Virus News and Research

Latest Virus News and Research

SIMPONI injection improves inflammation, structural damage in RA patients

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) analyses from two Phase 3 clinical trials showed that once every four week subcutaneous injections of SIMPONI (golimumab) 50 mg plus methotrexate resulted in statistically significant improvements in markers of inflammation and structural damage in patients with active rheumatoid arthritis (RA) compared with placebo plus methotrexate.

9 Nov 2010

Anti-TNF therapy increases risk of varicella zoster virus infections

Anti tumor necrosis factor therapy increases the risk of developing varicella zoster virus infections, including shingles and chicken pox, according to research presented this week at the American College of Rheumatology Annual Scientific Meeting in Atlanta.

9 Nov 2010

Research reveals EBV virus infected cell manipulates cancer-producing cells

A new discovery by UNC scientists describes how cells infected by the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) produce small vesicles or sacs called exosomes, changing their cellular "cargo" of proteins and RNA. This altered exosome enters cells and can change the growth of recipient cells from benign to cancer-producing.

9 Nov 2010

Calypte receives $244,479 tax credit under QTDP program

Calypte Biomedical Corporation, the developer, manufacturer and marketer of the Aware HIV-1/2 OMT (oral fluid) HIV test, announced today that it has been awarded a tax credit of $244,479 under U.S. Government's Qualifying Therapeutic Discovery Project (QTDP) program.

8 Nov 2010

NUVO announces positive results from WF10 Phase 2 clinical trial for severe allergic rhinitis

Nuvo Research Inc. a specialty pharmaceutical company focused on the research and development of drug products that are delivered into and through the skin using its topical and transdermal drug delivery technologies and on the development of its immune modulating drug candidate WF10, today announced that its European Phase 2 clinical trial evaluating WF10 as a treatment for severe allergic rhinitis met its primary endpoint.

8 Nov 2010

Progenics third quarter net loss increases to $17.1 million

Progenics Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced its results of operations for the third quarter and nine months ended September 30, 2010.

8 Nov 2010

Officials discuss HIV/AIDS in Caribbean during PANCAP meeting

"Despite the gains associated with antiretroviral treatments (ART) over the last decade, HIV/AIDS remains the leading cause of death among young and middle-aged adults in the Caribbean, warns a new U.N. report" that was released during the 10th Annual General Meeting of the Pan Caribbean Partnership Against HIV and AIDS (PANCAP) that concluded on Tuesday, Inter Press Service reports (Richards, 11/3).

8 Nov 2010

Scientists identify genes that enable some immune systems to halt HIV; finding could spur drug, vaccine development

Tiny variants in a protein that alerts the body to infection could explain how one in 300 HIV-infected people are able to resist the onset of AIDS for years without needing any treatment, researchers said Thursday in a study published online in the journal Science, Agence France-Presse reports

8 Nov 2010

GeoVax receives $244,500 grant under QTDP program for HIV/AIDS vaccine development

GeoVax Labs, Inc., an Atlanta-based, biopharmaceutical firm dedicated to developing vaccines that prevent and fight Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infections, today announced that it has been awarded a grant of $244,500 related to its HIV/AIDS vaccine development activities under the Qualifying Therapeutic Discovery Project program.

8 Nov 2010

Inviragen to present data on CHIKV vaccine at ASTMH meeting

Inviragen, a biotechnology company developing vaccines to protect against infectious diseases worldwide, together with investigators at the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) and the Division of Vector Borne Diseases (DVBD) of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, will make an oral presentation today at the annual American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (ASTMH) meeting on preclinical results of the Company's experimental chikungunya virus (CHIKV) vaccine.

8 Nov 2010

ACTEMRA reduces signs, symptoms in patients with rheumatoid arthritis

Genentech, Inc., a member of the Roche Group today announced updated data from a Phase III study (ROSE) that showed rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients receiving ACTEMRA (tocilizumab) experienced a rapid, measured response as early as one week after beginning ACTEMRA, and improvement in disease activity within four weeks.

8 Nov 2010

Researchers take first step towards understanding of rare skin cancer

Leeds-based scientists, funded by Yorkshire Cancer Research headquartered in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, plan to introduce the genetic material of a virus into normal human skin cells to produce skin cells that have features of Merkel Cell Carcinoma cancers.

8 Nov 2010

Skin to blood transformation in the lab

In a new study scientists have successfully transformed human skin cells into blood without first being sent through a primordial, stem-cell-like state. The findings were published online in the journal Nature. Earlier work has shown that fibroblast cells from mouse skin, treated with the right cocktail of chemicals, can be transformed into neurons and heart muscle. This is a first with human cells.

7 Nov 2010

AiCuris to present data on AIC316 anti-HSV drug at Antivirals Congress

AiCuris announced today the presentation of preclinical and Phase 1 data on AIC316 at the Antivirals Congress in Amsterdam, Netherlands, from 7th – 9th of November 2010. AIC316 is a novel anti-HSV drug currently in clinical phase 2 testing.

7 Nov 2010

Antigenics awarded $424,720 grant under QTDP program

Antigenics Inc. today announced that it has been awarded $424,720 in grants under the IRS' Qualifying Therapeutic Discovery Project (QTDP) program. The grants were awarded in recognition of our two qualifying programs: AG-707, a phase 1 therapeutic vaccine for the treatment of genital herpes and QS-21 Stimulon® adjuvant.

4 Nov 2010

World's most clinically advanced dengue vaccine candidate enters first phase 3 clinical study

Sanofi Pasteur, the vaccines division of sanofi-aventis Group (EURONEXT: SAN and NYSE: SNY), announced today that its dengue vaccine is in final stage of clinical development. Sanofi Pasteur's dengue vaccine, the world's most clinically advanced dengue vaccine candidate, entered its first phase 3 clinical study in Australia.

4 Nov 2010

Modified sugar compound protects against world's deadliest viruses

When a team of European researchers sought to discover how a class of antiviral drugs worked, they looked in an unlikely place: the sugar dish. A new research report appearing in the Journal of Leukocyte Biology suggests that a purified and modified form of a simple sugar chain may stop fast-acting and deadly viruses, such as Ebola, Lassa, or Marburg viruses, in their tracks.

4 Nov 2010

BioCurex files patent for synthetic peptide in RECAF test

BioCurex, Inc. today announced that it has filed a new patent within the Patent Cooperation Treaty, which presently includes 142 countries.

4 Nov 2010

Regulus receives $488,989 grant under QTDP program

Regulus Therapeutics Inc. announced today that it has been awarded two grants totaling $488,989 under the Federal government's Qualifying Therapeutic Discovery Project Program.

4 Nov 2010

Idaho seeks FDA marketing clearance for FilmArray Respiratory Panel

Idaho Technology, Inc. (ITI) announced today that it has filed a submission with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for 510(k) clearance to market its FilmArray Respiratory Panel (RP) as an in vitro diagnostic product for patients with symptoms of upper respiratory tract infection.

4 Nov 2010