Tuberculosis News and Research

Latest Tuberculosis News and Research

Akonni Biosystems announces worldwide launch of their TruTip product line

Akonni Biosystems, a molecular diagnostic (MDx) company focused on providing rapid and highly scalable solutions for research and infectious disease testing, today announced the worldwide launch of their TruTip product line for extracting DNA and RNA from samples with volumes ranging from 100 µl to 1000 µl or more.

3 Nov 2009

Washington Post examines role of USAID's Richard Greene

As part of its ongoing "Federal Player of the Week" series with the Partnership for Public Service, the Washington Post examines the role of Richard Greene, the head of USAID's Office of Health, Infectious Diseases, and Nutrition in the Bureau of Global Health.

2 Nov 2009

Zuma calls for renewed effort in fight against HIV/AIDS

South African President Jacob Zuma on Thursday called for a renewed effort in the country's fight against HIV/AIDS, the Star/Independent Online reports. During a speech to South Africa's National Council of Provinces, which also addressed the country's economy, Zuma pointed to what he called "chilling statistics" reflective of the "devastating impact HIV and AIDS" is having on the country (du Plessis, 10/30).

2 Nov 2009

WCMC-Q's biomedical research program makes significant progress

The biomedical research program of Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar has made significant progress in its dual goals of advancing basic science and building a sustainable research community in Qatar since it was launched less than a year and a half ago.

2 Nov 2009

GAA welcomes Obama's announcement to lift HIV travel ban

The Global AIDS Alliance welcomes President Obama's announcement today to lift the 22 year-old U.S. travel and immigration ban on those living with HIV/AIDS. GAA Executive Director Paul Zeitz said "We congratulate President Obama on his decision to end this unfounded and discriminatory policy. This is an important sign of U.S. leadership and commitment."

31 Oct 2009

Conference to address the need for gender specific diagnostic strategies for women

The 'Red Alert for Women's Hearts' conference, taking place on 5 November 2009, at the European Heart House, Sophia Antipolis, France, will address the subject of Women and CVD. The conference is jointly organised by the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) and European Heart Network (EHN), as part of Work Package 6 of the EuroHeart project .

31 Oct 2009

Advocates call for increased U.S. investment in global health

A report released Thursday (.pdf) by a group of global health advocates outlines ways the U.S. can work toward increasing access to health care throughout the world, Inter Press Service reports. They call "for doubling U.S. aid to global health projects from the current level of nearly eight billion dollars a year to 16 billion by 2011," followed by "annual increase[s] leading to a six-year total investment of 95 billion dollars."

30 Oct 2009

Recent releases in Global Health

"Action always leads to reaction, a fundamental law of nature," write the authors of an introduction appearing in a Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes (JAIDS) supplemental issue that focuses on global health systems.

30 Oct 2009

Avicenna's work on respiratory diseases highlighted in SAGE journal

For pulmonary ailments, certain mediaeval physicians had a useful medical textbook on hand offering detailed information remarkably similar to those a modern doctor might use today. One of the fathers of medicine, the great Persian scholar Avicenna left a wealth of information in his many works. Iranian academics dust off one of these in an article published today in the SAGE journal Therapeutic Advances in Respiratory Disease, sharing in English details of Avicenna's work that still fascinate both physicians and historians of medicine alike.

30 Oct 2009

Mobile phones on the verge of becoming powerful tools

Computer scientists at the University of Washington have used Android, the open-source mobile operating system championed by Google, to turn a cell phone into a versatile data-collection device. Organizations that want a fully customizable way to, say, snap pictures of a deforested area, add the location coordinates and instantly submit that information to a global environmental database now have a flexible and free way to do it.

30 Oct 2009

New data from CIMZIA WELCOME trial to be presented at the ACG meeting

According to new results from the WELCOME trial, exploratory data analyzing the impact of treatment with CIMZIA(®) (certolizumab pegol) - the only PEGylated anti-TNF (alpha) (Tumor Necrosis Factor alpha) - administered either every two weeks or every four weeks, showed that the majority of Crohn's disease patients in both dosing groups experienced no hospitalizations and surgical procedures during the course of the 26-week study.

