Influenza News and Research

Latest Influenza News and Research

Clinical trail shows 2009 H1N1 influenza vaccine safe and effective in asthma patients

Results from a government-sponsored clinical trial of inactivated 2009 H1N1 influenza vaccine in people with asthma indicate that a single dose of vaccine was safe and induced a strong immune response predictive of protection.

14 Dec 2010

Mouse study shows flu virus infection may protect against asthma

In a paper that suggests a new strategy to prevent asthma, scientists at Children's Hospital Boston and their colleagues report that the influenza virus infection in young mice protected the mice as adults against the development of allergic asthma.

14 Dec 2010

Intercell to stop further development of Travelers' Diarrhea Vaccine Patch

Intercell AG announced today preliminary clinical results on its investigational Travelers' Diarrhea (TD) Vaccine Patch program and the decision not to pursue further the development of this vaccine candidate. The decision was made following the receipt of results of its randomized and placebo-controlled Phase III study (ELT301) with 2036 travelers from Europe to Mexico and Guatemala as well as the pilot efficacy Phase II trial (ELT209) with 723 travelers from Europe to India.

13 Dec 2010

Vical's Vaxfectin adjuvant boosts immune response of DNA-based vaccines against cancer

Vical Incorporated announced today that the company's Vaxfectin® adjuvant has significantly boosted the immune response of DNA-based vaccines against a range of pathogens and cancer in preclinical models from rodents to non-human primates. Vaxfectin® has demonstrated similar effects with protein- and peptide-based vaccines in preclinical models.

13 Dec 2010

New groundbreaking research advances understanding of HIV

It is estimated that 38 million people worldwide are currently infected with HIV and that 4.1 million more are added each year. For scientists to design treatment therapies that are effective over the long-term it is essential to learn more about how the virus mutates and develops resistance to medications.

13 Dec 2010

Researchers develop statistical model to predict severity of seasonal influenza

Researchers have developed a statistical model for projecting how many people will get sick from seasonal influenza based on analyses of flu viruses circulating that season. The research, conducted by scientists at the National Institutes of Health, appears today in the open-access publication PLoS Currents: Influenza.

9 Dec 2010

Lung transplant saves economist from near-lethal bout of swine flu

According to the critical care experts at The Johns Hopkins Hospital who treated him, Allen Bagents, 24, of Arlington, Va., is the least likely person anyone ever expects to get sick, let alone suffer a six-week, potentially fatal bout with the swine flu, better known as H1N1 influenza.

8 Dec 2010

FDLI to launch Food and Drug Policy Forum publication in 2011

In 2011, the Food and Drug Law Institute will launch a new publication — FDLI"s Food and Drug Policy Forum. "The Policy Forum is designed to provide a new electronic marketplace for the exchange of ideas among food and drug law, regulation, and policy professionals," notes Susan C. Winckler, President and CEO of FDLI.

8 Dec 2010

SEEK reports Phase I safety trail for investigational flu vaccine

SEEK, a leading UK privately-owned drug-discovery group, today presented data on the successful conclusion of a Phase I safety and tolerability study for its investigational Universal Influenza Vaccine, FLU-v, at the World Influenza Congress in Amsterdam (7-9 December).

8 Dec 2010

Johnson & Johnson commences recommended cash offer for Crucell

Johnson & Johnson and Crucell N.V. today announced that Johnson & Johnson, through its newly formed indirect wholly owned subsidiary, JJC Acquisition Company B.V. (the Offeror), is making a recommended cash offer for all of the issued and outstanding ordinary shares (Ordinary Shares) in the capital of Crucell N.V. (Crucell), including all Ordinary Shares represented by American depositary shares (ADSs), each ADS representing one Ordinary Share at an offer price of EUR 24.75 per Share (the Offer).

8 Dec 2010

Early group daycare exposure protects kids from infections later: Study

A new study reassures parents that although young kids might get sick more often when they first start group childcare, these same kids get fewer infections later in their childhood. About one in three U.S. kids receives organized childcare before reaching kindergarten age, whether at a daycare center or a school.

7 Dec 2010

Interim results from Cytheris CYT107 Phase I clinical trial in TCD bone marrow transplant patients

Cytheris SA, a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company focused on research and development of new therapies for immune modulation, today announced interim results from a Phase I clinical trial of its investigational drug candidate, recombinant human Interleukin-7 (CYT107), in the treatment of post-transplant patients with T-cell depleted (TCD) bone marrow or peripheral blood stem cell transplants.

7 Dec 2010

Encouraging GenVec RSV vaccine program data presented at International Respiratory Syncytial Virus Symposium

GenVec, Inc. announced today that data were presented on GenVec's respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine program at the International Respiratory Syncytial Virus Symposium, which took place in Rotterdam, Netherlands on December 2-5, 2010. The presentation was given by Barney S. Graham, MD, PhD, Chief, Viral Pathogenesis Laboratory and Chief, Clinical Trials Core, at the Vaccine Research Center (VRC) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

7 Dec 2010

Studies highlight need for new antiviral treatment options and strategies

Two new studies raise public health concerns about increasing antiviral resistance among certain influenza viruses, their ability to spread, and a lack of alternative antiviral treatment options.

7 Dec 2010

Medication and blood transfusion reduce risk of recurrent strokes in young patients with sickle cell anemia

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital investigators discuss results of research into managing iron overload associated with stroke prevention in young sickle cell patients and the search for genetic predictors of stroke risk.

7 Dec 2010

NIH scientists consider prospects for universal influenza vaccine

The costly, time-consuming process of making, distributing and administering millions of seasonal flu vaccines would become obsolete if researchers could design a vaccine that confers decades-long protection from any flu virus strain. Making such a universal influenza vaccine is feasible but licensing it may require innovation on several fronts, including finding new ways to evaluate the efficacy of vaccine candidates in clinical trials, conclude scientists from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health.

7 Dec 2010

No evidence of toxicity in hemophilia B patients enrolled in gene therapy trial

Investigators report no evidence of toxicity in the four hemophilia B patients enrolled to date in a gene therapy trial using a vector under development at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and UCL (University College London) to correct the inherited bleeding disorder.

7 Dec 2010

Fraunhofer USA CMB receives FDA approval to initiate Phase I clinical trial of H5N1 influenza vaccine

Fraunhofer USA Center for Molecular Biotechnology announced today it has received approval from the Food and Drug Administration to proceed with the first human clinical trial of plant-produced H5N1 influenza vaccine.

6 Dec 2010

Amgen announces final study results of Nplate in adults with chronic ITP

Amgen Inc. today announced the final results from a 5-year open-label extension study investigating the long-term efficacy and safety of Nplate (romiplostim) in adult chronic immune (idiopathic) thrombocytopenic purpura. Chronic ITP is a serious autoimmune disorder characterized by low platelet counts in the blood (thrombocytopenia), which can lead to serious bleeding events.

6 Dec 2010

BioCryst reports Phase 2 trial data of forodesine in patients with CLL

BioCryst Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced the presentation of new data that confirms forodesine's clinical activity in the treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukemia at the 52nd Annual American Society of Hematology Meeting & Exposition being held in Orlando, Florida.

6 Dec 2010