Influenza News and Research

Latest Influenza News and Research

PURE Bioscience introduces new Hard Surface disinfectant

PURE Bioscience, Inc., creator of the patented silver dihydrogen citrate antimicrobial, today announced the launch of its proprietary new brand, PURE Hard Surface disinfectant and food contact surface sanitizer at the 2011 California State PTA Annual Convention being held April 28 - May 1 in Long Beach, California.

28 Apr 2011

EPO grants patent to Microbix' VIRUSMAX vaccine enhancement technology

Microbix Biosystems Inc., a biotechnology company commercializing novel technologies to enhance vaccine production yields, and other innovative biologics, announced today that the European Patent Office recently granted patent protection for the company's proprietary VIRUSMAX technology, which is designed to increase influenza vaccine yields and has demonstrated an average yield increase of at least two-fold over current vaccine production methods.

27 Apr 2011

New study sheds light on evolution of 2009 pandemic influenza A(H1N1) virus in Japan

Analysis of mutations of the 2009 pandemic influenza A(H1N1) virus by researchers at the RIKEN Omics Science Center (OSC) has revealed major genetic differences between the virus in its early phase of infection in Japan and in its peak phase. While yielding valuable clues on the genetic origins of drug resistance, the findings also pave the way toward the development of new diagnostic kits for detecting and preventing the spread of global pandemic diseases.

26 Apr 2011

FDA grants Cepheid marketing clearance for Xpert Flu diagnostic test

Cepheid today announced it has received clearance from the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) to market Xpert® Flu. The diagnostic test, which runs on Cepheid's GeneXpert® System, simultaneously detects and differentiates Influenza A, Influenza B, and the 2009 H1N1 influenza virus in about one hour.

26 Apr 2011

Avian flu remains endemic in six countries, could take at least a decade to eradicate, FAO says

It will take at least 10 years to eradicate the H5N1 virus from poultry in the six countries where it is endemic, the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization said in a report released on Thursday, Agence France-Presse reports.

25 Apr 2011

Ahead of Immunization Week, WHO calls for countries to come together to control measles outbreak in Europe

WHO is urging countries in Europe to join together to help control the measles outbreak that has grown to more than 6,500 cases in 33 countries and the potential for worsening outbreaks "in the days ahead as people travel during the Easter holidays," U.N. News Centre reports.

25 Apr 2011

Sanofi Pasteur receives FDA approval for Menactra to prevent meningococcal disease

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved the use of Menactra in children as young as 9 months for the prevention of invasive meningococcal disease caused by Neisseria meningitidis serogroups A, C, Y and W-135. Menactra already is approved for use in people ages 2 through 55 years.

24 Apr 2011

BioCryst's BCX4208 study results in gout to be presented at EULAR meeting

BioCryst Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced the presentation of clinical results related to BCX4208 for the treatment of gout at the Annual European Congress of Rheumatology hosted by the European League Against Rheumatism in London, England.

22 Apr 2011

GM-SCF therapy can reduce flu symptoms and prevent death

New research on mice has shown that pulmonary administration of granulocyte macrophage-colony stimulating factor significantly reduces flu symptoms and prevents death after a lethal dose influenza virus.

22 Apr 2011

Meridian Bioscience second quarter net sales increases 32% to $41.1 million

Meridian Bioscience, Inc., today reported fiscal 2011 second quarter and six months net sales of $41.1 million and $78.3 million, respectively, increases of 32% and 6%, respectively, from the same periods of the prior fiscal year;

21 Apr 2011

Baxter’s first quarter global sales increase 12% to $3.3 billion

Baxter International Inc. today announced strong financial results for the first quarter of 2011, and raised its outlook for full-year 2011.

From Baxter International Inc. 21 Apr 2011

Gilead, MicroDose enter collaboration for inhalable small molecule antiviral fusion inhibitor MDT-637

Gilead Sciences, Inc. and MicroDose Therapeutx, Inc. today announced that the companies have entered into an exclusive worldwide license and collaboration agreement for the development and commercialization of MDT-637, MicroDose's inhalable small molecule antiviral fusion inhibitor for the treatment of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).

20 Apr 2011

Countries agree to draft framework on virus sharing, WHO says

After almost four years of negotiations, the WHO on Saturday announced it had reached an agreement on sharing flu virus samples, Agence-France Presse reports.

19 Apr 2011

Transgene, Inovio and ChronTech collaborate for novel vaccine phase I trial in HCV

Inovio Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a leader in the development of therapeutic and preventive vaccines against cancers and infectious diseases, announced today it has signed a collaboration agreement with Transgene S.A. and ChronTech Pharma AB to evaluate a novel therapeutic vaccination strategy against genotype 1 hepatitis C virus in a phase I clinical study.

18 Apr 2011

Positive results from Nabriva's BC-3781 Phase II trial in ABSSSI

Nabriva Therapeutics today announced the successful results of a Phase II clinical trial of BC-3781 in acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections.

18 Apr 2011

Legionnaire’s bug in Playboy mansion hot tub

Health officials have been able to trace the cause of the outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease after a two-month investigation. They found the bug in the hot tub of the Playboy mansion.

17 Apr 2011

Virus-sharing draft agreement very close; U.S. yet to formally approve, Reuters reports

A draft agreement that would ensure countries would share virus samples in exchange for access to affordable vaccines derived from such samples in the event of a pandemic is nearly complete, senior diplomats told Reuters on Thursday.

16 Apr 2011

WHO group hopes to have virus-sharing draft agreement finalized by Friday

Countries are narrowing in on a "deal to speed up their response to the next flu pandemic by sharing virus samples in return for access to affordable vaccines," co-chairs of a WHO working group told reporters on Tuesday, Reuters reports.

15 Apr 2011

Novartis, Duke sign deal to develop pandemic flu vaccine

The Duke Human Vaccine Institute today announced a collaboration and strategic agreement with Novartis Vaccines and Diagnostics to enable the rapid development of a vaccine and accelerate preparedness in case of a pandemic virus threat such as pandemic influenza.

15 Apr 2011

Enigma initiates ML system trial in patients with influenza

Enigma Diagnostics announced today that it has commenced clinical trials for its intended point of care Enigma ML Influenza A/B detection assay. Enigma will submit its application to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for approval of the assay in 2012.

11 Apr 2011