Pneumonia News and Research

Latest Pneumonia News and Research

Gilead Sciences announces Quad regimen Phase II clinical trial results for HIV infection treatment

Gilead Sciences, Inc. today announced Phase II clinical trial results showing that its investigational fixed-dose, single-tablet "Quad" regimen of elvitegravir, cobicistat and Truvada (emtricitabine and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate) for the treatment of HIV infection maintained a high rate of virologic suppression through 48 weeks, exhibiting antiretroviral activity comparable to that of Atripla(efavirenz 600 mg/emtricitabine 200 mg/ tenofovir disoproxil fumarate 300 mg).

14 Sep 2010

Myconostica presents data of MycAssay for Pneumocystis detection

Myconostica Ltd, the UK-based medical diagnostic company developing and commercialising rapid and highly specific tests for life-threatening fungal infections, today presented positive data from a multi-centre prospective evaluation of MycAssay Pneumocystis, the Company's CE marked diagnostic product for detection of Pneumocystis DNA in respiratory samples.

13 Sep 2010

Oral health impacts systemic diseases: Report

It's not news that there is a significant link between one's oral health and overall health. Though studies are ongoing, researchers have known for quite some time that the mouth is connected to the rest of the body.Your mouth is the entry point of many bacteria,said Dr. Steven Grater, Pennsylvania Dental Association (PDA) member and general dentist from Harrisburg. To keep this bacteria from going into your body, cleaning your mouth (brushing, flossing and rinsing) is necessary.

13 Sep 2010

MRSA infection hVISA linked to mortality

A MRSA infection with a reduced susceptibility to the potent antibiotic drug vancomycin is linked to high mortality, according to a Henry Ford Hospital study.

12 Sep 2010

395 new vaccines being developed for infectious diseases: PhRMA

Critical challenges remain in the centuries-old battles against infectious diseases, particularly as bacteria and viruses mutate and as the threat of bioterrorism grows. Responding to this need, America's biopharmaceutical research companies this year have 395 new medicines and vaccines in the pipeline to fight infectious diseases. All 395 are in later stages of development, meaning in clinical trials or under Food and Drug Administration (FDA) review.

10 Sep 2010

One-third of Americans experience Hospital Acquired Infection: Xenex Healthcare survey

Nearly one-third of Americans have experienced a Hospital Acquired Infection (HAI) or have a friend or relative who contracted one, according to a new survey from Xenex Healthcare. HAIs (such as C. diff, MRSA, staph infections and pneumonia) are the fourth leading cause of death in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and while hospitals have stepped up efforts to prevent these deadly infections, more needs to be done.

9 Sep 2010

Illegal drug usage in older people reduces quality of life: Research

Health and social services are facing a new challenge, as many illicit drug users get older and face chronic health problems and a reduced quality of life. That is one of the key findings of research published in the September issue of the Journal of Advanced Nursing.

9 Sep 2010

Researchers reveal surface protein alteration mechanism of mycoplasma bacteria

Pathogenic bacteria have evolved a variety of mechanisms to avoid being killed by the immune systems of the humans and animals they invade. Among the most sophisticated is that practised by mycoplasmas, which regularly change their surface proteins to confuse the immune system. Recent work in the group of Renate Rosengarten and Rohini Chopra-Dewasthaly at the University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna has revealed surprising new details of the way they do so and at the same time raised important evolutionary questions.

9 Sep 2010

Data finds low risk of serious complications in 2009 H1N1 infection

An analysis of data from influenza cases in Wisconsin indicates individuals with 2009 H1N1 infections were younger than those with H3N2 (2007-2008), and that the risk of most serious complications was not higher in adults or children with 2009 H1N1 compared with recent seasonal strains, according to a study in the September 8 issue of JAMA.

8 Sep 2010

Personalized reminders effective in encouraging seniors to get annual flu shots

Personalized post cards or phone calls can be effective in encouraging more seniors to get their annual flu shots, according to a new review of evidence. Professional facilitators are also successful at urging providers to perform a suite of preventive services, including flu shots for seniors.

8 Sep 2010

Forest Laboratories' ceftaroline fosamil receives FDA Advisory Committee approval for CABP and cSSSI

Forest Laboratories, Inc. announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) Anti-Infective Drugs Advisory Committee voted 21 - 0 in favor of approval of ceftaroline fosamil for the treatment of community acquired bacterial pneumonia (CABP) and voted 18 - 0 in favor of approval for complicated skin and skin structure infections (cSSSI).

8 Sep 2010

miacom diagnostics presents rapid detection method for pneumonia causing pathogens

miacom diagnostics specializes on the development and production of medical tests for the detection of acute infectious diseases. In addition to its existing sepsis kits miacom, diagnostics is now presenting a further CE-marked product based on the same proprietary technology. It is targeted at the rapid detection of clinically most relevant pneumonia causing pathogens.

7 Sep 2010

Researchers reveal new details on bacterial cannibalism

Researchers at the University of California, San Diego have revealed new details about how cannibalistic bacteria identify peers suitable for consumption. The work, which employed imaging mass spectrometry, is a first step toward a broader effort to map all signaling molecules between organisms.

4 Sep 2010

Neutralizing key toxin associated with Staph aureus bacteria reduces severity of skin and soft-tissue damage

Scientists from the National Institutes of Health and University of Chicago have found a promising treatment method that in laboratory mice reduces the severity of skin and soft-tissue damage caused by USA300, the leading cause of community-associated Staphylococcus aureus infections in the United States.

2 Sep 2010

BARDA awards $27 million contract to Achaogen for antibiotic development

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) today awarded a contract to develop an antibiotic that could be used against possibly two types of bioterrorism as well as common infections that are becoming resistant to antibiotics.

31 Aug 2010

Achaogen receives contract from BARDA for developing ACHN-490 antibiotic treatment

Achaogen, a biopharmaceutical company discovering and developing innovative antibiotics to treat life-threatening, multi-drug resistant (MDR) bacterial infections, today announced the award of a contract with The Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), within the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

31 Aug 2010

Scientists develop microarray technology to create blood transcriptional signatures for infectious diseases

It may soon be possible to identify patients who will develop tuberculosis, as scientists have identified changes in the blood specific to the disease. These findings are from an international study published in the August 19 issue of Nature and conducted by doctors and researchers at Nationwide Children's Hospital using blood profiling techniques to understand infections.

30 Aug 2010

Study finds PCV7 vaccine reduces bacterial pneumonia infection in children

The number of children admitted to English hospitals with bacterial pneumonia decreased by a fifth in the two years following the introduction of a vaccine to combat the disease, according to a new study published today in the journal Thorax.

27 Aug 2010

Pathogens can delay entry into cells to ensure their survival, say researchers

Pathogens make themselves feel at home in the human body, invading cells and living off the plentiful amenities on offer. However, researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology, Berlin, together with colleagues at Harvard University, reveal an opposite strategy used to ensure infection success. Pathogens can actually delay their entry into cells to ensure their survival.

26 Aug 2010

Diarrhea, skin diseases increase among children in flood-affected areas of Pakistan: Survey

World Vision says assessments conducted over the last few days near the towns of Muzaffar Garh and Kot Addo in Punjab paint a bleak picture of the impact of the flooding. The Christian humanitarian organization says its reports from Sukkur in the Sindh Province are equally dire. Contaminated water, cramped living conditions and a lack of sanitation are contributing to a rapid increase in cases of diarrhea and skin diseases in children.

25 Aug 2010