Virology News and Research

Latest Virology News and Research

Gene therapy holds promise in treating cancer, cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases

EUREKA project E! 3371 Gene Transfer Agents has made great advances in the development of novel non-viral carriers able to introduce genetic material into the target cells.

25 Jun 2010

Zetiq completes clinical trial of CellDetect technology for early identification of cervical cancer

Zetiq Technologies Ltd., a subsidiary of Bio-Light Ltd., reports the successful completion of another clinical trial to validate the effectiveness of the company's technology for early identification and diagnosis of cervical cancer, in conventional cytological smears.

24 Jun 2010

ABL to host CRP-Santé COMET subtyping tool within TherapyEdge servers

The licensing and distribution agreement allows ABL to directly host COMET (COntext-based Modeling for Expeditious Typing) subtyping tool developed at CRP-Santé within the TherapyEdge servers; it will mainly interact with the ViroScore Suite system to characterize HIV-1 virus subtypes.

24 Jun 2010

Telefonica Mexico, Myriad Group nominated for 'Service: Social Use' at 2010 Global Messaging Awards

Telefonica Mexico and Myriad Group AG, in partnership with the Mexican Federal Ministry of Health and researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health, today announced that their combined effort in conducting a H1N1 flu survey via mobile phones was named a finalist for 'Messaging Application or Service: Social Use' at the 2010 Global Messaging Awards.

24 Jun 2010

Understanding HIV viral protein structure could lead to new molecular medicines: Study

The UK's National Physical Laboratory is involved in a collaborative project that is helping to further the understanding of HIV viral protein structure which could lead to new molecular medicines.

23 Jun 2010

AIDS specialist leaves Calif. practice, citing rising costs

A long-time San Francisco AIDS specialist is closing his clinic and moving to Manhattan because of frustration with the insurance industry and the rising cost of practicing medicine, the San Francisco Chronicle reports. "The bottom line is, you cannot make a living practicing medicine unless you work at least 50 to 60 hours a week," said Dr. Marcus Conant, one of the first AIDS doctors in the area. "I'm not the only doctor who's getting to the point where it's not worth it."

23 Jun 2010

Neurologix announces positive results from Phase 2 trial of NLX-P101 for advanced PD

Neurologix, Inc., today announced positive results in a Phase 2 trial of its investigational gene therapy for advanced Parkinson's disease, NLX-P101. Study participants who received NLX-P101 experienced statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvements in off-medication motor scores compared to control subjects who received sham surgery.

22 Jun 2010

SynCon DNA vaccine shows advantages in magnitude and breadth of immune responses in non-human primates

Inovio Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a leader in the development of therapeutic and preventive vaccines against cancers and infectious diseases, announced today that the peer-reviewed journal Molecular Therapy has published a paper entitled "Comparative Analysis of Immune Responses Induced by Vaccination With SIV Antigens by Recombinant Ad5 Vector or Plasmid DNA in Rhesus Macaques." The paper, co-authored by researchers from Merck, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, and Inovio Pharmaceuticals, notes that significant advances in the design, formulation, and delivery of DNA plasmid-based vaccines have dramatically increased their ability to induce antigen-specific immune responses.

22 Jun 2010

BD, PEPFAR commence multi-year initiative to improve blood collection practices in African clinics, hospitals

BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company), a leading global medical technology company, and the U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) today set in motion a joint, multi-year initiative to improve blood collection practices in African clinics and hospitals.

From BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company) 22 Jun 2010

Health leaders formally launch new strategy for polio eradication

Health leaders from around the world gathered on Friday to formally launch a new strategy for eradicating polio, Newsweek's "The Human Condition" blog reports in a post examining the challenges and successes health advocates face in attempting to wipe the virus out completely (Carmichael, 6/18).

22 Jun 2010

FDA approves ARCHITECT HIV Ag/Ab Combo assay to aid in diagnosis of HIV-1/HIV-2 infection

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved the first assay to detect both antigen and antibodies to Human Immunodeficiency Virus. This assay is approved for use as an aid in the diagnosis of HIV-1/HIV-2 infection in adults including pregnant women. It is also the first assay for use as an aid in the diagnosis of HIV-1/HIV-2 infection in children as young as two years old.

22 Jun 2010

FDA approves Abbott's ARCHITECT HIV Ag/Ab Combo assay

Every nine and a half minutes, someone in the United States is infected with HIV, and one out of every five of these individuals doesn't know it. To help stem the spread of this disease, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today approved an innovative new diagnostic tool, which will allow patients to be diagnosed earlier than ever before.

21 Jun 2010

NanoViricides' anti-Dengue drug candidates demonstrate potential against severe virus infection

NanoViricides, Inc. reports that its anti-Dengue drug candidates demonstrated significant protection in the initial animal survival studies of Dengue virus infection. The studies were performed in the laboratory of Dr. Eva Harris, Professor of Infectious Diseases at the University of California, Berkeley.

