Influenza News and Research

Latest Influenza News and Research

Tufts University receives $185M grant as part of the USAID Emerging Pandemic Threats program

Tufts University has been tapped by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) as part of a multidisciplinary team that will receive a grant of up to $185-million to create better synergies among veterinarians, doctors, and public health officials in responding to emerging infectious diseases.

31 Oct 2009

Women may need smaller dose of H1N1 vaccine

THE emergence of the H1N1 swine flu has added urgency to what has become an annual ritual for millions of Americans: getting a flu shot. The good news is that scientists have developed a vaccine against the H1N1 virus. But it is taking much longer than expected to produce the hundreds of millions of doses the government had planned to distribute. And it is still too soon to know how effective the vaccine will be in preventing swine flu.

31 Oct 2009

Public concern can undermine flu vaccination campaigns

The effectiveness of pandemic flu vaccination campaigns - like that now underway for H1N1 - could be undermined by the public incorrectly associating coincidental and unrelated health events with the vaccines.

31 Oct 2009

sanofi-aventis reports financial results for the third quarter of 2009

In the third quarter of 2009, sanofi-aventis generated net sales of euro 7,400 million, up 8.0% on a reported basis. Exchange rate movements had a favorable effect of 2.0 percentage points, with the appreciation of the U.S. dollar (and to a lesser extent the yen) against the euro more than offsetting the unfavorable effects of some other currencies.

30 Oct 2009

Health officials stress the need for continued prevention efforts in view of H1N1 vaccine delay

Responding to delays in the nationwide distribution H1N1 flu vaccine, Department of Health officials today urged Pennsylvanians to continue to take steps to prevent the spread of illness.

30 Oct 2009

Mollen Immunization Clinics sets US record for administering 14,000 vaccinations in a single event

With just 36 hours notice from the Maricopa County Department of Public Health, Mollen Immunization Clinics administered over 14,000 vaccinations to high-risk groups throughout the county, one of the nation's largest with a population of four million residents.

30 Oct 2009

Scientists present new perspective on antigenic drift of flu viruses

Influenza viruses evade infection-fighting antibodies by constantly changing the shape of their major surface protein. This shape-shifting, called antigenic drift, is why influenza vaccines-which are designed to elicit antibodies matched to each year's circulating virus strains-must be reformulated annually.

30 Oct 2009

Most children visit hospitals with mild flu-like symptoms and fever

The CHU Sainte-Justine and The Montreal Children's Hospital of the McGill University Health Centre are currently seeing a significant increase in patients in their Emergency Departments. Children are arriving with mild flu-like symptoms and fever.

30 Oct 2009

Antioxidants may hold the key in preventing severe flu-related lung damage

As the nation copes with a shortage of vaccines for H1N1 influenza, a team of Alabama researchers have raised hopes that they have found an Achilles' heel for all strains of the flu-antioxidants. In an article appearing in the November 2009 print issue of the FASEB Journal (http://www.fasebj.org) they show that antioxidants-the same substances found in plant-based foods-might hold the key in preventing the flu virus from wreaking havoc on our lungs.

30 Oct 2009

TGen to secure emergency FDA approval for 2009 H1N1 flu test

The Phoenix-based non-profit Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) announced today that, along with a business collaborator, it will submit a request to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for emergency use of a new test to diagnose the 2009 H1N1 swine flu virus.

30 Oct 2009

FluGen's CHO-cell-based production system generates egg-free, 2009 H1N1 influenza vaccine virus

FluGen Inc., an emerging leader in the development, production and delivery of influenza vaccines, today announced that its proprietary CHO-cell-based production system has generated novel 2009 H1N1 influenza vaccine virus without the use of eggs during any step of production.

30 Oct 2009

Five-year program aimed at preventing future pandemic diseases awarded to DAI

DAI has been awarded a five-year program aimed at preventing future pandemics such as HIV/AIDS and H1N1.

30 Oct 2009

AstraZeneca bolsters revenue with Toprol-XL and H1N1 vaccine sales

AstraZeneca, Third quarter revenue increased by 10 percent at constant exchange rates (CER) to $8,200 million.

29 Oct 2009

Gen-Probe receives FDA emergency use authorization for its Prodesse ProFlu-ST test

Gen-Probe Incorporated today announced that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted an EUA (emergency use authorization) for its test, the Prodesse ProFlu-ST(TM), to be used in CLIA high complexity laboratories for the diagnosis of 2009 H1N1 influenza virus infection, aided by an algorithm that relies on seasonal influenza A/H1 virus and seasonal influenza A/H3 virus results, from a single sample in individuals who are diagnosed with influenza A by currently available FDA-cleared or authorized devices.

29 Oct 2009

BioCryst Pharmaceuticals reports fiscal 2009 third-quarter results

BioCryst Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced financial results for the quarter and nine months ended September 30, 2009 and provided a corporate update regarding clinical programs and potential emergency use of intravenous (i.v.) peramivir.

29 Oct 2009

Centene takes proactive approach to prevent influenza virus through its Fluvention program

Centene Corporation takes a proactive approach with education around how to prevent the influenza virus each year through its FluventionTM program.

29 Oct 2009

Simcere Pharmaceutical Group to control a 50.77% stake in Jiangsu Yanshen

Simcere Pharmaceutical Group, a leading pharmaceutical company specializing in the development, manufacturing, and marketing of branded generic and proprietary pharmaceuticals in China, today announced that it has entered into an agreement to acquire a 74.49% stake in ChinaVax, a Cayman Islands company that, as its sole business, holds a 13.27% stake in Jiangsu Yanshen Biological Technology Stock Co., Ltd. ("Jiangsu Yanshen").

29 Oct 2009

AAHP updates about the sale of homeopathic medicines to prevent the flu

Recent news articles regarding the scarcity of the "flu shot" (or influenza inoculations) have been widespread. The shortage of the material, due to manufacturing and regulatory issues, has led to increased interest in homeopathic Influenzinum.

29 Oct 2009

Comprehensive H1N1 influenza health information centre launched in Canada

Canadians are seeking credible information concerning the H1N1 (human swine flu) virus. As a leading Canadian source of ealth information, www.medbroadcast.com has launched a one-stop comprehensive national H1N1 (human swine flu) Influenza Health information centre (www.medbroadcast.com/H1N1). This information centre will help meet the needs of Canadians in search of useful, credible, and accurate H1N1 information.

29 Oct 2009

Impact of wellness programs on pharmaceutical, diagnostic and device markets

MarketResearch.com has announced the addition of Kalorama Information's new report, "The Market for Wellness Programs and Their Impact on Pharmaceutical, Diagnostic and Device Product Markets," to their collection of Healthcare market reports.

29 Oct 2009