance system and a "new atmosphere, where [other] organizations are taking health into their own hands."

10 Dec 2010

USAID, PEPFAR and HHS welcome WHO's endorsement of rapid diagnostic test for TB

The United States welcomes the policy statement and roadmap issued today by the World Health Organization (WHO) charting the rollout of the Xpert MTB/RIF rapid diagnostic test for tuberculosis (TB) and rifampicin resistance, a proxy for multidrug resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB).

9 Dec 2010

Tuberculosis News and Research

Latest Tuberculosis News and Research

American Heart Association partners in global effort to prepare for UN non-communicable diseases summit

Lancet editorial highlights similarities between current health challenges, those from 1911

Immunitor reports positive safety imm01 clinical trial against tuberculosis

Centocor Ortho Biotech files REMICADE sBLA for ulcerative colitis in pediatric patients

Research reaffirms bovine TB's threat to humans, animals, and to international trade

Chinese government should show more leadership on HIV/AIDS, says AHF

Merck announces FDA approval for GARDASIL against HPV-related anal cancer

Life expectancy, other health indicators improve in Asia-Pacific, OECD report says

New CPT code for use with T-SPOT.TB test

Sanofi-aventis, Oxford University to conduct multi-phase oncology research in India

Global Fund approves 79 grants with two-year commitment of $1.7B

Akonni receives $150,000 Phase I NSF grant to assess feasibility of developing lab-on-a-film microarray device

Global Fund to draw up action plan against drug theft, invites stakeholders to participate

Sniffer rats detect TB more accurately than traditional microscopic analysis

CGEN-15001 administration shows dramatic therapeutic potential in CIA animal model

Also in Global Health News: Drought in Middle East; HIV/AIDS, TB in Indonesia; MSF warnings over needs of HIV/AIDS patients; Non-profit at work in Uganda

New DNA-based testing technology for tuberculosis treatment

Everolimus plus tamoxifen delays disease progression in HR+/HER2- metastatic breast cancer

Opinions: Questioning WHO's relevance; Reforming foreign aid; Efforts to prevent child marriage

USAID, PEPFAR and HHS welcome WHO's endorsement of rapid diagnostic test for TB

Event guide: 4th Extra-Hepatic Lipid-Based Nanoparticles Delivery Summit eBook

How microRNA is transforming science: From discovery to diagnostics

Advancing benzodiazepine detection

The Surgeon-Scientist Pioneering Regenerative Engineering

Tuberculosis News and Research

Latest Tuberculosis News and Research

Event guide: 4th Extra-Hepatic Lipid-Based Nanoparticles Delivery Summit eBook

How microRNA is transforming science: From discovery to diagnostics

Advancing benzodiazepine detection

The Surgeon-Scientist Pioneering Regenerative Engineering

Newsletters you may be interested in