Disease/Infection News

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African leaders to form alliance to eliminate malaria deaths

African leaders, who are scheduled to meet in New York on Wednesday, are expected to launch an effort - the African Leaders Malaria Alliance (ALMA) - to eliminate all malaria deaths on the continent by 2015, the Daily Independent/allAfrica.com reports (Shokunbi, 9/22).

23 Sep 2009

Sanofi Pasteur receives additional order H1N1 vaccine

Sanofi Pasteur, the vaccines division of the sanofi-aventis Group (EURONEXT: SAN and NYSE: SNY), announced today that the company has received an additional order from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to produce vaccine to help protect against the Influenza A (H1N1) 2009 virus. The new order is for the production of bulk antigen equivalent to 27.3 million doses based on 15 mcg of antigen per dose.

22 Sep 2009

Event: How to prepare for flu season and reduce spread of H1N1

HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and Education Secretary Arne Duncan will hold a town hall meeting with students and faculty at George Mason University to discuss how to prepare for flu season and reduce the spread of the H1N1 virus on September 22, 2009.

22 Sep 2009

Millions of H1N1 healthcare consent forms - how to manage them?

As health officials prepare to roll out millions of H1N1 swine flu vaccines this fall, many are contemplating whether to get the shot or risk coming down with the illness. Yet for officials at the state and local level, the question isn’t whether to get the shot, but what to do with the millions of pages of healthcare forms that will begin piling up once the shot becomes available later this year.

22 Sep 2009

China SFDA awards Jiangsu Yanshen a new drug certificate and production license for its H1N1 vaccine

Simcere Pharmaceutical Group (NYSE: SCR) ("Simcere" or the "Company"), a leading manufacturer and supplier of branded generic and innovative pharmaceuticals in China, today announced that Jiangsu Yanshen Biological Technology Stock Co., Ltd ("Jiangsu Yanshen"), in which Simcere holds a 37.5% stake, was awarded a new drug certificate and production license from China's State Food and Drug Administration (SFDA) on September 18 for Jiangsu Yanshen's H1N1 vaccine.

22 Sep 2009

CDC recommends seasonal influenza vaccination to counter H1N1

Public health experts, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), recommend seasonal influenza vaccination as the first line of defense this year in protecting against the influenza virus.

22 Sep 2009

Antigen to block infection by genetically-diverse strains of HIV

Scientists working to develop a vaccine for the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) report they have created the first antigen that induces protective antibodies capable of blocking infection of human cells by genetically-diverse strains of HIV. The new antigen differs from previously-tested vaccines by virtue of its chemically-activated property that enables close sharing of electrons and produces strong covalent bonding.

22 Sep 2009

PeriGen’s protocol bundle to prevent H1N1 in pregnant women

PeriGen, Inc., today announced the release of its Influenza Prevention and Treatment Bundle to its North American client hospitals. In advance of the approaching flu season, PeriGen’s protocol bundle will help clinicians follow recommended guidelines for screening, preventing and treating as well as accurately reporting cases of seasonal flu and H1N1 (“Swine Flu”) to state and local officials.

22 Sep 2009

U.S. HHS orders for an additional 29 million doses of MedImmune's influenza vaccine

MedImmune announced today that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has placed an order for an additional 29 million doses of its live attenuated influenza vaccine (LAIV) against the 2009 H1N1 influenza virus. This brings HHS orders to date to more than 40 million vaccine doses, with a total cumulative contract value of approximately $453 million.

22 Sep 2009

GeoVax requests FDA meeting to discuss IND for its therapeutic HIV/AIDS vaccine

GeoVax Labs, Inc. (OTC Bulletin Board: GOVX) (the "Company"), an Atlanta-based, biopharmaceutical company developing human vaccines for diseases caused by HIV-1 (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) and other infectious agents, today announced that it has requested a pre-Investigational New Drug (IND) meeting with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to discuss a proposed IND for GeoVax's therapeutic vaccine as a treatment for individuals infected with HIV/AIDS.

