Pandemic News and Research

RSS

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.

Ichor, Profectus announce agreement for clinical development of DNA vaccine programs

Ichor Medical Systems (Ichor) and Profectus Biosciences (Profectus) announced today that they have entered into a long-term development, license, and supply Agreement providing Profectus with commercial access to Ichor’s TriGrid™ Delivery System (TriGrid™) for the clinical development of its DNA vaccine programs, with an option for Ichor to co-develop.

3 Mar 2010

Sanquin Blood Supply Foundation, Netherlands Vaccine Institute launch AmpVacs project to develop influenza A vaccine

Sanquin Blood Supply Foundation, the Netherlands Cancer Institute, and the Netherlands Vaccine Institute announce today the launch of their joint AmpVacs project aiming at the development of a broadly protective synthetic influenza A vaccine component that in combination with classical antibody-stimulating vaccines will induce protection against future influenza A threats.

2 Mar 2010

Intercell AG's revenues for full year 2009 increase 10.6%

Today, the biotech-vaccine company Intercell AG announced its financial results for Q4 and the preliminary results for the full financial year 2009, and presented an update on the Company's development programs.

2 Mar 2010

Inovio Biomedical's SynCon preventive DNA vaccine receives approval in Korea for Phase I clinical trial

Inovio Biomedical Corporation, a leader in DNA vaccine design, development and delivery, announced today that its affiliate VGX International Inc. has received approval in Korea to begin a Phase I clinical trial in healthy volunteers for Inovio’s SynCon™ preventive DNA vaccine (VGX-3400) targeting H5N1 avian influenza.

2 Mar 2010

Most strains of pandemic H1N1 flu virus resist Tamiflu, say scientists

If the behavior of the seasonal form of the H1N1 influenza virus is any indication, scientists say that chances are good that most strains of the pandemic H1N1 flu virus will become resistant to Tamiflu, the main drug stockpiled for use against it.

2 Mar 2010

McGill University and RI MUHC secure $300,000 CIHR grant to develop VLP vaccines

The Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) have awarded a $300,000 grant for research focusing on the nature of the immune response induced by the action mechanisms of plant-made Virus-Like Particles (VLP) to Dr. Louis Vezina, Chief Scientific Officer of Medicago and to Dr. Brian Ward and Dr. Ciriaco Piccirillo of the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (RI MUHC) and McGill University.

1 Mar 2010

Widespread cases of flu plunge from 49 to zero

Normally, this is the peak period for the flu in the United States. But that just doesn't seem to be the case this year.

27 Feb 2010

Canada's pharmaceutical products industry stands out strong during recession

Canada's pharmaceutical products industry stands out for its strong growth during the 2008-09 recession. This sets it apart from other industries covered in the Winter 2010 edition of The Conference Board of Canada's Canadian Industrial Profile Service - chemicals, plastic and rubber products, non-metallic mineral products, and computer and electronic products, which will take at least a couple of years to return to pre-recession production, revenue and profit levels.

27 Feb 2010

Interventional radiologists to highlight scientific advances, new discoveries at 35th Annual Scientific Meeting

Interventional radiologists-minimally invasive specialists-will share scientific advances and new discoveries in treating a host of diseases at the Society of Interventional Radiology's 35th Annual Scientific Meeting March 13󈝾 at the Tampa Convention Center, Tampa, Fla. This year's meeting theme is "IR Innovation"-one that celebrates the remarkable inventiveness of interventional radiologists.

25 Feb 2010

α-defensins1-3 may be potential prophylactic agents in treatment of HIV / AIDS

HIV/AIDS remains one of the world's most significant public health challenges, particularly in developing countries. The Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV-1), the variant responsible for the pandemic, has the ability to infect different cell types such as T cells, macrophages and dendritic cells (DC). These latter cells are crucial in the defense against infectious agents and play a major role in viral pathogenesis.

25 Feb 2010

FDA recommends H1N1 for inclusion in next year's flu vaccine

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Monday recommended that the H1N1 (swine flu) strain be added to next year's seasonal flu vaccine, "putting an end to separate shots deployed against the pandemic," Bloomberg reports. The FDA committee voted unanimously to make the H1N1 strain one of the three strains included in the shot, according to the news service. "The panel's recommendations are routinely adopted and used to guide vaccine manufacturers," Bloomberg writes (Randall, 2/22).

24 Feb 2010

Alliance Biosciences to provide engineering and biosafety guidance for Nyumbani's HIV/TB diagnostic facility

Alliance Biosciences reached an agreement with the Nyumbani Children's Home in Kenya to provide engineering and biosafety guidance to Nyumbani's planned HIV/TB diagnostic facility.

24 Feb 2010

FDA grants EUA for Longhorn Influenza A/H1N1-09 Prime RRT-PCR Assay in CLIA high complexity laboratories

Longhorn Vaccines & Diagnostics today announced it has been granted Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its Longhorn Influenza A/H1N1-09 Prime RRT-PCR Assay™ in CLIA high complexity laboratories. . The Longhorn Influenza A/H1N1-09 Prime RRT-PCR Assay™ is a ready-use assay that requires no mixing prior to use and has been authorized for use on the ABI 7500.

