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Rice receives Defense Threat Reduction Agency grant to develop genomic test for cultivated pathogens

Researchers at Rice University have won federal support to develop a genomic test that can quickly determine whether a disease outbreak is caused by a natural pathogen or one that was grown in a lab by terrorists.

17 Aug 2010

Hepatitis C rather than Donor Risk Index is major contributor to poor graft survival in transplant patients

The Donor Risk Index, which assesses donor characteristics impacting liver transplantation outcomes, does not bear the same impact on outcomes on a small scale as is suggested from large-scale, national data.

17 Aug 2010

'Heart-wrenching' Pakistan floods need more aid from international community, U.N. Secretary-General says

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said Sunday that the flooding in Pakistan is the worst natural disaster he has seen and called on the international community to expedite the aid effort, the Los Angeles Times reports. Ban traveled to flooded areas of the country and surveyed damage on Sunday (Rodriguez, 8/16).

17 Aug 2010

Simple, low-cost interventions reduce most common hospital-acquired infections

Urinary catheters are often left in place longer than needed, and new research shows that reminder systems that encourage hospital staff to remove catheters promptly can reduce the rate of catheter-associated urinary tract infections by 52 percent.

17 Aug 2010

Black AIDS Institute launches BTAN program to care for Black Americans with HIV

The Black AIDS Institute, with support from Merck, announced the launch of the Black Treatment Advocates Network. BTAN, the first collaborative Network of its kind, will train and mobilize a team of treatment advocates with a mission to link Black Americans with HIV into care and treatment; strengthen local and national leadership; raise HIV science and treatment literacy in Black communities; and advocate for policy change and research priorities.

17 Aug 2010

Report cards, disclosures readied or deleted on hospital infections in some states

After several years of delay, Illinois has begun posting hospital infection data on its 'hospital report card' website, including facilities in the greater St. Louis area. State officials say the website — www.healthcarereportcard.illinois.gov — will benefit not only the consumer but also the health care industry. … So far, Illinois reports rates for only central line associated bloodstream infections in hospital intensive care units that occurred last year.

17 Aug 2010

MMV joins Pool for Open Innovation against neglected tropical diseases

The Medicines for Malaria Venture (MMV) today became the first product development partnership (PDP) to contribute intellectual property to the Pool for Open Innovation against Neglected Tropical Diseases. MMV joins GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in contributing to the Pool, which is administered by BIO Ventures for Global Health (BVGH).

17 Aug 2010

Studies provide evidence for new approach to MRSA vaccines

Two recent studies provide evidence for a new approach to vaccines to prevent infections caused by drug-resistant Staphylococcus aureus -- better known as MRSA - the leading cause of skin and soft tissue, bloodstream and lung infections in the United States. One demonstrates a way to counteract the bacteria's knack for evading the immune system. The other shows how to disrupt the germ's tissue-damaging mechanism.

17 Aug 2010

Intercell reports significant increase in second quarter revenue

Today, Intercell AG announced its financial results for Q2 and H1 2010.IXIARO/JESPECT sales increased significantly from EUR 2.4m in Q2 2009 to EUR 5.2m in Q2 2010 Continued focus on growing marketing and sales of product in traveler and military markets

17 Aug 2010

Scientists create nanoscale coating to eradicate methicillin resistant bacteria

Building on an enzyme found in nature, researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute have created a nanoscale coating for surgical equipment, hospital walls, and other surfaces which safely eradicates methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), the bacteria responsible for antibiotic resistant infections.

17 Aug 2010

Key scientific work in Cardio3 BioSciences' C-Cure stem cell heart failure treatment published in JACC

Cardio3 BioSciences, a leading Belgian biotechnology company specialising in regenerative therapies for the treatment of cardiovascular disease, today announces that the key scientific work underlying its lead pharmaceutical product C-Cure(R), a revolutionary stem cell treatment for heart failure, has been published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology (JACC). The findings were described as "landmark work" in the accompanying editorial in today's publication.

17 Aug 2010

BAC, Octapharma enter licence agreement for G-CSF CaptureSelect custom affinity ligand

BAC BV, the leading provider of antibody-based affinity purification technology, today announced that it has entered into a licence agreement with Octapharma (Lachen, Switzerland), an independent, global provider of human proteins for life-threatening diseases.

17 Aug 2010

Non-viral gene therapy delays onset of eye disease

In one of only two studies of its kind, a study from researchers at Tufts University School of Medicine and the Sackler School of Graduate Biomedical Sciences at Tufts demonstrates that non-viral gene therapy can delay the onset of some forms of eye disease and preserve vision. The team developed nanoparticles to deliver therapeutic genes to the retina and found that treated mice temporarily retained more eyesight than controls.

