Virology News and Research

Latest Virology News and Research

Speed and efficiency of response to outbreaks are key to tackling epidemics

In an age where the next pandemic could leap continents in the hours it takes for an international flight to take off and land, University of Utah Professor Paul Hu fears the death toll may depend on how fast and efficiently world health officials can respond to an outbreak.

20 Jul 2011

Janssen presents EDURANT 96-week Phase 3 trial data at International AIDS Society Conference

Janssen Therapeutics, Division of Janssen Products, LP, presented today 96-week findings from two pivotal Phase 3 clinical trials, known as ECHO and THRIVE, comparing the efficacy, safety and virology profile of its non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor EDURANT tablets versus efavirenz (EFV) in antiretroviral treatment-naive, HIV-1-infected adults.

20 Jul 2011

DNA vaccine developer Coridon in U.S. collaboration

DNA vaccine development company Coridon Pty Ltd. today announced that it has entered into a research collaboration agreement with The Ohio State University to progress its Epstein Barr Virus (EBV) project.

19 Jul 2011

Johnson & Johnson second quarter sales increase 8.3% to $16.6 billion

Johnson & Johnson today announced sales of $16.6 billion for the second quarter of 2011, an increase of 8.3% as compared to the second quarter of 2010.

19 Jul 2011

UNC receives $3M federal grant for AIDS research

Scientists at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill schools of medicine and pharmacy have been awarded a $3 million federal grant to develop and test a new generation of treatments aimed at preventing sexual transmission of HIV to uninfected individuals.

19 Jul 2011

DNDi's new drug development programme for children with HIV/AIDS

Today at the 6th International AIDS Society (IAS) Conference on HIV Pathogenesis, Treatment and Prevention, the Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi) announced the launch of a new drug development programme to address critical unmet treatment needs of children with HIV/AIDS.

19 Jul 2011

HIV vaccine discovery requires 'open mind'

In response to Washington Post columnist Michael Gerson's July 5 piece in which he highlighted several scientific "breakthroughs" in the search for an AIDS vaccine, Robert Gallo, director of the Institute of Human Virology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, writes in a Post letter to the editor, "Although Mr. Gerson correctly noted that these discoveries are unrelated, he misperceived their relative significance."

19 Jul 2011

Roche signs agreement to acquire mtm laboratories

Ventana Medical Systems, Inc., a member of the Roche Group, announced today that Roche has signed an agreement under which it will acquire 100 percent of mtm laboratories AG (mtm), a privately-held company based in Heidelberg, Germany.

From Roche Sequencing and Life Science 19 Jul 2011

Novel approach for preventing HIV infection

Scientists at Osel Inc. and the National Cancer Institute (NCI) have developed a new way to prevent HIV infection by genetically enhancing the ability of naturally occurring vaginal bacteria to block viral transmission.

19 Jul 2011

U.S. FDA approves 2011-2012 influenza vaccine formulation

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced today that it has approved the influenza vaccine formulation for the 2011-2012 vaccine that will be used by the six manufacturers licensed to produce and distribute influenza vaccine for the United States.

19 Jul 2011

Emory-led consortium receives NIH grant to develop effective HIV/AIDS vaccine

A consortium of leading vaccine researchers at Emory University and partner institutions has received a National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant aimed at developing an effective HIV/AIDS vaccine.

19 Jul 2011

Scientists define structure of astrovirus that causes juvenile diarrhea

Rice University scientists have defined the structure -- down to the atomic level -- of a virus that causes juvenile diarrhea. The research may help direct efforts to develop medications that block the virus before it becomes infectious.

19 Jul 2011

Flu vaccine for 2011-12 season approved and ready

According to an announcement from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Monday, it has approved the new flu vaccine for the season beginning this year. Each year the FDA works with other federal agencies and global health experts to design a vaccine to protect against the three viral strains most likely to cause the flu.

19 Jul 2011

Peak of Australian flu season is imminent so take the necessary precautions now: Experts

The Influenza Specialist Group (ISG) is today warning that high rates of influenza outbreaks have been confirmed in QLD, SA and NSW, but there is still time for most Australians, especially those in at-risk groups, to protect themselves and those around them.

18 Jul 2011

Measles epidemic grips Kenya and Ethiopia

The UNICEF announced Friday that children in Kenya and Ethiopia are at risk of a measles epidemic. Ethiopia has had more than 17,584 cases of measles in 2011, with 114 deaths. The WHO urges measles vaccination of young children to combat the situation.

18 Jul 2011

Rome Statement for an HIV Cure calls for accelerated research

Members of the Advisory Board for a Global Scientific Strategy "Towards an HIV Cure" today launched the Rome Statement for an HIV Cure calling for an acceleration of HIV cure research. The announcement was made at the 6th IAS Conference on HIV Pathogenesis, Treatment and Prevention (IAS 2011) currently being held in Rome

18 Jul 2011

Disrupting protein components kills mosquitoes

Mosquitoes die soon after a blood meal if certain protein components are experimentally disrupted, a team of biochemists at the University of Arizona has discovered.

18 Jul 2011

Viral toxin causes release of serotonin leading to vomiting

It is well known that viruses like rotavirus and norovirus are behind the majority of stomach infections. But it was unclear how vomiting developed, and the treatments available were oral fluid replacement and intravenous drips to prevent dehydration of the body.

18 Jul 2011

SEEK HIV-v vaccine demonstrates 90% reduction in HIV viral load

SEEK, a privately owned biopharmaceutical company specializing in immunology, announces today that it has completed a Phase Ib/II clinical trial of its HIV-v vaccine which demonstrates a one log (approx 90 percent) difference in viral count in HIV-infected people compared with the placebo group, after just a single vaccine injection.

18 Jul 2011

Experimental online tool launched to guide HIV treatment decisions without the need for resistance testing

A new free online service with the potential to help HIV treatment in countries with limited healthcare resources was launched today. The system accurately predicts how patients will respond to different combinations of drugs without the need for expensive tests to read the viral genetic code. Data presented today at the 6th IAS Conference on HIV Pathogenesis, Treatment and Prevention (IAS 2011) demonstrated the accuracy of the system for patients in Romania and South Africa whose treatment was failing (abstract MOPE146).

18 Jul 2011