Virus News and Research

Latest Virus News and Research

New York Times examines how developments in India, Nigeria could aid global polio eradication campaign

"A decade after the world's original deadline for eradicating polio, the most tenacious bastions of the crippling virus - Nigeria and India - have recently shown remarkable progress in halting its spread, giving even some of the antipolio campaign's severest doubters hope that it may yet largely achieve its goal,"

15 Apr 2010

WHO official says agency struggled to find 'right tempo' for release of H1N1 information

The rapid spread of information via the Internet "had a disruptive impact on the handling of the flu pandemic by fanning speculation and rumours," WHO officials said Tuesday on day two of a three-day meeting of external experts tasked with evaluating the WHO's handling of H1N1 (swine flu), Agence France-Presse reports.

15 Apr 2010

Mylan announces quarterly dividend to preferred stock holders

Mylan Inc. today announced that in accordance with its 2.139 million preferred stock issuance, the company has declared its quarterly dividend of $16.25 per share (based on the annual dividend rate of 6.5% and a liquidation preference of $1,000.00 per share) payable on May 17, 2010, to holders of preferred stock of record as of May 1, 2010.

15 Apr 2010

Interim results from Pharmasset's phase 2a combination study of PSI-7977 with Pegasys and Copegus for HCV

Pharmasset, Inc. announced today interim efficacy and safety results from its ongoing 28-day phase 2a study with PSI-7977 dosed once daily in combination with Pegasys® (peginterferon alfa 2a) and Copegus® (ribavirin) in patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype 1 who have not been treated previously.

15 Apr 2010

Opinions: Health and living conditions; H1N1, one year later; global water shortages

Former U.S. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) and Habitat for Humanity CEO Jonathan Reckford write in an Atlanta Journal-Constitution opinion piece about the need to "address the constant crisis families face daily in deplorable living conditions."

15 Apr 2010

Interim data from phase IIa clinical trial of IDX184 in HCV-infected patients

Idenix Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company engaged in the discovery and development of drugs for the treatment of human viral diseases, today announced interim data from a 14-day, phase IIa clinical trial evaluating IDX184, a novel liver-targeted nucleotide prodrug of 2'-methyl guanosine monophosphate, in HCV-infected patients.

15 Apr 2010

NIH awards Corgenix Medical $600,000 grant to develop diagnostic tests for Ebola and Marburg virus

Corgenix Medical Corporation, a worldwide developer and marketer of diagnostic test kits, including innovative products for emerging pathogens and lethal viruses, today announced a major extension of the collaborative effort to combat important viral diseases.

15 Apr 2010

WHO discusses shortcomings of its H1N1 response

Keiji Fukuda, the WHO's top influenza expert, on Monday said the organization did not effectively communicate the uncertainties of the H1N1 (swine flu) virus, which led to confusion worldwide, Reuters reports.

15 Apr 2010

Swine flu shots important before peak season, say experts

According to reports only 13% of the adult population in Singapore has a natural immunity to H1N1 influenza or influenza A. Communicable Disease Centre (CDC) clinical director Leo Yee Sin led this research and emphasized on the importance of vaccinations with the new three in one vaccines in case of a return of the disease.

15 Apr 2010

Florida to enact health care legislation to improve access to ARV therapy

Florida is poised to enact health care legislation that would add clarity to existing state statutes by requiring that all state-regulated health plans include lifesaving antiretroviral (ARV) HIV/AIDS drugs on their drug formularies or preferred drug lists.

15 Apr 2010

The EMBO Meeting 2010: Over 120 researchers to present

More than 120 leading researchers from across the molecular life sciences will speak at The EMBO Meeting 2010 - the second annual life sciences conference to be organized by the European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO) and held in Barcelona from 4 - 7 September 2010.

13 Apr 2010

New Supramap web-based application to track and stop disease outbreaks

Pathogens can now be easily tracked in time and space as they evolve, an advance that could revolutionize both public health and inform national security in the fight against infectious diseases. Developed by researchers that include scientists at the American Museum of Natural History, Supramap is a new, powerful, web-based application that maps genetic mutations like those among the different strains of avian influenza onto the globe.

13 Apr 2010

Cancer drug, antiviral agent can eradicate active virus infection and tumor: UNC School of Medicine

Important advances in the fight against cancer have come as researchers proved that viruses and cancers interact in ways that were previously unknown to scientists.

13 Apr 2010

Drug boosting production of immune system protein worsens TB

An experimental drug that boosts production of the immune system protein interferon worsens tuberculosis (TB) in mice, according to scientists from the National Institutes of Health. The drug acts indirectly by drawing certain immune cells, in which Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M.tb) bacteria thrive, to the lungs. The findings may have potential implications for the care of people infected with TB, the authors note. The research is reported in the May 3 issue of Journal of Clinical Investigation, now available online.

13 Apr 2010

MS drug TYSABRI to be highlighted at 62nd AAN Annual Meeting

Biogen Idec and Elan Corporation, plc today announced 15 company-sponsored platform and poster presentations at the American Academy of Neurology's (AAN) 62nd Annual Meeting in Toronto, April 10 - 17, 2010. The AAN Annual Meeting is the world's largest gathering of neurologists.

13 Apr 2010

Javelin Pharmaceuticals intends to terminate Merger Agreement with Myriad Pharmaceuticals

Myriad Pharmaceuticals, Inc today announced that it has received a notice from Javelin Pharmaceuticals, Inc. of its intent to terminate the merger agreement between the two companies.

13 Apr 2010

Common drug used to treat Burkitt lymphoma can activate EBV: Study

Important advances in the fight against cancer have come as researchers proved that viruses and cancers interact in ways that were previously unknown to scientists.

13 Apr 2010

Gilead Sciences doses first patient in Quad Phase III clinical program

Gilead Sciences, Inc. today announced that it has dosed the first patient in the Phase III clinical program evaluating its investigational fixed-dose, single-tablet "Quad" regimen of elvitegravir, cobicistat (formerly GS 9350), emtricitabine and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate.

13 Apr 2010

Clinical and preclinical malaria vaccine data presented at Keystone Symposium

GenVec, Inc. announced that encouraging clinical and preclinical malaria vaccine data were presented at the Keystone Symposium -- Malaria: New Approaches to Understanding Host-Parasite Interactions taking place April 11-16, 2010 in Copper Mountain, Colorado.

12 Apr 2010

Researchers report major step forward in effort to understand and engineer protein structure

Researchers in Singapore are reporting this week that they have gleaned key insights into the architecture of a protein that controls iron levels in almost all organisms. Their study culminated in one of the first successful attempts to take apart a complex biological nanostructure and isolate the rules that govern its natural formation.

12 Apr 2010