Virology News and Research

Latest Virology News and Research

Merck Canada invests in CQDM to support biopharmaceutical research

Merck Canada has renewed its partnership with the Quebec Consortium for Drug Discovery by investing a further $5 million over five years in the organization so it can continue its support of biopharmaceutical research in Quebec.

27 Jan 2011

Caffeine could decrease cost of lentiviral production

Give caffeine to cells engineered to produce viruses used for gene therapy and the cells can generate 3- to 8-times more virus, according to a paper published in Human Gene Therapy, a peer-reviewed journal published by Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.

27 Jan 2011

Lancet series examines health issues facing populations in Southeast Asia

"Southeast Asia's 600 million people are facing a raft of new health challenges as the disaster-prone region undergoes some of the world's fastest social change," according to a series of papers and commentary pieces, published Tuesday in the Lancet, Agence France-Presse reports (O'Brien, 1/25).

27 Jan 2011

Measles warnings for Australia and New Zealand

In a flight from Brisbane that arrived in Auckland two weeks ago, a child was confirmed to have measles and has been taken to hospital. Five other cases of the virus have been confirmed. At present a further 100 cases are being investigated by the Auckland Regional Public Health Service.

26 Jan 2011

Survival following transplant surgery for liver cancer not impacted by HIV-positive status

French researchers determined that infection with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) impaired results of transplant surgery for liver cancer, with more HIV infected patients dropping off the transplantation wait list. The team found that overall survival and recurrence-free survival was not impacted following liver transplantation in patients with controlled HIV disease.

25 Jan 2011

Evaluating patients for genetic variations impacts adherence to antiviral therapy

In two recent studies, researchers have identified two functional variants in the inosine triphosphatase (ITPA) gene that protect patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV) against anemia brought on by antiviral treatment. The ability to identify those patients protected against treatment-induced anemia will ensure completion of antiviral therapy and successful elimination of the virus.

25 Jan 2011

Johnson & Johnson fourth quarter sales decreases 5.5% to $15.6 billion

Johnson & Johnson today announced sales of $15.6 billion for the fourth quarter of 2010, a decrease of 5.5% as compared to the fourth quarter of 2009. Operational sales declined 5.1% and the negative impact of currency was 0.4%. Domestic sales declined 8.1%, while international sales declined 3.1%, reflecting an operational decline of 2.3% and a negative currency impact of 0.8%.

25 Jan 2011

Rotavirus vaccine significantly cuts child hospitalizations, study says

Developing and developed countries that require children to be vaccinated against rotavirus "have significantly reduced the number of children admitted to hospitals with the disease, a report showed on Thursday," Reuters reports (Kelland, 1/20).

24 Jan 2011

Research findings reveal HIV's hiding spot, new way to stop the virus

HIV adapts in a surprising way to survive and thrive in its hiding spot within the human immune system, scientists have learned. While the finding helps explain why HIV remains such a formidable foe after three decades of research - more than 30 million people worldwide are infected with HIV - it also offers scientists a new, unexpected way to try to stop the virus.

24 Jan 2011

Bird flu outbreak in Japan

After six birds were confirmed to have avian flu, the Miyazaki Prefectural Government has begun culling more than 10,000 chickens at a local poultry farm southwest Japan.

23 Jan 2011

AHF proposes funding solutions to current ADAP crisis

In anticipation of an additional round of cuts to the AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP) to be implemented in the next few months, AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) today proposed three possible funding solutions to the current ADAP crisis—which has left more than 5,000 people on waiting lists to receive lifesaving medications and thousands more scheduled to be disenrolled from the program altogether. Currently,

21 Jan 2011

Initiative to eliminate cervical cancer in North Carolina

Patricia Gregory of Cary was only 24 years old when she was diagnosed with cervical cancer. Now a mother of an 11-year-old daughter, she considers herself blessed to have a child, as cervical cancer can make women unable to bear children.