24 Feb 2010

Medco Health Solutions announces record 16.7% increase in total net revenues for 2009

Medco Health Solutions, Inc. today reported record fourth-quarter 2009 GAAP diluted earnings per share of $0.70, up 29.6 percent compared to $0.54 in fourth-quarter 2008. Excluding the amortization of intangible assets that existed when Medco became a publicly traded company in 2003, fourth-quarter 2009 diluted earnings per share increased 28.8 percent to a record $0.76. Medco also reported record full-year 2009 GAAP diluted earnings per share of $2.61, up 22.5 percent -- exceeding the high-end of the company's guidance.

23 Feb 2010

TCAD therapy active and synergistic against drug resistant influenza virus strains

Adamas Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a privately held company, reported today on the publication of results from a preclinical study that demonstrated the synergistic effects of triple combination antiviral drug (TCAD) therapy against multiple strains of seasonal, pandemic, and avian influenza A (H1N1, H3N2 and H5N1) virus, including three strains of amantadine resistant pandemic H1N1 and two strains of oseltamivir resistant seasonal H1N1.

23 Feb 2010

Research reveals human Chlamydia pneumoniae has originated from animal source

Animals have been found to have infected humans sometime in the past with the common respiratory disease Chlamydia pneumoniae, according to Queensland University of Technology infectious disease expert Professor Peter Timms.

23 Feb 2010

PositiveID, RECEPTORS announce successful completion of rapid virus detection system Phase I development

PositiveID Corporation, in conjunction with its development partner RECEPTORS LLC, announced today that it has successfully completed Phase I development of its rapid virus detection system, a non-invasive, point-of-care test to test patient samples and identify various forms of influenza within minutes. Phase II of the development, which the Company expects to complete by the end of 2010, is planned to launch in February 2010.

23 Feb 2010

Study shows CEL-2000 vaccine blocks RA progression in mice

CEL-SCI Corporation and their scientific collaborators announced today that the Company's CEL-2000 vaccine demonstrated that it is able to block the progression of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in a mouse model.

23 Feb 2010

HHS Secretary reviews H1N1 response at NACCHO conference

Thank you, Tom. I also want to thank NACCHO for hosting this important conference and for inviting me to speak here today. Public health is a top priority for this administration. So is strengthening our partnerships across government. So I’m glad I could come talk with you about how we can work together to keep Americans healthy and safe.

22 Feb 2010

ASU epidemiologist to take close look at factors impacting influenza dynamics within Mexico

Influenza surveillance mechanisms in Mexico were adequate during the fast-spreading H1N1 outbreak in 2009, yet Mexico did not have the infrastructure to quickly identify the emergence of this novel strain, according to an Arizona State University (ASU) epidemiologist.

21 Feb 2010

Pandemic News and Research

Further Reading

Ichor, Profectus announce agreement for clinical development of DNA vaccine programs

Sanquin Blood Supply Foundation, Netherlands Vaccine Institute launch AmpVacs project to develop influenza A vaccine

Intercell AG's revenues for full year 2009 increase 10.6%

Inovio Biomedical's SynCon preventive DNA vaccine receives approval in Korea for Phase I clinical trial

Most strains of pandemic H1N1 flu virus resist Tamiflu, say scientists

McGill University and RI MUHC secure $300,000 CIHR grant to develop VLP vaccines

Widespread cases of flu plunge from 49 to zero

Canada's pharmaceutical products industry stands out strong during recession

Interventional radiologists to highlight scientific advances, new discoveries at 35th Annual Scientific Meeting

α-defensins1-3 may be potential prophylactic agents in treatment of HIV / AIDS

FDA recommends H1N1 for inclusion in next year's flu vaccine

Alliance Biosciences to provide engineering and biosafety guidance for Nyumbani's HIV/TB diagnostic facility

FDA grants EUA for Longhorn Influenza A/H1N1-09 Prime RRT-PCR Assay in CLIA high complexity laboratories

Medco Health Solutions announces record 16.7% increase in total net revenues for 2009

TCAD therapy active and synergistic against drug resistant influenza virus strains

Research reveals human Chlamydia pneumoniae has originated from animal source

PositiveID, RECEPTORS announce successful completion of rapid virus detection system Phase I development

Study shows CEL-2000 vaccine blocks RA progression in mice

HHS Secretary reviews H1N1 response at NACCHO conference

ASU epidemiologist to take close look at factors impacting influenza dynamics within Mexico

Best practices - optimize qPCR processes for pathogen detection eBook

Shaping the Future of Neuroscience: A Conversation with Atlas Antibodies on the MolBoolean™ and the Impact of SfN 2024

How the Arts Reshape Brain Function: Susan Magsamen on the Future of Neuroaesthetics

Inside the Alzheimer's Association: Dr. Heather Snyder on Driving Research and Collaboration

Latest News