22 Sep 2009

Results from a trial testing a 2009 H1N1 influenza vaccine in children look promising

Early results from a trial testing a 2009 H1N1 influenza vaccine in children look promising, according to the trial sponsor, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health.

22 Sep 2009

Bi-directional health information exchange to deal with disease outbreaks

Building upon four decades of research and real world operation of electronic medical records and health information exchange, Regenstrief Institute researchers have developed, tested and are now operating innovative technologies to allow for the bi-directional flow of evidence-based medical information between clinical sources and public health organizations.

22 Sep 2009

LSA's BCP in place to tackle demand for language assistance in the event of a potential swine flu pandemic

LSA (Language Services Associates), a leading provider of premium language-based solutions, today announced its comprehensive business continuity plan (BCP) for the 2009-2010 flu season. The strategy, which was devised by LSA’s BCP project management team, has been created to ensure the company is prepared for an increase in demand for language assistance in the event of a potential Swine Flu pandemic.

22 Sep 2009

Update from Cannabis Science regarding its phytocannabinoid pharmaceutical products

Cannabis Science Inc. (NASD OTCBB: CBIS) an emerging pharmaceutical cannabis company, is pleased to report progress for its phytocannabinoid pharmaceutical products to help reduce ARDS-associated deaths from both the Avian and Swine Influenza infections.

22 Sep 2009

AHF’s first AIDS treatment center to open in Washington, DC

AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), the US’ largest non-profit HIV/AIDS healthcare provider, which provides medical care and/or services to more than 100,000 individuals in 21 countries worldwide, is honored to announce the September 24th grand opening of AHF’s first AIDS treatment center in Washington, DC, where the HIV rate is now reported to be 3%—higher than the rate in Lagos, Nigeria. The health care center, AHF’s first to be named in honor of Hollywood actor and longtime AIDS advocate Blair Underwood, will include a state-of-the-art, full-service HIV/AIDS treatment clinic as well as an on-site AHF Pharmacy. The facility will be known as the AHF Blair Underwood Clinic.

22 Sep 2009

Bacterium responsible for outbreaks identified

University of Central Florida Microbiology Professor Keith Ireton has uncovered a previously unknown mechanism that plays an important role in the spread of a deadly food-borne bacterium.

22 Sep 2009

Duke University awarded $19.5M to design a portable viral infection detection device

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), the research arm of the U.S. Department of Defense, has awarded Duke University $19.5 million for an effort led by the Duke Institute for Genome Sciences & Policy (IGSP) to design a portable, easy-to-use diagnostic device that can reveal who is infected with an upper respiratory virus before the first cough or sneeze.

22 Sep 2009

VeriChip granted exclusive license to virus triage detection system patents

VeriChip Corporation (“VeriChip”) (NASDAQ: CHIP) and its development partner RECEPTORS LLC, a technology company whose AFFINITY by DESIGN™ chemistry platform can be applied to the development of selective binding products, announced today that VeriChip has been granted an exclusive license to RECEPTORS' Patent No. 7,504,364 titled “Methods of Making Arrays and Artificial Receptors” and Patent No. 7,469,076 “Sensors Employing Combinatorial Artificial Receptors,” in their application to the development of the virus triage detection system for the H1N1 virus.

21 Sep 2009

U.N. report calls for $1.48B to help developing nations cope with H1N1

The U.N. this week will request that wealthy nations and development banks donate $1.48 billion to help developing countries fight H1N1 (swine flu), Bloomberg reports. "Most of the money is needed for vaccines and drugs … to help the least-developed nations cope with the influenza pandemic, according to a U.N. report obtained" Monday by the news service.

21 Sep 2009

Nanoviricides and Southern Research sign agreement to test anti-Influenza and anti-HIV drug candidates

NanoViricides, Inc. (OTC BB: NNVC.OB) (the "Company"), reported today that it has signed a “Master Service Agreement” with the Southern Research Institute (“Southern Research”), Birmingham, AL. Southern Research is a well established, prestigious institution that has performed preclinical testing services for several vaccines and antivirals.

21 Sep 2009