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GAA urges Obama to continue support for global health programs

The Global AIDS Alliance (GAA) calls on the Obama Administration to fully fund its development priorities and to continue U.S. Leadership in the fight against HIV/AIDS as an integral part of President Obama's Global Health Initiative.

25 Feb 2010

CDC ACIP's vote for universal influenza vaccination recommendation: FFF endorses

Families Fighting Flu (FFF) fully supports today's vote by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) to expand the current influenza vaccination recommendations to include all adults aged 19 to 49 years of age. Previous recommendations included all other age groups with the exception of this new adult population. This new recommendation will be implemented beginning with the 2010-2011 influenza season.

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

Internet-based surveillance helps confront infectious disease threats at mass gatherings

Integrating real-time Internet-based infectious disease surveillance with knowledge of worldwide air traffic patterns could help in confronting infectious disease threats at mass gatherings, such as the Olympics and other large scale events, suggests an article in CMAJ.

25 Feb 2010

American Lung Association supports ACIP's recommendations for universal influenza immunization

The American Lung Association supports the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices' (ACIP) vote today that recommends universal influenza immunization with seasonal influenza vaccine.

25 Feb 2010

New data shows Valortim antibody enhances human T cell response to B. anthracis

PharmAthene, Inc., a biodefense company developing medical countermeasures against biological and chemical threats, announced today that new data from the Company's Valortim® anthrax anti-toxin program were presented at the 8th Annual ASM Biodefense and Emerging Diseases Research Meeting, held in Baltimore, Maryland, February 21-24, 2010.

25 Feb 2010

Chilean hospital's early use of antiviral treatment and aggressive measures helped reduce H1N1 cases

A Chilean hospital's early use of antiviral treatment in influenza patients and other aggressive measures helped reduce the number of severe H1N1 cases and related deaths. Those are the findings of a new study, now available online (http://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/abs/10.1086/650750), published in the March 15, 2010 issue of Clinical Infectious Diseases.

25 Feb 2010

FDA approves Pfizer's Prevnar 13 pneumococcal conjugate vaccine

Pfizer Inc. announced today that the United States Food and Drug Administration has granted approval for Prevnar 13™ (Pneumococcal 13-valent Conjugate Vaccine [Diphtheria CRM197 Protein]), the Company’s 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine.

25 Feb 2010

Anadys Pharmaceuticals' ANA598 combination demonstrates 73% cEVR in ongoing Phase II study for HCV

Anadys Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced preliminary results from an ongoing Phase II study demonstrating that 73% of hepatitis C patients treated with 200 mg ANA598 twice daily in combination with pegylated interferon and ribavirin (SOC) achieved undetectable levels of virus (<15 IU/mL) at week 12, known as complete Early Virological Response or cEVR.

25 Feb 2010

Welichem commences enrollment in WBI-1001 Phase IIa clinical trial for psoriasis

Welichem announced that the Company has begun to enroll patients in a Phase IIa clinical trial with its lead candidate, WBI-1001. The Phase IIa clinical trial is a 12-Week, double-blinded, placebo-controlled study. The objectives of the trial are to evaluate the efficacy of the WBI-1001 cream in comparison to the vehicle and also to evaluate the safety and tolerability of the cream in patients with psoriasis.

24 Feb 2010

Researchers team up to monitor and assess potential infectious disease threats to Vancouver

As the world watches the Vancouver Olympics, researchers at St. Michael's Hospital in Toronto and Children's Hospital Boston have teamed up to monitor and assess potential infectious disease threats to Vancouver during the Winter Games by integrating two independently developed intelligence systems that focus on global infectious diseases; bio.DIASPORA and HealthMap.

24 Feb 2010

Lack of knowledge and awareness impeding efforts to control HBV and HCV

A recent report by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) confirmed that 3.5 to 5.3 million people (1-2 % of the U.S. population) have chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) or hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections. Despite efforts by federal, state and local government agencies to control and prevent these diseases, they remain a serious public health concern. The major factor impeding efforts to control HBV and HCV is lack of knowledge and awareness among health care providers, social service professionals, members of the public, and policy-makers.

24 Feb 2010

Prochymal achieves response rate of 63% when used as rescue therapy in children suffering from GvHD

Osiris Therapeutics, Inc. today reported that a new study shows Prochymal achieved an overall response rate of 63% when used as a rescue therapy in children suffering from severe treatment resistant graft vs. host disease (GvHD).

24 Feb 2010

Phase III trial results of Osiris Therapeutics' Prochymal for GvHD to be presented at BMT Tandem Meeting

Osiris Therapeutics, Inc. today announced that results from the Phase III trial evaluating Prochymal for the treatment of steroid-refractory acute graft vs. host disease (GvHD) will be presented by Paul Martin, M.D., of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and Paul Szabolcs, M.D., of Duke University Medical Center at the 2010 BMT Tandem Meeting. The meeting is being held February 24-28 in Orlando, Florida.

