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Schering-Plough to present data on boceprevir at the AASLD 2009 Annual Meeting

Schering-Plough announced that data on boceprevir, an investigational hepatitis C virus (HCV) protease inhibitor, will be reported in an oral presentation at the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD) Annual Meeting in Boston, Oct. 30-Nov. 3.

19 Oct 2009

Children's Hospital Boston's CRAFFT substance abuse diagnostic test helps identify high risk sexual behavior

Alcohol and drug use are known contributors to adolescents engaging in dangerous sexual activity; leading to substantial health risks such as unwanted pregnancies, sexually transmitted illnesses, drug overdoses and alcohol poisonings. Yet, research suggests that fewer than half of pediatricians report screening patients for substance use and at-risk sexual behavior.

19 Oct 2009

Ardea Biosciences reports results of RDEA594 Phase 2a study for hyperuricemia and gout

Ardea Biosciences, Inc. announced additional positive results from the completed first cohort of an ongoing Phase 2a, proof-of-concept study of RDEA594, its lead product candidate for the treatment of hyperuricemia and gout.

19 Oct 2009

Vaccinations and preventative hygiene routines can help protect families from H1N1

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 37 states in the U.S. now report widespread influenza activity - and nearly all influenza cases reported to the health authority are 2009 H1N1, also known as swine flu. However, with the release of a 2009 H1N1 vaccine this week, parents have a new preventative tool to help keep their families safe from illness.

19 Oct 2009

XenoPort commences Phase 2b arbaclofen placarbil clinical trial for treating gastroesophageal reflux disease

XenoPort, Inc. announced today that it has initiated a Phase 2b clinical trial of arbaclofen placarbil (AP), also known as XP19986, in patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) who remain symptomatic despite treatment with a proton pump inhibitor (PPI). The trial is a multi-center, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study designed to assess the efficacy and safety of AP as adjunctive therapy to PPIs.

19 Oct 2009

Viriom picks ChemDiv's Russian subsidiary for development of innovative HIV compounds

ChemDiv, Inc. of San Diego has proudly announced that its wholly owned subsidiary Chemical Diversity Research Institute (CDRI ) of Moscow, Russia, has been chosen by Viriom Ltd. ( Viriom) of Moscow, Russia as a service partner in developing innovative HIV compounds. The program includes pre-clinical and clinical studies, which are expected to begin in 2010.

19 Oct 2009

IL-2 compound ineffective against HIV-AIDS

An international research team has demonstrated that treating HIV-AIDS with interleukin-2 (IL-2) is ineffective. As a result, the researchers recommend that clinical trials on this compound be stopped.

19 Oct 2009

Majority of girls and young women well aware of HPV vaccine's benefits and limitations

Contrary to concerns that the human papillomavirus vaccine might promote promiscuity, a national survey of girls and young women found that the majority of respondents did not believe the HPV vaccine protected them against other sexually transmitted infections.

19 Oct 2009

TheraDoc commences beta testing of new computerized patient surveillance tool

TheraDoc®, the leading provider of clinical decision support technology in healthcare, today announced that it has started beta testing of a new computerized patient surveillance tool that will help hospitals monitor and manage screening programs for multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs), such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA, which every year kills more people in the United States than AIDS.

19 Oct 2009

Pork consumption is safe, says USDA scientists

"USDA has confirmed that hogs at the Minnesota State Fair may have screened positive for the novel H1N1 virus. USDA's National Veterinary Services Laboratories expects to have confirmatory results within the next few days. This event is not unexpected given that much like humans, hogs can contract influenza viruses.

19 Oct 2009

Focus Diagnostics' 2009 H1N1 influenza virus test granted FDA emergency use authorization

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today issued a second emergency use authorization (EUA) to Focus Diagnostics, the infectious disease diagnostics business of Quest Diagnostics Incorporated, for its 2009 H1N1 influenza virus test. With the EUA, Focus Diagnostics is the only company in the U.S. to offer test kits for detecting the pandemic 2009 H1N1 virus that the FDA has authorized for emergency use by CLIA high-complexity labs, which include certain hospital and regional labs.

