Virology News and Research

Latest Virology News and Research

Haiti's cholera outbreak has plateaued, death rate remains high in rural regions, U.N. says

The U.N. on Friday said Haiti's cholera outbreak appears to be waning overall, but high death rates from the virus in rural regions of the country remain a concern, the Associated Press reports. According to figures released by the Haitian government, 231,070 cholera cases and 4,549 deaths from the disease have been reported since the outbreak first emerged in October.

23 Feb 2011

New nanoparticle can help develop vaccines against HIV, malaria

MIT engineers have designed a new type of nanoparticle that could safely and effectively deliver vaccines for diseases such as HIV and malaria.

23 Feb 2011

Cancer-causing retrovirus prolongs survival of host cells

A cancer-causing retrovirus exploits key proteins in its host cells to extend the life of those cells, thereby prolonging its own survival and ability to spread, according to a new study by researchers at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center - Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute (OSUCCC - James) and Ohio State's College of Veterinary Medicine.

23 Feb 2011

Murray valley encephalitis surfaces after 37 years

A fatal and severe form of mosquito borne viral brain infection has been detected in the Riverina Murray region of New South Wales. Murray Valley encephalitis has affected sentinel chicken flocks in the northern Victorian towns of Mildura, Robinvale, Kerang and Barmah as well in the New South Wales town of Tooleybuc, near Swan Hill. The virus has not been diagnosed in a Victorian for 37 years said Victoria’s Chief Health Officer Dr John Carnie. He said although the virus had not been detected in a human, Victorians living along the Murray River should avoid being bitten by mosquitoes.

22 Feb 2011

Henry Schein fourth quarter net sales increase 15.1% to $7.5 billion

Henry Schein, Inc., the largest provider of healthcare products and services to office-based practitioners, today reported record financial results for the quarter ended December 25, 2010.

22 Feb 2011

Vical extends relationship with U.S. NMRC for emerging disease vaccine platform

Vical Incorporated announced today that the company has extended its relationship with the U.S. Naval Medical Research Center to develop its platform technology for the rapid development and production of vaccines against emerging infectious diseases.

22 Feb 2011

FDA approves OraSure's rapid antibody test to detect HCV

OraSure Technologies, Inc. announced today that its OraQuick HCV Rapid Antibody Test has now been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for use in detecting HCV antibodies with a fingerstick whole blood sample.

22 Feb 2011

Positive results from TMC435 phase 2b PILLAR study in treatment-naive patients with HCV

Medivir AB, the emerging research-based specialty pharmaceutical company focused on infectious diseases, announces today further positive results from the phase 2b PILLAR study of TMC435 in treatment-naive patients with hepatitis C virus genotype-1.

22 Feb 2011

New research: Reovirus infected melanoma cells secrete proteins that can kill cancer

Reoviruses are successfully being used in clinical trials to treat patients with cancer. Not only does the virus cause cancer cells to die, it also forces them to release pro-inflammatory chemokines and cytokines, which in turn causes the patient's immune system to attack the disease.

21 Feb 2011

Former President Carter highlights gains in reducing spread of Guinea worm disease

"The global cases of Guinea worm disease have plunged to another new all-time low, former President Jimmy Carter said Thursday, bringing health workers closer to their goal of eradicating the disease," the Canadian Press reports.

19 Feb 2011

Nasal spray vs. injection -- what would you prefer?

Adelaide researchers have taken a step closer to the development of a universal flu vaccine, with results of a recent study showing that a vaccine delivered by a simple nasal spray could provide protection against influenza.

19 Feb 2011

New, simple device to detect lung pathogens causing pneumonia

Researchers from the Georgia Institute of Technology have created a new sampling device that could prevent thousands of people worldwide from dying of pneumonia each year.

19 Feb 2011

Novavax announces final safety, immunogenicity results from H1N1 VLP vaccine at WHO meeting

Novavax, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, today presented the final safety and immunogenicity results from its 2009 H1N1 virus-like particle pandemic influenza vaccine clinical trial in Mexico at the invitation-only 7th World Health Organization Meeting on Evaluation of Pandemic Influenza Vaccines in Clinical Trials.