24 Feb 2010

IBM Maximo software helps GNL ensure optimal performance of equipment in fight against emerging infectious diseases

In the fight against emerging infectious diseases, The Galveston National Laboratory (GNL), one of two National Institutes of Health funded bio-containment laboratories in the United States, is benefiting from IBM software to ensure the optimal performance of all equipment functioning within its facility. The GNL, which is dedicated to the study and prevention of emerging infectious diseases, will use IBM Maximo Asset Management Software to help automate, manage and ensure the performance of its 3,000 operating assets in one of the world's most complex medical research environments.

24 Feb 2010

Sentry BioPharma Services to warehouse and distribute influenza vaccines for CDC

Sentry BioPharma Services announced today that The Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) selected Sentry to store and distribute influenza vaccine in support of its national strategic reserve. Sentry will warehouse and distribute vaccine from its cGMP, FDA-registered facility located in Indianapolis, Ind. Sentry's vast experience storing and transporting regulated, temperature-sensitive pharmaceutical products will ensure product integrity, supply chain security and fast, efficient distribution of the disease-preventing vaccines.

24 Feb 2010

Idera Pharmaceuticals presents IMO-3100 TLR antagonist mechanism of action data at Keystone conference

Idera Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today presented data on the mechanism of action of IMO-3100, an antagonist of Toll-like Receptor (TLR) 7 and TLR9, in a preclinical primate model at the Keystone Symposia conference “Tolerance and Autoimmunity” being held February 21-26 in Taos, New Mexico. Idera is developing IMO-3100 for the treatment of autoimmune diseases. The presentation entitled “IMO-3100, a novel antagonist, suppresses TLR7- and TLR9-mediated immune responses in non-human primates” was made by Idera scientists.

24 Feb 2010

LifeSciences British Columbia, UBC to host global summit on HIV/AIDS

LifeSciences British Columbia, the BC Centre of Excellence in HIV/AIDS, and the University of British Columbia will host a global summit on HIV/AIDS on Feb. 26th, 2010, against the backdrop of the 2010 Olympic Games.

24 Feb 2010

PointCare Technologies donates rapid PointCare NOW tests to Haitian clinics

PointCare Technologies, pioneer inventor of a portable diagnostic system that enables effective HIV/AIDS monitoring for millions of people in remote areas of developing countries, has donated 4,000 (a month's supply) of its rapid PointCare NOW tests to Haitian clinics to ensure the resumption of critical care to HIV/AIDS patients.

24 Feb 2010

Senate Committee report addresses U.S. government response to Haiti

A Senate Foreign Relations Committee report, written by two Senate staffers, who just returned from Haiti where they assessed relief efforts, draws attention to "immediate shelter and sanitation concerns" and voices "concern about the coordination of Washington's U.S. government response to Haiti," Politico's Laura Rozen writes on her blog. A link to the text of the report appears on Politico's Web site.

24 Feb 2010

Disease/Infection News

GAA urges Obama to continue support for global health programs

CDC ACIP's vote for universal influenza vaccination recommendation: FFF endorses

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

Internet-based surveillance helps confront infectious disease threats at mass gatherings

American Lung Association supports ACIP's recommendations for universal influenza immunization

New data shows Valortim antibody enhances human T cell response to B. anthracis

Chilean hospital's early use of antiviral treatment and aggressive measures helped reduce H1N1 cases

FDA approves Pfizer's Prevnar 13 pneumococcal conjugate vaccine

Anadys Pharmaceuticals' ANA598 combination demonstrates 73% cEVR in ongoing Phase II study for HCV

Welichem commences enrollment in WBI-1001 Phase IIa clinical trial for psoriasis

Researchers team up to monitor and assess potential infectious disease threats to Vancouver

Lack of knowledge and awareness impeding efforts to control HBV and HCV

Prochymal achieves response rate of 63% when used as rescue therapy in children suffering from GvHD

Phase III trial results of Osiris Therapeutics' Prochymal for GvHD to be presented at BMT Tandem Meeting

IBM Maximo software helps GNL ensure optimal performance of equipment in fight against emerging infectious diseases

Sentry BioPharma Services to warehouse and distribute influenza vaccines for CDC

Idera Pharmaceuticals presents IMO-3100 TLR antagonist mechanism of action data at Keystone conference

LifeSciences British Columbia, UBC to host global summit on HIV/AIDS

PointCare Technologies donates rapid PointCare NOW tests to Haitian clinics

Senate Committee report addresses U.S. government response to Haiti

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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