19 Oct 2009

New scientific journal from Elsevier

Elsevier, a world-leading publisher of scientific, technical and medical information products and services announced today the launch of a new peer-reviewed scientific journal, Spatial and Spatio-temporal Epidemiology (http://www.elsevier.com/locate/sste).

19 Oct 2009

Inaccurate body temperature readings can harm the entire health care system

As we head into a flu season where the 2009 H1N1 swine flu is expected to cause increased sickness, hospitalization and deaths across the U.S., something as simple as inaccurate body temperature measurements may lead to social and economic turmoil – and may cause many more deaths.

19 Oct 2009

Mothers receiving HAART less likely to transmit HIV virus to their newborns through breastfeeding

Mothers receiving highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) to treat HIV-1 infection are less likely than untreated mothers to transmit the virus to their newborns through breastfeeding, according to a new study.

19 Oct 2009

Aurora Visiting Nurse Association to suspend its seasonal flu vaccination clinics

Delays in shipments from vaccine manufacturers will force the Aurora Visiting Nurse Association of Wisconsin to suspend its seasonal flu vaccination clinics throughout eastern Wisconsin.

19 Oct 2009

WHO, UNICEF publish plan to reduce childhood diarrhea deaths

The WHO and UNICEF have released a seven-point treatment and prevention plan to reduce the number of children around the world who die from diarrhea, the BBC reports (10/14). BMJ News writes, "Every year 1.5 million children aged under 5 years die from diarrhoea, more than 80% of them in Africa and south Asia" (Zarocostas, 10/14).

19 Oct 2009

Recent releases in global health

In light of a recent Guttmacher Institute report that indicated 70,000 women in developing countries die each year from unsafe abortion, a Lancet editorial outlines ways to reduce deaths, and says, "The current political climate is favourable, because the global-gag rule (the U.S. Government's policy on banning funding of foreign organisations linked to any type of abortion practice) is out of favour" (10/17).

19 Oct 2009

International human migration needs to be factored into infectious disease policy

When people travel, bacteria and other infectious agents travel with them. As about a billion people cross international borders each year, many more billions of the bugs come along for the ride.

19 Oct 2009

FDA urges consumers to exercise care on online H1N1 drug products

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today warned consumers to use extreme care when purchasing any products over the Internet that claim to diagnose, prevent, treat or cure the H1N1 influenza virus.

19 Oct 2009

Over 80 countries mark world handwashing day

VOA News reports that more than 80 countries marked Global Handwashing Day Thursday. The news service writes that "[d]iarrhea is the third cause of death in West and Central Africa, which is responsible for 30 percent of the world's deaths of children under the age of five."

19 Oct 2009

Disease/Infection News

Schering-Plough to present data on boceprevir at the AASLD 2009 Annual Meeting

Children's Hospital Boston's CRAFFT substance abuse diagnostic test helps identify high risk sexual behavior

Ardea Biosciences reports results of RDEA594 Phase 2a study for hyperuricemia and gout

Vaccinations and preventative hygiene routines can help protect families from H1N1

XenoPort commences Phase 2b arbaclofen placarbil clinical trial for treating gastroesophageal reflux disease

Viriom picks ChemDiv's Russian subsidiary for development of innovative HIV compounds

IL-2 compound ineffective against HIV-AIDS

Majority of girls and young women well aware of HPV vaccine's benefits and limitations

TheraDoc commences beta testing of new computerized patient surveillance tool

Pork consumption is safe, says USDA scientists

Focus Diagnostics' 2009 H1N1 influenza virus test granted FDA emergency use authorization

New scientific journal from Elsevier

Inaccurate body temperature readings can harm the entire health care system

Mothers receiving HAART less likely to transmit HIV virus to their newborns through breastfeeding

Aurora Visiting Nurse Association to suspend its seasonal flu vaccination clinics

WHO, UNICEF publish plan to reduce childhood diarrhea deaths

Recent releases in global health

International human migration needs to be factored into infectious disease policy

FDA urges consumers to exercise care on online H1N1 drug products

Over 80 countries mark world handwashing day

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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