Vaccine News and Research

Latest Vaccine News and Research

Novavax reports net loss of $9.4M for second-quarter 2010

Novavax, Inc. today announced financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2010.

7 Aug 2010

Recent releases in Global Health

According to a Lancet Comment, "alcohol remains conspicuously absent from the larger field of research and programming in HIV and substance use. ... Patterns of hazardous alcohol consumption prevail in countries with the most severe HIV epidemics, notably eastern and southern Africa." In addition, "hazardous drinking patterns also dominate in the concentrated epidemics of eastern Europe and Asia, where alcohol use by injecting drug users and other marginalised groups might be an additional barrier to effective efforts to prevent HIV infection."

7 Aug 2010

Nabi Biopharmaceuticals reports revenue of $4.8M for second-quarter 2010

Nabi Biopharmaceuticals today announced its second quarter financial results for the three month period ended June 26, 2010. The Company reported a net loss from continuing operations of $3.4 million, or $0.08 per share, compared to a net loss of $5.8 million, or $0.11 per share, for the period ended June 27, 2009.

6 Aug 2010

Clinton, Shah discuss long-term help, disease monitoring in Pakistan after flooding

After flooding in northwest Pakistan killed more than 1,500 people and displaced an estimated 300,000, leaders of the State Department and USAID are "promising an extended mission to deal with the long-term effects," Foreign Policy's "The Cable" blog reports. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and USAID Administrator Rajiv Shah briefed reporters Wednesday about the disaster and their agencies' efforts in the region (Rogin, 8/4).

6 Aug 2010

Helmsley Charitable Trust awards $3.15M grant to support UofL James Graham Brown Cancer Center

The University of Louisville has received a $3.15 million grant from the Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust to support the UofL James Graham Brown Cancer Center and cancer research taking place in Owensboro. The grant will be matched with state "Bucks for Brains" funding to bring more than $4.5 million to the Owensboro Cancer Research Program.

6 Aug 2010

Summer Academy Meeting highlights benefits of HPV, Herpes Zoster vaccines

Vaccines have a long history of successfully preventing disease and, in effect, improving the lives of countless Americans. Now, two serious diseases - human papillomavirus (HPV) and herpes zoster - could become a thing of the past as people better understand the safety and efficacy of vaccines to prevent these serious viral infections in specific populations.

6 Aug 2010

Vesicular stomatitis virus kills tumour, stimulates immune response against cancer: Research

Cancer Research UK scientists have used the immune system coupled with a virus found in horses and cattle, to hunt and purge cancer cells through the lymphatic system, a study reveals in Nature Medicine.Studying mice, the researchers found that the vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV), carried by a type of white blood cell called T cells acted as a 'cancer hunter', tracking down tumour cells in the lymph nodes, liver and spleen, and killed them, leaving normal healthy cells unharmed. At the same time, VSV also helped to trigger an immune response against the tumour, significantly improving the anti-cancer effect.

6 Aug 2010

Anti-vaccine group accused of unauthorized fundraising

The Australian Vaccination Network is involved in controversy yet again. The Bangalow-based anti-vaccination group has been given a timeline of 28 days to answer to claims that it breached charitable fundraising legislation on several occasions. It was only last month that the Health Care Complaints Commission had accused AVN of spreading misleading information about the dangers of immunization through its website.

5 Aug 2010

CEL-SCI produces and fills first lot of Multikine

CEL-SCI Corporation announced today that it has successfully produced and filled its first lot of Multikine® in preparation for the upcoming pivotal Phase III trial targeting advanced primary head and neck cancer.

5 Aug 2010

TapImmune inks smallpox vaccine Research and Technology License Option Agreement with Mayo Clinic

TapImmune Inc. announced that it has signed a Research and Technology License Option Agreement with Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, for the development of a smallpox vaccine technology. Research will be conducted by Gregory Poland M.D., at Mayo Clinic, to evaluate novel peptide antigens together with TapImmune's proprietary TAP technology. TapImmune also has an exclusive Option to the smallpox vaccine technology after research studies have been completed under the terms of the agreement.

