Virus News and Research

Latest Virus News and Research

Hepatitis C infected donor kidneys thrown away despite urgent need

More than half of donor kidneys in the United State infected with hepatitis C are thrown away, despite the need among hepatitis C patients who may die waiting for an infection-free organ, Johns Hopkins research suggests.

2 Apr 2010

Passengers on Brisbane train may have been exposed to measles

A NSW man who was diagnosed with measles travelled in a train from the Brisbane International Airport to South Brisbane about 8am on Saturday.

2 Apr 2010

Bloomberg examines potential benefits, drawbacks to PrEP

"Gilead Sciences Inc. may learn this year whether its drugs for treating HIV can also stop people from catching the virus in the first place," Bloomberg writes in a piece that examines the potential benefits and drawbacks to using low-doses of HIV/AIDS medications to reduce a person's risk of becoming infected with HIV. According to the news service, the initial results of 10 trials including more than 20,000 people could be available as early as July.

2 Apr 2010

New clues into genomic complexity of Mimivirus

A study published online today in the journal Genome Research offers surprising new clues into the genomic complexity of the giant Mimivirus, the largest known virus in the world. Previous studies have shown that unlike most viruses, the Mimivirus has more genes than many bacteria and performs functions that normally occur only in cellular organisms.

2 Apr 2010

Liver function tests misinterpreted in majority of children's hospitals

New research led by physician-scientists at University of California, San Diego School of Medicine shows that the test most commonly used to screen pediatric patients for chronic liver disease is often incorrectly interpreted in many children's hospitals throughout the United States.

2 Apr 2010

Gene therapy improve survival rates among heart attack patients

Gene therapy could be an effective way to improve survival rates among heart attack patients, new research funded by the British Heart Foundation (BHF) suggests. Academics at the University of Bristol found that boosting levels of a natural growth factor in the heart could help the muscle to recover after a heart attack. The death rate from a heart attack was halved in mice that received the treatment.

1 Apr 2010

VA may expand list of Gulf War illnesses

The Army Times/Veterans Today: "In a boost for veterans of the 1991 Persian Gulf War and those who have served in recent years in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Veterans Affairs Department has proposed changes to its list of illnesses that are presumed connected to service to include nine infectious diseases."

1 Apr 2010

Four studies of bavituximab and PS-targeting antibodies to be presented at AACR 2010

Peregrine Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company developing innovative monoclonal antibodies for the treatment of cancer and viral infections, today announced four studies of bavituximab and its other PS-targeting antibodies have been accepted for presentation at the 101st Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research to be held April 17-21, 2010 in Washington, D.C.

1 Apr 2010

Cell study may yield new treatment strategies for debilitating diseases

A Los Alamos National Laboratory toxicologist and a multidisciplinary team of researchers have documented potential cellular damage from "fullerenes"-soccer-ball-shaped, cage-like molecules composed of 60 carbon atoms. The team also noted that this particular type of damage might hold hope for treatment of Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, or even cancer.

1 Apr 2010

Positive results from Ardea Biosciences' Phase 2b study of RDEA594 for hyperuricemia and gout

Ardea Biosciences, Inc. announced positive, preliminary, top-line results from its Phase 2b monotherapy study of RDEA594, its lead product candidate for the treatment of hyperuricemia and gout. In this 28-day, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, dose-escalation study, 123 gout patients with hyperuricemia (serum urate levels greater than or equal to 8 mg/dL) received 200 mg once-daily (qd) RDEA594, 400 mg qd RDEA594, 600 mg qd RDEA594 or matching placebo.

1 Apr 2010

ViroPharma initiates Phase 2 clinical study to evaluate Cinryze

ViroPharma Incorporated today announced that it has initiated an open-label, single-dose Phase 2 study to evaluate doses of Cinryze™ (C1 esterase inhibitor [human)] for treatment of acute angioedema attacks in children less than 12 years of age with hereditary angioedema.

31 Mar 2010

Japanese Patent Office grants Alnylam Pharmaceuticals' claims in second patent application for Tuschl II

Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a leading RNAi therapeutics company, announced today that the Japanese Patent Office has granted claims in a second patent application (JP Application Number 2006-317758) for the Tuschl II patent series, entitled "RNA Interference Mediating Small RNA Molecules." In May 2008, the Japanese Patent Office granted a related set of claims in the Tuschl II patent series (JP 4 095 895).

31 Mar 2010

T-cell cytolytic activity may be effective in clearing HBV infection

Co-infection with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and hepatitis B virus (HBV) poses a treatment challenge. In Western Europe and the United States, chronic HBV infection has been found in 6%󈝺% of HIV-positive patients and this co-infection is well known to be associated with increased liver-related morbidity and mortality. However, factors associated with HBV surface antigen (HbsAg) loss in HIV and HBV co-infected patients remain unclear.

31 Mar 2010

SCYNEXIS presents overview of novel cyclophilin inhibitor at Hepatitis C Conference

Drug discovery company, SCYNEXIS, Inc. announced today that management will present an overview on the Company's lead anti-hepatitis C virus (HCV) candidate, SCY-635, at the upcoming Canaccord Adams' Hepatitis C Conference on Thursday, April 1, 2010 at 11:15 am ET at the Peninsula Hotel in New York City.

31 Mar 2010

Study finds rapid epidemiological shift in HAV infection in Korea

In Korea, there has been a rapid epidemiological shift in hepatitis A virus infection as a result of rapid economic development. The adult cases of acute hepatitis A have increased rapidly during the past 10 years due to the emergence of susceptible adults in Korea.

31 Mar 2010

Prevalence of head and neck cancer linked to human papillomavirus

Rates of oropharangeal cancer have increased by around 50 per cent in the last 20 years, according to a report in the British Medical Journal.

31 Mar 2010

CDC, Surgeon General report on increased number of H1N1 cases in southeast U.S.

Although H1N1 (swine flu) "has waned across much of the United States, the southeast is reporting an increase in cases of the H1N1 virus, U.S. health officials said on Monday," Reuters reports.

31 Mar 2010

Nutra Pharma's Cobroxin pain reliever now available at CVS stores

Nutra Pharma Corp., a biotechnology company that is developing treatments for Adrenomyeloneuropathy, HIV and Multiple Sclerosis, has announced today that its over-the-counter pain reliever, Cobroxin, is now available for purchase in CVS.

31 Mar 2010

Praxis extends patient recruitment services for international HCV study

Praxis, a company specializing in centralized patient recruitment for clinical research studies, is extending patient recruitment services to a top 20 pharmaceutical company for an international Hepatitis C Virus study. The study explores an investigational drug's effectiveness for this condition affecting almost 4 million Americans.

31 Mar 2010

FDA allows GeoVax Labs to commence phase 1 clinical trial for HIV/AIDS therapeutic vaccine

GeoVax Labs, Inc., a biotechnology company that creates, develops, and tests innovative HIV/AIDS vaccines, is now allowed by the FDA to begin a phase 1 clinical trial for GeoVax's therapeutic vaccine, which is intended as a treatment for individuals infected with HIV. The company will begin a non-blinded study in HIV infected individuals who started drug treatment during their first year of infection.

30 Mar 2010