Pandemic News and Research

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A pandemic is a global disease outbreak. During a pandemic, transmission can be anticipated in the workplace, not only from patient to workers in health care settings, but also among co-workers in general work settings. A pandemic would cause high levels of illness, death, social disruption, and economic loss. Everyday life would be disrupted because so many people in so many places become seriously ill at the same time. Impacts could range from school and business closings to the interruption of basic services such as public transportation and food delivery.

First evidence of H5N1 transmission between domestic farms and wild birds

Wild migratory birds may indeed play a role in the spread of bird flu, also known as highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1.

25 Mar 2011

New report shows 2% decrease in anxiolytic and hypnotic sales in Norway

After many years of gradual increase followed by a three-year levelling off period, sales of addictive anxiolytic and hypnotic drugs decreased by just under two per cent in 2010.

24 Mar 2011

‘Sleeping sickness’ pandemic offers insight into Parkinson’s

A bizarre disease that caused sufferers to fall into a deep ‘sleep’ while still being aware of their surroundings can offer us insight into the nature of Parkinson’s disease.

21 Mar 2011

Medicago launches clinical development of seasonal flu vaccine

Medicago Inc. a biotechnology company focused on developing highly effective and competitive vaccines based on proprietary manufacturing technologies and Virus-Like Particles (VLPs), today announced that the first dose of vaccine has been administered thereby initiating the Company's phase I H1N1 influenza VLP vaccine candidate ("H1N1 vaccine") clinical trial in the United States. The primary safety and immunogenicity results for this trial are expected within three months.

21 Mar 2011

Scientists to develop new universal vaccine against various flu viruses

A vaccine that helps against all types of influenza - for several years? If all goes right for Norwegian company Bionor Pharma ASA, such a vaccine could exist within a few years.

17 Mar 2011

EU parliament approves resolution calling for countries to revise pandemic response

On the heels of the release of a draft report by an independent panel of experts examining the WHO's response to H1N1, BMJ News reports on a recently approved resolution and accompanying report released by the European Union parliament that calls on EU countries to revise their flu prevention plans "to make them more effective, coherent, and flexible" and for the WHO to revise its definition of pandemic to take into account not only geographical spread of disease but also severity.

16 Mar 2011

Medicago receives $3.8M as second milestone payment from U.S. DARPA for cGMP vaccine facility

Medicago USA Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Medicago Inc., a biotechnology company focused on developing highly effective and competitive vaccines based on proprietary manufacturing technologies and Virus-Like Particles (VLPs), today announced it has received the second milestone payment of US$3.8 million from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency ("DARPA").

15 Mar 2011

XTIO2 presents XTI 360 ANTI-GERM SYSTEM to 83rd Academy Award-nominees

XTIO2 INC. (XTI) presented the 83rd Academy® Award-nominees with the XTI ANTI-GERM / ANTI-VOC / ANTI-ALLERGY SYSTEM, consisting of XTI 360™ Nanocoating and XTI™ Nano-Facemask. It is the world's most effective preventive measure and the best defense against germs transmitted via air and contact surfaces.

15 Mar 2011

External panel issues draft report saying WHO response to H1N1 lacked cohesion, clarity

An independent panel of experts commissioned by the WHO to probe its response to the H1N1 pandemic on Thursday released a draft report stating that while the organization performed well in many ways, it made "crucial mistakes" and "warned tens of millions could die if there is a severe flu outbreak in the future," the Associated Press reports.

14 Mar 2011

Swine flu pandemic declaration by WHO being investigated by experts

Experts who have been investigating the World Health Organization’s management of the response to the H1N1 pandemic have announced that they found no evidence that the drug industry influenced the agency’s decision making over how to handle the virus. In their draft report that panel of independent experts did acknowledge that the WHO failed to understand and respond to conflicts of interest among experts on its advisory Emergency Committee, which had previously acknowledged their pharmaceutical industry ties.

14 Mar 2011

Flu pandemics may return & mutating strains: Studies

Scientists have warned that we have not seen the end of H1N1 swine flu that swept the globe in 2009/10. The strain of the virus could easily morph into a more transmissible form, while an older, mid-20th century virus could also come roaring back they say. Asian influenza, a H2N2 strain, first appeared in 1957 and killed one to four million people despite a major vaccination campaign. Studies have shown that most people today aged 50 or older retain some immunity to the virus, which continues to circulate in birds and swine. But the younger are more vulnerable they warn.

12 Mar 2011

Positive preliminary results from Sinovac EV71 vaccine phase I trial in adults

Sinovac Biotech Ltd., a leading provider of biopharmaceutical products in China, announced today the unblinding of the Phase I clinical trial results for the adult population for its proprietary inactivated vaccine against human enterovirus 71, which causes hand, foot, and mouth disease.

10 Mar 2011

Swine flu virus may evolve into a deadlier form

In the fall of 1917, a new strain of influenza swirled around the globe. At first, it resembled a typical flu epidemic: Most deaths occurred among the elderly, while younger people recovered quickly. However, in the summer of 1918, a deadlier version of the same virus began spreading, with disastrous consequence. In total, the pandemic killed at least 50 million people - about 3 percent of the world's population at the time.

10 Mar 2011

Senate Democrats release FY11 CR that seeks to preserve foreign aid, State Department funding at FY10 levels

Senate Democrats on Friday introduced a FY11 continuing resolution (CR) to fund the federal government through September, "with a vote on the measure, as well as a House-passed proposal, expected" this week, the Washington Post's "2chambers" blog reports (Sonmez, 3/4).

8 Mar 2011

Sinovac submits clinical trial application for 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine to China SFDA

Sinovac Biotech Ltd., a leading provider of biopharmaceutical products in China, announced today it submitted the application to commence clinical trials for its 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) to China's State Food and Drug Administration (SFDA) on March 3, 2011.

3 Mar 2011

Existing plans for drug use during flu pandemic can reduce wastewater treatment efficiency

Existing plans for antiviral and antibiotic use during a severe influenza pandemic could reduce wastewater treatment efficiency prior to discharge into receiving rivers, resulting in water quality deterioration at drinking water abstraction points.

2 Mar 2011

VaxInnate receives $196 million BARDA contract to develop novel flu vaccines

VaxInnate Corporation today announced that it has been awarded a contract by the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, worth up to $196 million to fund the development of recombinant seasonal and pandemic flu vaccines.

1 Mar 2011

Novavax announces agreement to license VLP vaccine technology to LGLS

Novavax, Inc. announced today an agreement to license its proprietary, recombinant virus-like-particle vaccine technology to LG Life Sciences, Ltd.

1 Mar 2011

HHS awards two contracts to accelerate flu vaccine availability

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services awarded two contracts today to help make vaccine available more quickly for seasonal flu outbreaks and pandemics. The contracts for advanced development of new types of vaccine and new ways to make flu vaccine known as next-generation recombinant influenza vaccine total $215 million.

28 Feb 2011

BioCryst receives HHS contract to complete peramivir Phase 3 study in patients with influenza

BioCryst Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced that it has been awarded a $55.0 million contract modification by the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services intended to fund to completion the Phase 3 development of its neuraminidase inhibitor, intravenous peramivir, for the treatment of patients hospitalized with influenza.

25 Feb 2011