19 Feb 2011

U.S. scientists assess progress of dengue vaccine at 3-day summit in Puerto Rico

During a meeting in Puerto Rico on Thursday to discuss recent progress towards fighting dengue, researchers voiced optimism over advances in the development of vaccines to prevent the spread of the virus, "which kills 25,000 people every year," Agence France-Presse reports. The three-day summit was hosted by the NIH, CDC and PAHO, according to the news service.

19 Feb 2011

Merck Canada announces $6.8 million investment in AmorChem for biopharmaceutical research

Merck Canada announced today a $6.8 million investment in AmorChem, a Quebec life sciences venture capital fund. This is the latest investment made by Merck following a commitment made in 2010 to invest an incremental $100 million over five years in biopharmaceutical research and development in Quebec.

19 Feb 2011

Tibotec begins enrollment in TMC435 phase 3 trial for treatment of HCV

Medivir AB, the emerging research-based specialty pharmaceutical company focused on infectious diseases, notes that its development partner, Tibotec Pharmaceuticals, announced today that the global phase 3 studies with TMC435 in treatment-naive patients and patients who have relapsed after prior SOC treatment have started.

18 Feb 2011

U.N.-backed meeting in Bangkok will examine how legal barriers in Asia hamper fight against HIV/AIDS

"Legal barriers are obstructing the fight against HIV/AIDS in the Asia, where 19 nations outlaw same-sex relations and 29 countries criminalize prostitution, United Nations experts said Wednesday," on the eve of the Global Commission of HIV and the Law meeting in Bangkok, Deutsche Presse-Agentur/M&C reports.

18 Feb 2011

Conatus commences multi-center CTS-1027 Phase 2b trial for HCV treatment

Conatus Pharmaceuticals Inc. announced today the treatment of the first patient in a multi-center Phase 2b clinical trial evaluating CTS-1027 in combination with Peginterferon Alfa-2a and ribavirin in a treatment experienced, hepatitis C null responder patient population. Safety, tolerability, and antiviral activity of the triple combination will be assessed after up to 48 weeks of therapy.

18 Feb 2011

Experts say signs and treatment of bacterial infection often misunderstood

According to the Canadian Foundation for Infectious Diseases, antibiotics are the second most frequently prescribed class of drugs - second only to pain relievers. Yet most people don't know the difference between a true bacterial infection, like chronic bronchitis that can be treated with antibiotics — and viruses like the common cold, which cannot.

17 Feb 2011

New fully human monoclonal antibodies to battle Chikungunya

The Singapore Immunology Network (SIgN), an institute of the Agency of Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), and VIVALIS, a French biopharmaceutical company, announced today the discovery of two new fully human monoclonal antibodies which could battle Chikungunya, a disease that currently has no available vaccine or specific treatment.

16 Feb 2011

Virology News and Research

Latest Virology News and Research

Haiti's cholera outbreak has plateaued, death rate remains high in rural regions, U.N. says

New nanoparticle can help develop vaccines against HIV, malaria

Cancer-causing retrovirus prolongs survival of host cells

Murray valley encephalitis surfaces after 37 years

Henry Schein fourth quarter net sales increase 15.1% to $7.5 billion

Vical extends relationship with U.S. NMRC for emerging disease vaccine platform

FDA approves OraSure's rapid antibody test to detect HCV

Positive results from TMC435 phase 2b PILLAR study in treatment-naive patients with HCV

New research: Reovirus infected melanoma cells secrete proteins that can kill cancer

Former President Carter highlights gains in reducing spread of Guinea worm disease

Nasal spray vs. injection -- what would you prefer?

New, simple device to detect lung pathogens causing pneumonia

Novavax announces final safety, immunogenicity results from H1N1 VLP vaccine at WHO meeting

U.S. scientists assess progress of dengue vaccine at 3-day summit in Puerto Rico

Merck Canada announces $6.8 million investment in AmorChem for biopharmaceutical research

Tibotec begins enrollment in TMC435 phase 3 trial for treatment of HCV

U.N.-backed meeting in Bangkok will examine how legal barriers in Asia hamper fight against HIV/AIDS

Conatus commences multi-center CTS-1027 Phase 2b trial for HCV treatment

Experts say signs and treatment of bacterial infection often misunderstood

New fully human monoclonal antibodies to battle Chikungunya

Microplate-based assays in virology research eBook eBook

Redefining control and consistency in anaerobic microbiome workflows

AI in Healthcare: How generative tools are transforming clinical practice

The future of automation: Machine learning–driven hepatocyte and organoid counting