21 Jan 2011

WHO executive board meeting addresses agency's policy on counterfeit, substandard medications

According to the news service, WHO "members … raised strong concerns that a working group they mandated last May to address problems with WHO policy on counterfeit and substandard medicines has yet to be formed - with four months remaining before it must report back to members."

21 Jan 2011

IMDx enters multi-year agreement with Abbott Molecular for m2000 instrument system

IMDx today announced that they have signed a multi-year agreement with Abbott whereby IMDx will design, develop, regulatory clear, and manufacture assays for the Abbott Molecular FDA cleared, m2000 instrument system to be distributed worldwide. Financial terms have not been disclosed.

21 Jan 2011

Scientists find ADAR1 enzyme protect against measles virus

Scientists at The Scripps Research Institute have found that a known enzyme in cells protects against measles virus, likely by altering the virus's genetic material, RNA. Cells lacking the enzyme become highly vulnerable to the virus's destructive effects. The enzyme also protects against several other respiratory viruses, including influenza A.

21 Jan 2011

Routine rotavirus vaccine shows a significant drop in diarrhea cases: Study

A latest study has shown that the rotavirus vaccines have helped drastically reduce hospital visits around the world. Rotavirus can lead to fatal cases of diarrhea in children and causes half a million deaths in kids under five each year around the world. Developing countries are particularly at risk.

20 Jan 2011

Elizabeth Glaser foundation awarded $45M grant to address pediatric HIV/AIDS in Zimbabwe

The Government of Zimbabwe's national program to eliminate pediatric HIV/AIDS has received a significant boost with an award by the London-based Children's Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF) to the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation (EGPAF).

20 Jan 2011

HIV-infected patients three times more likely to suffer strokes

While the overall hospitalization rate for stroke has declined in recent years, the numbers have jumped dramatically for patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), suggesting they may be up to three times more likely to suffer a stroke than people uninfected by the virus that causes AIDS.

20 Jan 2011

BI refuses to offer increased access to AIDS drugs for low-income Americans

AHF issued the following: Despite a growing national AIDS drug crisis, pharmaceutical giant Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, has steadfastly refused to offer increased access to its lifesaving AIDS drugs or to respond in any way to repeated requests by AIDS Healthcare Foundation, the largest global AIDS organization, to do its part in creating a solution.

20 Jan 2011

Koronis' KP-1461 drug causes extra mutations to occur in HIV genome in HIV-infected patients

Recently published Phase 2a clinical trial results show that the frequency of specific, drug-induced mutations in the HIV genome can be significantly increased by administering KP-1461, a drug being developed by Koronis Pharmaceuticals based on its novel Viral Decay Acceleration (VDA) drug mechanism.

20 Jan 2011

Virology News and Research

Latest Virology News and Research

Merck Canada invests in CQDM to support biopharmaceutical research

Caffeine could decrease cost of lentiviral production

Lancet series examines health issues facing populations in Southeast Asia

Measles warnings for Australia and New Zealand

Survival following transplant surgery for liver cancer not impacted by HIV-positive status

Evaluating patients for genetic variations impacts adherence to antiviral therapy

Johnson & Johnson fourth quarter sales decreases 5.5% to $15.6 billion

Rotavirus vaccine significantly cuts child hospitalizations, study says

Research findings reveal HIV's hiding spot, new way to stop the virus

Bird flu outbreak in Japan

AHF proposes funding solutions to current ADAP crisis

Initiative to eliminate cervical cancer in North Carolina

WHO executive board meeting addresses agency's policy on counterfeit, substandard medications

IMDx enters multi-year agreement with Abbott Molecular for m2000 instrument system

Scientists find ADAR1 enzyme protect against measles virus

Routine rotavirus vaccine shows a significant drop in diarrhea cases: Study

Elizabeth Glaser foundation awarded $45M grant to address pediatric HIV/AIDS in Zimbabwe

HIV-infected patients three times more likely to suffer strokes

BI refuses to offer increased access to AIDS drugs for low-income Americans

Koronis' KP-1461 drug causes extra mutations to occur in HIV genome in HIV-infected patients

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