Virology News and Research

Latest Virology News and Research

University of Southampton, Synairgen Research scientists commence Phase II trial of interferon beta for asthma

Scientists from the University of Southampton and Synairgen Research Ltd, a respiratory drug development company spun out from the University, have begun a Phase II study into the effectiveness of the drug interferon beta for asthma patients.

9 Apr 2010

12 infected with Hepatitis C by a doctor at clinic in Victoria

Hepatitis C is a vial infection that is spread much like HIV with shared needles, blood or body fluids. The Victorian Police has been brought in to investigate a cluster of 12 hepatitis C positive cases who attended a late-term abortion clinic in Melbourne.

9 Apr 2010

Phase 1 SAD study of PSI-938 for HCV initiated

Pharmasset, Inc. announced today that dosing has initiated in a phase 1, single ascending dose study in healthy volunteers with PSI-938, a third generation purine nucleotide analog polymerase inhibitor of hepatitis C virus. Pharmasset recently filed an Investigational New Drug Application with the Food and Drug Administration.

8 Apr 2010

Telaprevir-based regimens increase rates of SVR in patients with genotype 1 HCV infection

In a clinical trial known as PROVE 3 published in this week's New England Journal of Medicine, treatment with telaprevir-based regimens significantly increased rates of sustained viral response (SVR) in patients with genotype 1 hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection who did not achieve SVR with at least one prior course of pegylated-interferon and ribavirin therapy.

8 Apr 2010

Smoking may increase risk of MS in people who have established risk factors for MS

A new study shows that smoking may increase the risk of multiple sclerosis in people who also have specific established risk factors for MS. The research is found in the April 7, 2010, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

8 Apr 2010

Secretary of Health announces five health research grants to improve health of Pennsylvanians

Secretary of Health Everette James today announced five health research grants totaling approximately $20 million will be awarded from Pennsylvania's share of the national tobacco settlement for 2009-2010.

8 Apr 2010

Hepatitis C infection increases risk for developing kidney cancer

Physicians at Henry Ford Hospital have found that infection with the hepatitis C virus increases the risk for developing kidney cancer.

8 Apr 2010

StockPreacher.com: GenVec's revenues for 2009 decline by 8%

StockPreacher.com announces an investment report featuring GenVec Inc. The report includes financial, comparative and investment analyses, and industry information you need to know to make an educated investment decision.

7 Apr 2010

Antigens of both influenza B virus strains can improve influenza vaccines

Vaccines likely would work better in protecting children from flu if they included both strains of influenza B instead of just one, Saint Louis University research has found.

7 Apr 2010

Officials of Kylin Therapeutics receive an issued patent from USPTO

Officials of Kylin Therapeutics Inc., a leading RNAi company, announced this week that they received an issued patent from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

7 Apr 2010

Has the NHS procured too many swine flu shots?

Britain’s National Health Service (NHS) has nearly 34 million unused swine flu vaccines at present due to a drop in the number of cases and these vaccinations. A total 44 million shots were procured. 3.8 million of these unused shots will be sent to Africa via the World Health Organization to help them. Of the rest, 10.6m is already with GPs who will be ready to act if more people entitled to the jab come forward. But the remaining 23.6m will be held in reserve.

7 Apr 2010

Does a seasonal flu shot raise the risk of swine flu?

Four new studies by Canadian researchers have come up with the result that the traditional seasonal flu vaccine that has been used for some time now is related to an increased risk of infection with pandemic H1N1 swine flu.

7 Apr 2010

Nationwide Phase III clinical trial of OncoVEX for advanced melanoma

Rush University Medical Center is leading a nationwide Phase III clinical trial to determine whether a promising vaccine for advanced melanoma can effectively treat the deadly skin cancer.

7 Apr 2010

$13,000 per year AIDS drugs Reyataz: AHF calls upon BMS to lower price

AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) is pressing New York-based drug firm Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMS) to lower the price of its key AIDS drug, Reyataz—currently priced at over $13,000 per year—for lifesaving, but financially hard-hit AIDS Drug Assistance Programs (ADAPs) nationwide.

7 Apr 2010

PS-targeting antibodies can block HIV virus from entering into certain blood cells

Peregrine Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced the publication of data showing phosphatidylserine -targeting antibodies can block one of the key ways the AIDS virus gains entry into certain blood cells. The data were generated by scientists at Duke University as part of their ongoing AIDS vaccine research.

6 Apr 2010

Health officials monitor cases of pandemic H1N1 flu in the Southeast

The continued spread of H1N1 influenza virus this spring is cause to pay heed to upper-respiratory maladies such as congestion, runny nose and cough, says David Kimberlin, M.D., a preeminent influenza specialist who co-directs the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases.

6 Apr 2010

Achievements of AFC, Abbott to be highlighted at AFC's 25th Anniversary Gala

Two events occurred in 1985 that proved pivotal in the local and national fight against AIDS: the founding of the AIDS Foundation of Chicago and the development of the first-ever diagnostic test licensed to identify HIV in the blood by Abbott.

6 Apr 2010

Emory University researchers develop experimental clinical test for XMRV

The recently discovered retrovirus, xenotropic murine leukemia virus-related virus (XMRV), has been identified in some prostate cancer patients. In light of conflicting data concerning XMRV, standardized diagnostic testing is important to identify patients in which XMRV is present and to determine whether it plays a role in the incidence of prostate cancer.

6 Apr 2010

Qutenza 8% patch now available for pain associated with PHN: NeurogesX

NeurogesX, Inc. announced today that Qutenza® (capsaicin) 8% patch, the first and only product containing prescription-strength capsaicin, is now available. Clinical studies have shown that a single one-hour Qutenza application can provide three months relief from pain associated with postherpetic neuralgia, the nerve pain that can occur after shingles.

6 Apr 2010

SCYNEXIS' SCY-635 inhibitor abstracts accepted for presentation at EASL Annual Meeting

Drug discovery company, SCYNEXIS, Inc. today announced that multiple abstracts related to the Company's cyclophilin inhibitor, SCY-635, were accepted for presentation at the 45th Annual Meeting of the European Association for the Study of the Liver in Vienna, Austria, April 14-18, 2010.

6 Apr 2010