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International experts meet to focus on impact of vaccines on global health at a time of public scepticism and complacency

International experts gather in Prague today for a three day meeting focused on the impact of vaccines on public health, at a time of increasing concern that public scepticism and complacency could undermine the positive impact of current and future vaccine campaigns.

31 Mar 2011

EPA approves Clorox DISPATCH disinfectant towels registration to fight against C. difficile

The Clorox Company announced today that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency approved the registration of DISPATCH Hospital Cleaner Disinfectant Towels with Bleach to kill Clostridium difficile spores in five minutes, the fastest C. difficile contact time available.

31 Mar 2011

Simple precautions can protect against zoonotic diseases

The risk of contracting zoonotic diseases that pass from animals to humans appears to be on the increase in the UK, but encouraging countryside users to take simple precautions to protect themselves is the best response, according to research undertaken by the UK research councils' Rural Economy and Land Use Programme.

31 Mar 2011

California State Controller calls upon Abbott, BI, BMS & Genentech to reduce AIDS drug prices for ADAPs

Today AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) announced that California State Controller John Chiang has sent letters to the CEOs of Abbott, Boehringer Ingelheim (BI), Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMS) and Genentech, asking the companies to reduce the price of their HIV/AIDS medications for California and its AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP).

31 Mar 2011

Boceprevir drug can help cure hard-to-treat hepatitis C

The drug boceprevir helps cure hard-to-treat hepatitis C, says Saint Louis University investigator Bruce R. Bacon, M.D., author of the March 31 New England Journal of Medicine article detailing the study's findings.

31 Mar 2011

Three-drug cocktail more effective against hepatitis C virus

A three-drug cocktail can eliminate the hepatitis C virus in patients far more effectively than the current two-drug regimen, according to researchers at Henry Ford Hospital.

31 Mar 2011

HIV/AIDS drugs shortage with rise in cases: An update

According to Australia's Ambassador on HIV/AIDS, Murray Proctor, Asia is falling short on HIV/AIDS treatment as almost 400,000 new cases are reported each year. He was attending a regional conference on universal access to treatment for AIDS where he said availability and price of vital anti-retroviral or anti- HIV medications remain a challenge for the region.

31 Mar 2011

Could HIV-infected organs save 'lives?

Johns Hopkins researchers argue for reversing ban on transplanting infected organs and making them available to HIV-infected patients

30 Mar 2011

Pharmasset commences PSI-7977 Phase 2b study against HCV

Pharmasset, Inc. announced today that screening has begun in a Phase 2b study of PSI-7977, a nucleotide analog polymerase inhibitor for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C.

30 Mar 2011

Los Alamos National Lab, Biomagnetics to develop and commercialize IOBS system

Biomagnetics Diagnostics Corp., a developer of revolutionary diagnostic systems and technology for HIV, hepatitis, tuberculosis, cholera and malaria detection, and other innovative technologies, today announced further details in next steps to be taken toward full commercialization of the Company's flagship Integrated Optical Biosensor diagnostic system.

30 Mar 2011

WHO Director-General responds to draft report on agency's handling of H1N1 pandemic

WHO Director-General Margaret Chan on Monday responded to the first results of a probe into the agency's response to the H1N1 pandemic, Agence France-Presse reports.

30 Mar 2011

Insect Shield Repellent Apparel can protect against tick bites

A pilot study shows clothes treated with long-lasting insect repellant appear to offer outdoor workers significant protection against tick bites.

30 Mar 2011

Positive preliminary results from Presidio's PPI-461 Phase 1b trial against HCV

Presidio Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced today positive preliminary results from a Phase 1b clinical trial of PPI-461, a novel HCV NS5A inhibitor for the treatment of patients with chronic hepatitis C.

30 Mar 2011

Mary Ann Liebert to launch new 'Shingles and PHN' open access journal

Shingles and PHN, a new, bimonthly open access peer-reviewed journal, will be launched in fall 2011 by Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers.

30 Mar 2011

LSTM launches collaborative project to develop, evaluate new tools for malaria control

LSTM has launched a collaborative project to develop and evaluate new tools to control the spread of malaria in Africa. AvecNet is a five year, -12 million project involving sixteen partners in Africa and Europe, funded by the European Union's Seventh Framework programme.

30 Mar 2011

Welsh CJD alert after two years of exposure

Thirty-eight people have been told they may have been put at risk of contracting the fatal brain disease Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) following surgery. All the patients were operated on between 2007 and 2009 at either Swansea's Morriston or Singleton hospital, Neath Port Talbot or Princess of Wales Hospital in Bridgend.

29 Mar 2011

Scientist develops new model to understand peoples' behaviors during flu outbreaks

When influenza pandemics arrive, the specter of disease spread through person-to-person contact can mean that schools close, hand sanitizer sales rise, and travellers stay home. But is severing social and business interactions with our neighbors really better than taking a chance on getting sick?

29 Mar 2011

Reports of H1N1 outbreaks in Venezuela, Mexico prompt quick preventive action by health authorities

Health officials in Venezuela announced on Friday the number of confirmed H1N1 cases in the country has grown to more than 200, the Associated Press/Seattle Times reports.

29 Mar 2011

SRI International, CDD receive NIAID grant to develop TB information repository

SRI International, an independent nonprofit research and development organization, and Collaborative Drug Discovery, provider of a web-based drug discovery software platform, announced that they have been awarded a grant to support the first year of a software development project focused on tuberculosis drug discovery efforts.

29 Mar 2011

FDA clears new BD ProbeTec Qx Amplified DNA Assays to detect HSV 1 and 2

Clinicians now have a new tool to help diagnose symptomatic patients with Herpes Simplex Viruses -- one of the most common sexually transmitted infections in the world.

From BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company) 29 Mar 2011