Influenza News and Research

Latest Influenza News and Research

Control and containment key to combating avian influenza

Containing the bird flu virus to the greatest extent possible and reducing the risk of infection in poultry and farmed free-range ducks will help to prevent a global human influenza pandemic, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has announced.

24 Feb 2005

State-of-the-art computer technology to tackle deadly diseases such as influenza

Researchers at the University of Bath have won a £261,000 grant to use the latest software to produce a blueprint of a designer drug that could stop influenza and some other diseases from replicating in humans.

22 Feb 2005

Studies reveal methods viruses use to sidestep immune system

A series of studies by researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center sheds light on the mechanisms used by viruses to thwart a host's immune defenses and may aid in the development of more effective drugs to fight hepatitis C and West Nile viruses, as well as the flu and the common cold.

17 Feb 2005

School influenza vaccinations best strategy for slowing flu transmission

The best strategy for minimizing future influenza morbidity and mortality would be to concentrate vaccinations in school children and high-risk groups, according to a new research commentary by scientists at Emory University.

25 Jan 2005

Chinese medicines may be helpful in treating side effects of chemotherapy and symptoms of flu

New research reviews hint that traditional Chinese medicines may be helpful in treating side effects of chemotherapy and symptoms of flu. For now, however, the findings remain more tantalizing than conclusive.

24 Jan 2005

ID Biomedical begins development of pandemic influenza vaccine

ID Biomedical announced today that it has begun development of an experimental ("mock") vaccine against a strain of the influenza virus, H5N1, that experts believe could cause a deadly worldwide epidemic (pandemic) of influenza.

19 Jan 2005

FDA licenses Sanofi pasteur vaccine for protection against meningococcal disease

Sanofi pasteur, the vaccines business of the sanofi-aventis Group, announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has licensed Menactra (Meningococcal [Groups A, C, Y and W-135] Polysaccharide Diphtheria Toxoid Conjugate Vaccine) for protection against meningococcal disease in adolescents and adults aged 11-55 years.

17 Jan 2005

MHRA and FDA to inspect Chiron's Liverpool manufacturing facility

Chiron Corporation announced at a presentation at the 23rd Annual JPMorgan Healthcare Conference that the company anticipates that the UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), accompanied by U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) inspectors as observers, will conduct a series of inspections of Chiron's Liverpool manufacturing facility.

13 Jan 2005

Soy may reduce risk of cardiovascular disease

Every 34 seconds, an American man or woman dies of cardiovascular disease. Now, research suggests that a diet rich in soybean oil can help. Two new studies shed light on the power of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) to reduce heart disease risk. Soybean oil provides an excellent source of ALA, as do leafy greens, some nuts and flax.

12 Jan 2005

New tool to assess the quality of home health care

University of Michigan researchers are part of a team that has developed a new tool to assess the quality of home health care, with the goal of improving care and providing meaningful feedback about the care.

12 Jan 2005

Safety established for Vaxin's first flu vaccine in clinical trial

Vaxin Inc., a privately-held biotechnology company, has demonstrated, in a Phase I human clinical study, that the company's recombinant influenza vaccine provides a potential alternative to traditional flu vaccines.

12 Jan 2005

Novel vaccine that uses immune cells as factories to produce Her2/neu protein may offer a way to treat some breast cancers

Based on successful animal studies, a novel vaccine that uses immune cells as factories to produce Her2/neu protein may offer a way to treat some human breast cancers, say researchers at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center.

10 Jan 2005

Key genetic factor determines HIV/AIDS risk

People with more copies of a gene that helps to fight HIV are less likely to become infected with the virus or to develop AIDS than those of the same geographical ancestry, such as European Americans, who have fewer copies of the gene, according to a study funded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID).

10 Jan 2005

FDA clearance to test influenza vaccine, Fluviral

ID Biomedical Corporation announced today that it has received clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to begin immediate clinical testing of its influenza vaccine, Fluviral, in the United States under an Investigational New Drug application (IND).

7 Jan 2005

New compound Viprovex could save millions

The World Health Organization (WHO) and influenza experts worldwide are concerned that the recent appearance and widespread distribution of an avian influenza virus (Influenza A/H5N1) has the potential to ignite the next pandemic and potentially kill millions.

21 Dec 2004

20 new policies adopted by American Public Health Association

The American Public Health Association recently adopted 20 policies addressing a broad range of issues in public health from underage alcohol consumption and nutrition labeling in restaurants to the supply of flu vaccinations and threats to immigrants’ health care.

21 Dec 2004

More people live to be 100 in Switzerland than anywhere else in Europe

More people live to be 100 in Switzerland than anywhere else in Europe, and the country is one of the world leaders in the longevity stakes, reveals research in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health.

13 Dec 2004

New technology will advance our understanding of role of complex sugar chains decorating the surface of cells in the body

An international consortium of scientists lead by Dr. James Paulson of The Scripps Research Institute has created a technology that will advance our understanding of the role of complex sugar chains (glycans or carbohydrates) that decorate the surface of cells in the body.

8 Dec 2004

Chiron flu vaccine banned for a further three months

The Chiron Corporation, a vaccine manufacturer, were told today that the suspension of their licence for manufacturing influenza vaccine at the Speke factory in Liverpool, would continue for a further three months.

8 Dec 2004

HHS purchases 1.2 million doses of GSK's Fluarix flu vaccine

HHS Secretary Tommy G. Thompson has announced that the Food and Drug Administration authorized the use of GlaxoSmithKline influenza vaccine, Fluarix, in the United States under an Investigational New Drug application.

8 Dec 2004