28 Oct 2009

Biomagnetics Diagnostics completes negotiations to acquire IBOS technology

Biomagnetics Diagnostics Corp., a developer of revolutionary diagnostic systems and technology for HIV, hepatitis, tuberculosis, and malaria detection, today announced the Company has completed business negotiations with one of the U.S. Government's top national security research institutions regarding the acquisition of rights to the Integrated Optical Biosensor System (IBOS) technology developed by the laboratory personnel. Biomagnetics Diagnostics plans to utilize this technology to enter the significantly underserved market for handheld biosensors capable of detecting a broad range of disease-causing viruses, bacteria and fungi.

28 Oct 2009

Also in Global Health news: U.S. grant to Uganda; reproductive health in Philippines; counterfeit drugs

The U.S. Embassy in Uganda announced a grant of $246 million in new aid for improving the Uganda's agricultural and health systems, Reuters reports. "More than $170 million will be spent on health and education to combat the HIV/AIDS pandemic, fight tuberculosis, eradicate malaria, improve maternal and child health and increase access to family planning and reproductive health services," the news service writes (Biryabarema, 10/27).

27 Oct 2009

Gateses to appeal for ongoing U.S. funding of global health

Bill and Melinda Gates are expected to ask Washington officials on Tuesday to "continue funding global health initiatives despite the recession and to commit to nearly halve the number of child deaths worldwide by 2025," the Washington Post reports.

27 Oct 2009

USAID and USP join to combat substandard and counterfeit medicines

With substandard and counterfeit versions of medicines intended to treat life-threatening diseases such as malaria, HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis posing a growing threat throughout the developing world, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the U.S. Pharmacopeial Convention (USP) will expand their joint efforts to combat this menace by launching a new program over the next five years.

27 Oct 2009

Fero Industries to complete acquisition of Pyro Pharmaceuticals by November 30, 2009

Fero Industries, Inc. is pleased to provide certain disclosures relating to the ten pending patent applications of Pyro Pharmaceuticals, Inc. As previously announced, the Company has initiated the process of acquiring Pyro Pharmaceuticals, Inc. through an exchange of Pyro’s capital stock for shares of the Company’s common stock, with Fero remaining as the parent entity and Pyro as a subsidiary. The acquisition of Pyro is expected to close by November 30, 2009.

27 Oct 2009

Genomics can provide insights in understanding emerging infectious disease

This week, the Public Library of Science, an open-access publisher, presents the "Genomics of Emerging Infectious Disease," a collection of essays, perspectives, and reviews that explores how genomics-with all its associated tools and techniques-can provide insights into our understanding of emerging infectious disease.

27 Oct 2009

New data from efficacy study of CIMZIA in Crohn's disease patients presented

New data from an open-label extension study evaluating the long-term safety and efficacy of CIMZIA® (certolizumab pegol) in moderate to severe Crohn's disease patients demonstrate that 82 percent of patients actively treated with CIMZIA - the only PEGylated anti-TNF-alpha (Tumor Necrosis Factor alpha) - remained in long-term remission without dose escalation up to 3.5 years.

27 Oct 2009

Also in Global Health News: Ghana, Nigeria Global Fund grants; CDC Director on global health role; African Peacekeepers and HIV/AIDS

Stabroek News reports on the recent news that Guyana received a $10 million grant from the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. The "six-year programme aims at strengthening critical areas in the system such as Mental Health; the Nursing Programme; Management and Development Programme; Surveillance and Monitoring Programme and Management and Information systems," the newspaper writes (10/23).

26 Oct 2009

London residents are one of the most unhygienic in Britain: Poll results

London residents have today been revealed as one of the most unhygienic in Britain, according to a poll of 4,000 adults by Wet Ones to launch National Hand Hygiene Awareness Week.

26 Oct 2009