17 Aug 2010

Also in Global Health News: Hunger in Guatemala; Flooding worsens Niger's food crisis; 'New Delhi' gene name concerns

"The efforts of public agencies, non-governmental organisations, private entities and international agencies have become indispensable in addressing the food crisis" in Guatemala, however "activists believe a greater public effort is necessary," Inter Press Service reports. The article examines efforts by various agencies working in Guatemala including the Rural Development Programme for Las Verapaces (PRODEVER), and Accion Contra el Hambre, a local anti-hunger organization.

16 Aug 2010

Liverpool scientists create new drug for malaria

As part of the -1.5 million project, researchers are now testing the drug to determine how the treatment could progress to clinical trials. The drug is made from simple organic molecules and will be cheaper to mass produce compared to existing therapies.

16 Aug 2010

Alverix and BD partner to develop point of care infectious disease diagnostic assay systems

As consumers begin to take greater ownership of their own healthcare, there is a growing demand for accessibility to diagnostic testing. Alverix, Inc. and BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company) are on the cutting edge of this trend and today announced an agreement to produce assay systems at the point-of-care (POC) that will improve infectious disease diagnoses.

From BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company) 16 Aug 2010

NanoViricides' anti-Herpes drug candidates demonstrate significant efficacy in cell culture studies

NanoViricides, Inc., reports that its anti-Herpes drug candidates demonstrated significant efficacy in the recently completed cell culture studies. The studies were performed in the laboratory of Dr. Ken Rosenthal at Northeastern Ohio Universities Colleges of Medicine and Pharmacy.

16 Aug 2010

Georgetown researcher recommends more publication on chronic sinusitis

Facial pain. Nasal congestion. Postnasal drip. Fatigue. These are hallmark signs of chronic sinusitis, a swelling of tissue in the nasal and sinus cavity. The illness strikes millions of Americans each year and is one of the top five reasons patients visit their primary care doctor. Treating sinusitis is difficult in part because it's often not known if the cause is viral or bacterial. Unfortunately little information on the subject is available to internists says a new study by a Georgetown University Medical Center (GUMC) internist.

16 Aug 2010

Green Cross receives KFDA approval to manufacture, market i.v. peramivir: BioCryst Pharmaceuticals

BioCryst Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced that its partner, Green Cross Corporation has received marketing and manufacturing approval from KFDA for intravenous peramivir to treat patients with influenza A & B viruses, including pandemic H1N1 and avian influenza. Green Cross Corp. intends to launch peramivir under the commercial name PeramiFlu in South Korea.

16 Aug 2010

Opinions: PEPFAR funding; Aid in Africa; Obama, human rights

Following a recent letter by Sen. Richard Lugar (R-Ind.) to President Barack Obama that "expressed concern about the future of" PEPFAR "as details of the Obama administration's Global Health Initiative emerge," a Courier-Journal editorial looks at how the "U.S. made a commitment to be a major player in the worldwide fight against AIDS" and details how "arguably the most successful program implemented by President Bush" has made huge strides in broadening HIV treatment access and preventing mother-to-child-transmission in the developing world.

16 Aug 2010

Disease/Infection News

Rice receives Defense Threat Reduction Agency grant to develop genomic test for cultivated pathogens

Hepatitis C rather than Donor Risk Index is major contributor to poor graft survival in transplant patients

'Heart-wrenching' Pakistan floods need more aid from international community, U.N. Secretary-General says

Simple, low-cost interventions reduce most common hospital-acquired infections

Black AIDS Institute launches BTAN program to care for Black Americans with HIV

Report cards, disclosures readied or deleted on hospital infections in some states

MMV joins Pool for Open Innovation against neglected tropical diseases

Studies provide evidence for new approach to MRSA vaccines

Intercell reports significant increase in second quarter revenue

Scientists create nanoscale coating to eradicate methicillin resistant bacteria

Key scientific work in Cardio3 BioSciences' C-Cure stem cell heart failure treatment published in JACC

BAC, Octapharma enter licence agreement for G-CSF CaptureSelect custom affinity ligand

Non-viral gene therapy delays onset of eye disease

Also in Global Health News: Hunger in Guatemala; Flooding worsens Niger's food crisis; 'New Delhi' gene name concerns

Liverpool scientists create new drug for malaria

Alverix and BD partner to develop point of care infectious disease diagnostic assay systems

NanoViricides' anti-Herpes drug candidates demonstrate significant efficacy in cell culture studies

Georgetown researcher recommends more publication on chronic sinusitis

Green Cross receives KFDA approval to manufacture, market i.v. peramivir: BioCryst Pharmaceuticals

Opinions: PEPFAR funding; Aid in Africa; Obama, human rights

How can microdialysis benefit drug development

Global and Local Efforts to Take Action Against Hepatitis

Addressing Important Cardiac Biology Questions with Shotgun Top-Down Proteomics

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