Disease/Infection News

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G-CSF compound may activate virus, increases risk of infection: Research

Research conducted at Oregon Health & Science University's Vaccine and Gene Therapy Institute may spur debate about the risks associated with administering a specific compound in some forms of bone-marrow transplantation. The research is published in the current edition of Cell Host and Microbe.

22 Sep 2010

Santaris Pharma paves way to conduct clinical trial of miravirsen in patients with HVC

Santaris Pharma A/S, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery and development of RNA-targeted therapies, today announced that it has advanced miravirsen (SPC3649), the first microRNA-targeted drug to enter clinical trials, into Phase 2 studies to assess the safety and tolerability of the drug in treatment-naive patients infected with the Hepatitis C virus.

22 Sep 2010

Lilly's multidrug-resistant tuberculosis initiative honored with World Business and Development Award

An eminent international panel of judges has selected Eli Lilly and Company to receive a World Business and Development Award for demonstrating what can be achieved through successful partnerships in the battle against multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB).

22 Sep 2010

Prevalence of periodontal disease in US higher than originally estimated

The prevalence of periodontal disease in the United States may be significantly higher than originally estimated. Research published in the Journal of Dental Research from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the American Academy of Periodontology (AAP) suggests that the prevalence of periodontal disease may have been underestimated by as much as 50 percent. The implication is that more American adults may suffer from moderate to severe gum disease than previously thought.

22 Sep 2010

MIDAS researchers continue to model how H1N1 may spread

As the United States prepares for the upcoming flu season, a group of researchers supported by the National Institutes of Health continues to model how H1N1 may spread.

22 Sep 2010

Aeras and Crucell commence Phase II study of TB vaccine candidate in infants

Dutch biopharmaceutical company Crucell N.V. and the Aeras Global TB Vaccine Foundation today announced the start of a Phase II clinical trial in infants of the jointly developed tuberculosis (TB) vaccine candidate, AERAS-402/Crucell Ad35.

22 Sep 2010

Immunization is critical to reduce child deaths

Immunising children against preventable diseases is critical to achieving United Nations-led goals to reduce child deaths, global health and development chiefs said in New York today.

22 Sep 2010

Novartis' SOM230 reduces cortisol levels in Cushing's disease patients

Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation announced today that the results of a Phase III study of SOM230 (pasireotide) showed a reduction in cortisol levels in patients with Cushing's disease, a condition in which a benign (non-cancerous) pituitary tumor causes the adrenal glands to produce excess cortisol and can be fatal. Results will be presented at the 14th Congress of the European Neuroendocrine Association (ENEA).

22 Sep 2010

First free-standing infectious disease hospital built in US in over 50 years

Many Americans think tuberculosis (TB) has been eliminated in this country. But, while it is no longer as common or deadly as it was decades ago, it is estimated that more than a third of the world's population is infected with the disease. The new Texas Center for Infectious Disease (TCID) hospital was designed to provide patients with the care and treatment needed to help curb the resurgence of TB in the United States and reduce the drug-resistance of strains developing worldwide.

22 Sep 2010

Clinton Global Initiative meeting kicks off, U.S. will commit to Clean Cookstove project

"World leaders, CEOs, non-governmental organizations and philanthropists" are gathering this week at the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) annual meeting, "[t]imed to coincide with the beginning of the United Nations General Assembly," WNYC News reports (Herman, 9/20).

22 Sep 2010

Bali introduces mass vaccination campaign to eliminate rabies by 2012

Across the world, hundreds of thousands of stray dogs are killed by government-led inhumane mass cullings, during which animals are poisoned, electrocuted, clubbed or shot in attempts to curb the spread of rabies.

22 Sep 2010

HIV infection mystery revealed

In a new discovery, Melbourne researchers have found a mechanism by which the HIV virus can affect people. According to co-head of the Burnet Institute's Centre for Virology, Sharon Lewin, scientists have found out how HIV entered a group of cells in which the virus tends to persist in spite of antiviral treatment that reduces the virus to undetectable levels.

22 Sep 2010

Optimer submits fidaxomicin rolling NDA for treatment of Clostridium difficile infection

Optimer Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced that it has submitted the first section of a rolling New Drug Application (NDA) to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for fidaxomicin to treat patients with Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) and to prevent recurrences of CDI. Optimer anticipates completing the submission in the fourth quarter of 2010 and plans to request priority review, which, if granted, could lead to an FDA decision on the NDA in the second quarter of 2011.

21 Sep 2010

Aethlon Medical reestablishes efforts to advance Aethlon Hemopurifier

Aethlon Medical, Inc., the pioneer in developing therapeutic filtration devices to address infectious disease and cancer, disclosed today that it has reestablished efforts to advance the Aethlon Hemopurifier within U.S. Government programs that support the development and purchase of treatment countermeasures against bioterror threats.

21 Sep 2010

Cook Medical sponsors sessions to reduce risk of CRBSI infections

At the 24th Annual Scientific Meeting of the Association for Vascular Access (AVA), Cook Medical continues its dedication to educating medical communities on advancements in procedures and technologies. Cook will sponsor two sessions that examine how to combine process and technology to reduce the risk of dangerous catheter-related bloodstream infections (CRBSIs).

21 Sep 2010

Annals of Internal Medicine publishes GRACE study data on HIV therapy

Data from the GRACE study will be published in the September 21st issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine. GRACE is the largest-ever study of treatment experienced adult women with HIV-1 to examine gender differences in response to HIV therapy. Sponsored by Tibotec Therapeutics Clinical Affairs, a division of Centocor Ortho Biotech Services, LLC, the GRACE study enrolled 67 percent women, demonstrating that it is possible to recruit large numbers of women into U.S.-based HIV treatment studies.

21 Sep 2010

Researchers to develop vaccine for plague

Given the many pressing concerns of the day, fear of plague probably isn't what causes most Americans to lose sleep. But for those whose responsibility it is to combat bioterrorism, plague is among the highest priorities. Those charged with that mission include scientists like medical researcher Steve Smiley, whose lab at the Trudeau Institute is working to develop a vaccine that will protect the public against weaponized forms of plague.

21 Sep 2010

Study reveals molecular steps for pneumonia therapy

A structural molecule and the cellular pump that regulates its levels influence the severity of pneumonia and could provide new ways of treating the lung infection, which is a leading cause of hospitalization and death, according to scientists at the University of Pittsburgh and the University of Iowa. Their findings are available online in Nature Medicine.

21 Sep 2010

International activists ask: 'Will MDG summit fail HIV-positive people?'

A group of Russian AIDS activists are charging that the Russian Ministry of Health is denying that there are drug stock-outs that prevent patients from starting or continuing treatment. "In this situation, people with HIV face a choice: to die quietly at home or try to attract the attention of the government and the media," said Alexey Yaskovich, a Russian activist from Novgorod. "Therefore, activists will continue to go to the streets of Moscow and hold public events dedicated to saving their lives."

21 Sep 2010

Cook Medical expands Spectrum Turbo-Ject line of antibiotic impregnated PICCs for CRBSIs

Responding to increased demand for technology to help prevent potentially fatal catheter-related bloodstream infections (CRBSIs), Cook Medical has expanded its Spectrum Turbo-Ject line of antibiotic impregnated peripherally inserted central venous catheters (PICCs) to treat a wider range of patient needs. For the first time, the clinical benefits of minocycline and rifampin-impregnated PICCs, a critical component in eliminating 250,000 potentially fatal CRBSIs in the U.S. annually, are now available in 3 French single and 6 French triple lumen sizes.

21 Sep 2010