21 Jun 2010

CFIDS Association applauds AABB for responding to questions about safety of general blood supply

The CFIDS Association of America commends the AABB (formerly the American Association of Blood Banking) for its actions to protect the safety of the nation's blood supply by recommending that blood collectors actively discourage potential donors who have been diagnosed by a physician with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS, also known as chronic fatigue and immune dysfunction syndrome, or CFIDS) from donating blood through the use of donor information materials made available at the donation site.

19 Jun 2010

Oncolytics Biotech issued patent that covers methods for treating cell proliferative disorders

Oncolytics Biotech Inc. today announced that it has been granted its 35th U.S. Patent, # 7,731,951 entitled "Viruses for the Treatment of Cellular Proliferative Disorders." The patent claims cover methods for treating cell proliferative disorders by administering modified vaccinia virus to proliferating cells having an activated Ras-pathway.

19 Jun 2010

Preclinical study shows treatment with DAS181 inhibits infection with multiple HPIV strains

NexBio, Inc. announced today the publication of a "Major Article" in the Journal of Infectious Diseases of a preclinical study showing that treatment with DAS181 (Fludase) inhibits infection with multiple human parainfluenza virus strains. DAS181 is a broad spectrum host-targeted investigational drug candidate for treatment and prevention of Influenza-Like Illness.

19 Jun 2010

Children's Hospital Boston receives $2.4M Gates Foundation grant to develop novel neonatal vaccines

Children's Hospital Boston announced today that it has received a $2.4 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The grant will support the development of novel vaccines for newborns – research that is spearheaded by Ofer Levy, MD, Ph.D., a principal investigator in the Division of Infectious Diseases at Children's.

18 Jun 2010

90% of HCV patients to be treated with triple therapy regimens, finds Decision Resources

Decision Resources, one of the world's leading research and advisory firms for pharmaceutical and healthcare issues, finds that, based on clinical profiles provided to them, surveyed clinicians estimate that one year after the launch of Vertex Pharmaceuticals/Johnson & Johnson/Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma's telaprevir and Merck's boceprevir, at least 90 percent of hepatitis C virus patients will be treated with triple therapy regimens.

18 Jun 2010

New multimillion dollar BSL-3 laboratory complex at Nigerian National TB and Leprosy Training Center

This week, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Director, Dr. Tom Frieden, visited the Nigerian National TB and Leprosy Training Center (NTBLTC) to tour a multimillion dollar laboratory complex established by the Institute of Human Virology (IHV) of the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore, Maryland, and the Institute of Human Virology-Nigeria. This U.S.-Nigeria partnership was established in 2004 through funding from the CDC and the President's Emergency Plan For AIDS Relief (PEPFAR).

18 Jun 2010

Mount Sinai School of Medicine, Alnylam collaborate to develop microRNA-based attenuated influenza viruses

Mount Sinai School of Medicine has completed an exclusive option agreement with Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc. a leading RNAi therapeutics company, for intellectual property related to RNAi applications in vaccine development. These new applications of RNAi technology define opportunities for the advancement of novel vaccines in infectious disease.

18 Jun 2010

Virology News and Research

Latest Virology News and Research

Gene therapy holds promise in treating cancer, cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases

Zetiq completes clinical trial of CellDetect technology for early identification of cervical cancer

ABL to host CRP-Santé COMET subtyping tool within TherapyEdge servers

Telefonica Mexico, Myriad Group nominated for 'Service: Social Use' at 2010 Global Messaging Awards

Understanding HIV viral protein structure could lead to new molecular medicines: Study

AIDS specialist leaves Calif. practice, citing rising costs

Neurologix announces positive results from Phase 2 trial of NLX-P101 for advanced PD

SynCon DNA vaccine shows advantages in magnitude and breadth of immune responses in non-human primates

BD, PEPFAR commence multi-year initiative to improve blood collection practices in African clinics, hospitals

Health leaders formally launch new strategy for polio eradication

FDA approves ARCHITECT HIV Ag/Ab Combo assay to aid in diagnosis of HIV-1/HIV-2 infection

FDA approves Abbott's ARCHITECT HIV Ag/Ab Combo assay

NanoViricides' anti-Dengue drug candidates demonstrate potential against severe virus infection

CFIDS Association applauds AABB for responding to questions about safety of general blood supply

Oncolytics Biotech issued patent that covers methods for treating cell proliferative disorders

Preclinical study shows treatment with DAS181 inhibits infection with multiple HPIV strains

Children's Hospital Boston receives $2.4M Gates Foundation grant to develop novel neonatal vaccines

90% of HCV patients to be treated with triple therapy regimens, finds Decision Resources

New multimillion dollar BSL-3 laboratory complex at Nigerian National TB and Leprosy Training Center

Mount Sinai School of Medicine, Alnylam collaborate to develop microRNA-based attenuated influenza viruses

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