Influenza News and Research

Latest Influenza News and Research

Gen-Probe to acquire Prodesse for $60 million in cash

Gen-Probe Incorporated announced today that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Prodesse, Inc., a privately held leader in molecular testing for influenza and other infectious diseases, for approximately $60 million in cash. Gen-Probe's purchase price could increase to up to $85 million if Prodesse achieves certain financial and regulatory milestones in 2010 and 2011.

7 Oct 2009

Parents should watch out for flu warning signs, says Minnesota physicians

Minnesota's physicians are urging parents to watch for the warning signs that their child is having a severe case of H1N1 and to seek out the H1N1 vaccine for their child when it becomes available.

7 Oct 2009

Pennsylvania to receive first doses of live attenuated pandemic H1N1 influenza vaccine

Pre-registered and certified providers in the southwest, southeast, and north-central regions of the state have begun to receive the first doses of the live attenuated pandemic H1N1 influenza vaccine, also known by the brand name FluMist, the Pennsylvania Department of Health said today.

7 Oct 2009

Get vaccinated against both H1N1 flu and the seasonal flu, advises Chief Nurse of the American Red Cross

With the first doses of the H1N1 (swine) flu vaccine being shipped and seasonal flu shots underway, people should be getting vaccinations when they can for these flu viruses, said Sharon Stanley, Chief Nurse of the American Red Cross.

7 Oct 2009

AARP recommends older adults to get seasonal flu vaccination this year

With the thermometer dropping and the onset of flu season upon us, AARP is reaching out to their membership and the public to encourage them to get a seasonal flu vaccine this year.

7 Oct 2009

Catalent Pharma Solutions' Corby packaging facility receives High Commendation recognition

Catalent Pharma Solutions announces that its commercial packaging facility in Corby, United Kingdom, received a High Commendation recognition in the Judge’s Special Award category, in the recently announced “2009 Best Factory Awards.” The Corby facility was nominated in several categories, including “Best Process Factory” and “Overall Best UK Factory.”

6 Oct 2009

U.S. lags behind industrialized countries on preventable deaths

The United States lags behind other wealthy countries on "preventable deaths," those caused by illnesses and injuries that should not kill at an early age, and it has been falling further behind over the past decade.

6 Oct 2009

PDS Biotechnology's Versamune-based immunotherapy drug demonstrates safety in preclinical studies

PDS Biotechnology Corporation today announced that the company has completed GLP toxicology studies of its lead HPV-cancer product. The studies, which included pharmacokinetic (PK) and adsorption, bio-distribution and excretion (ADE) studies in addition to the evaluation of toxicity, all demonstrated a very safe profile of the drug and PDS Biotech's platform Versamune((TM)) technology.

6 Oct 2009

Vivaldi receives US patent for live attenuated influenza vaccines

Vivaldi Biosciences Inc. (Vivaldi), a biotechnology company focused on development of vaccines for influenza, today announced that the United States Patent and Trademark Office has issued US Patent 7,588,768 covering live attenuated influenza vaccines (LAIVs) with modifications to the viral NS1 gene, and methods for producing the vaccines in cell culture systems.

6 Oct 2009

New study to boost immune cells for pathogen resistance and vaccine efficacy in elderly

A new study from the Trudeau Institute in Saranac Lake, New York, demonstrates that immune system cells important for both pathogen resistance and vaccine efficacy live longer in older animals but because of this longevity acquire functional defects. The work may provide new targets for boosting immune system function in older individuals.

6 Oct 2009

Inviragen, SingVax merge their complementary vaccine pipelines

Inviragen and SingVax have merged their complementary vaccine pipelines and their international product development capabilities to create a company that is developing a wide range of vaccines for infectious diseases prevalent in emerging economies.

6 Oct 2009

Fresenius Medical Care to offer seasonal influenza and H1N1 flu vaccines

As the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) predicts a more severe flu season this year, people with chronic health conditions are especially at risk and can develop a more severe illness from any influenza infection, including the H1N1 virus.

6 Oct 2009

High mortality rates may play a role in the evolution of human body size

A new study suggests that high mortality rates in small-bodied people, commonly known as pygmies, may be part of the reason for their small stature. The study, by Jay Stock and Andrea Migliano, both of the University of Cambridge, helps unravel the mystery of how small-bodied people got that way.

6 Oct 2009

U.N. officials highlight need for vaccine assistance to poor countries

U.N. officials on Sunday said that the H1N1 (swine flu) virus had arrived in poorer countries, highlighting a growing need for financial assistance and H1N1 vaccines for such regions, SAPA/News24.com reports.

6 Oct 2009

AVI BioPharma receives $11.5M DTRA fund to develop AVI-7012 for treating Junin virus infection

AVI BioPharma, Inc. a developer of RNA-based drugs, announced today that it has received expanded contract funding of approximately $11.5 million from the Defense Threat Reduction Agency's (DTRA) Transformational Medical Technologies Initiative (TMTI) to support development of the Investigational New Drug (IND) data package for its candidate drug, AVI-7012, to treat Junin virus infection.

5 Oct 2009

Baxter launches HYLENEX recombinant for pediatric rehydration at the 2009 ACEP

Baxter International Inc. today announced the commercial launch of HYLENEX recombinant (hyaluronidase human injection) for use in pediatric rehydration at the 2009 American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) scientific assembly (Boston). HYLENEX, an enzyme, allows fluids to be administered under the skin (subcutaneously) rather than through a vein.

From Baxter International Inc. 5 Oct 2009

Majority of Americans believe they are well-protected from H1N1

A new Harris poll, commissioned by SCA Tissue North America’s Tork® brand, reveals that 74 percent of U.S. adults say it is unlikely they will contract H1N1 this year.

5 Oct 2009

Theraclone and Zenyaku Kogyo sign multi-year research and development agreement

Theraclone Sciences, Inc., a Seattle-based biotechnology company, and Zenyaku Kogyo Co., Ltd., a pharmaceutical company based in Tokyo, today announced that they have entered into a multi-year research and development agreement.

5 Oct 2009

NanoViricides completes a number of financing activities

NanoViricides, Inc. (the "Company"), announced today that it has completed a number of financing activities.

5 Oct 2009

Inovio's SynCon H1N1 achieves protective antibody response against pandemic influenza in ferrets

Inovio Biomedical Corporation, a leader in DNA vaccine design, development and delivery, announced today that a combination of its synthetic consensus (SynConTM) H1N1 influenza vaccine candidates achieved protective antibody responses against the novel pandemic influenza A/H1N1 (2009) in 100% of tested ferrets.

5 Oct 2009