5 Aug 2010

Alnylam second-quarter revenues increase to $26.6 million

Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a leading RNAi therapeutics company, today reported its consolidated financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2010, and company highlights.

5 Aug 2010

Amplimmune collaborates with GSK to develop PD-1 targeting therapies

Amplimmune, Inc. today announced that it has entered into a broad strategic alliance with GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) to further develop PD-1 targeting therapies that may be effective in the treatment of cancer and other diseases. GSK will obtain exclusive worldwide rights to AMP-224 as well as other potential next generation fusion proteins that target PD-1.

5 Aug 2010

Scientist invents new approach to boost body's response to vaccinations

As the medical community searches for better vaccines and ways to deliver them, a University of Rochester scientist believes he has discovered a new approach to boosting the body's response to vaccinations.Richard P. Phipps, Ph.D., found that the same molecules used in drugs that treat diabetes also stimulate B cells in the immune system, pushing them to make antibodies for protection against invading microorganisms.

5 Aug 2010

PCV-7 vaccine introduction leads to changing patterns of hemolytic uremic syndrome

Introduction of the PCV-7 vaccine to prevent invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) has led to a shift in the types of bacteria causing hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS)—an important cause of acute kidney failure in children, reports a study in the August issue of The Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal.

4 Aug 2010

Advaxis receives India’s DCGI approval for ADXS11-001 Phase II clinical trial for cervical cancer

Advaxis, Inc.,, the live, attenuated Listeria monocytogenes (Lm) immunotherapy company, has received formal permission from the Drugs Controller General India (DCGI) to conduct a Phase II clinical trial of ADXS11-001, the Company's flagship drug construct, among 110 women with advanced, metastatic cervical cancer that has progressed subsequent to treatment with cytotoxic therapy. 55 women will receive ADXS11-001 alone, 55 will receive a combined regimen of both ADXS11-001 and cytotoxic therapy.

4 Aug 2010

BARDA awards contract to develop Pfenex Expression Technology

Pfenex Inc. today announced that the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) has awarded Pfenex a contract providing for up to a total of $18.8 million in funding, provided that certain milestones are achieved and that all contract options and extensions are exercised by the government. The contract will support the development of a robust Pfenex Expression Technology based production strain and process for the production of bulk recombinant protective antigen (rPA) from anthrax.

4 Aug 2010

Akorn second-quarter consolidated revenue increases 24% to $20.2 million

Akorn, Inc., a niche generic pharmaceutical company, today reported financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2010.

4 Aug 2010

Caliper Life Sciences second-quarter GAAP revenue decreases 10% to $29.0 million

Caliper Life Sciences, Inc., today reported results for its second quarter ended June 30, 2010. Second quarter GAAP revenue decreased 10% to $29.0 million from $32.1 million in the same period in 2009 as a result of divestitures in 2010 and 2009. Revenue from on-going business increased 4% on a reported basis and 6% on an organic basis (which assumes constant currency).

3 Aug 2010

Vical second-quarter revenues decrease to $2.1 million

Vical Incorporated today reported financial results for the three months and six months ended June 30, 2010. Revenues decreased to $2.1 million for the second quarter of 2010 from $4.0 million for the second quarter of 2009, primarily as a result of a $1.5 million milestone payment in 2009 from Merck & Co., Inc., based on Merck's ongoing Phase 1 clinical-stage development of an investigational cancer vaccine.

3 Aug 2010

NWBT reports long-term follow-up data from DCVax-Brain immune therapy clinical trials for GBM

Northwest Biotherapeutics, Inc. today announced further positive long-term follow-up data from its prior Phase I and Phase I/II clinical trials, in which patients with newly diagnosed Glioblastoma multiforme ("GBM"), the most rapid and lethal type of brain cancer, were treated with NWBT's DCVax®-Brain personalized immune therapy.

3 Aug 2010