Tuberculosis News and Research

Latest Tuberculosis News and Research

G20 summit opens in Seoul; development plan announcement expected

The world's biggest rich and emerging powers escalated a war of words over trade and currencies Thursday, as leaders opened a G20 summit [in Seoul, South Korea] struggling to iron out distortions that threaten global growth, Agence France-Presse reports in an article examining some of the major disputes.

11 Nov 2010

Abbott presents results of 2 pivotal HUMIRA studies at American College of Rheumatology meeting

Today, Abbott presents results from a pooled analysis of two pivotal HUMIRA® (adalimumab) studies, which look at patients with early and long-standing moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis (RA), at the American College of Rheumatology meeting in Atlanta.

10 Nov 2010

Pres. Obama emphasizes U.S.-Indian partnerships to track, fight diseases

On his final day in India as part of his 10-day Asia-Pacific tour, President Barack Obama on Monday addressed the joint session of the Indian Parliament in New Dehli, where he emphasized the importance of U.S.-Indian partnerships to tackle disease and improve education, Indo-Asian News Service/Hindustan Times reports (11/8).

10 Nov 2010

Grand Challenges Explorations projects receive new grants for tuberculosis research

Weill Cornell Medical College announced today that it was awarded two $100,000 grants from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation as part of the next phase of Grand Challenges Explorations, an initiative to encourage bold and unconventional ideas for global health.

10 Nov 2010

Fake antimalarial medications uncovered across Ghana

Substandard and counterfeit versions of thirteen key antimalarial medicines were uncovered in multiple locations across Ghana by the Medicines Quality Monitoring surveillance program. Set up by the Ghana Food and Drugs Board (FDB) in collaboration with the U.S. Pharmacopeial Convention (USP) and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the program samples antimalarials across the public and private sectors.

9 Nov 2010

New TB-drugome may help identify protein targets for tuberculosis

Researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine and the University of Leeds have linked hundreds of federally approved drugs to more than 1,000 proteins in Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the causative agent of tuberculosis (TB), opening new avenues to repurpose these drugs to treat TB.

9 Nov 2010

SIMPONI injection improves inflammation, structural damage in RA patients

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) analyses from two Phase 3 clinical trials showed that once every four week subcutaneous injections of SIMPONI (golimumab) 50 mg plus methotrexate resulted in statistically significant improvements in markers of inflammation and structural damage in patients with active rheumatoid arthritis (RA) compared with placebo plus methotrexate.

9 Nov 2010

New Yorker examines global TB diagnostic challenges

The New Yorker examines the challenges associated with treating tuberculosis across the world and looks at whether a rapid diagnostic test could prevent millions of deaths from the disease.

8 Nov 2010

TB Alliance launches three-drug combination trial for drug-sensitive and multidrug-resistant TB

In advance of the 41st Union World Conference, the Global Alliance for TB Drug Development (TB Alliance) today announced the launch of the first clinical trial to test a novel tuberculosis regimen in a new development paradigm designed to speed new treatments to patients. This novel three-drug combination shows promise to treat both drug-sensitive (DS-TB) and multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB), and alter the course of the TB pandemic by shortening and simplifying treatment worldwide.

8 Nov 2010

Laparoscopic surgery safe and effective for removing bowel tumours

Laparoscopic or 'keyhole' surgery is a safe, effective way of removing bowel tumours and should be offered to all patients undergoing surgery for colorectal cancer, according to researchers from the University of Leeds.

8 Nov 2010

Leaders discuss best practices, challenges for detecting counterfeit medications

During the opening of the 10th annual meeting of the International Society of Pharmacovigilance (ISoP) in Accra, Ghana, the country's "Vice President John Dramani Mahama on Wednesday called on member countries of the society to institute effective measures that would help detect fake and counterfeit drugs," Ghana News Agency reports.

8 Nov 2010

ACTEMRA reduces signs, symptoms in patients with rheumatoid arthritis

Genentech, Inc., a member of the Roche Group today announced updated data from a Phase III study (ROSE) that showed rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients receiving ACTEMRA (tocilizumab) experienced a rapid, measured response as early as one week after beginning ACTEMRA, and improvement in disease activity within four weeks.

8 Nov 2010

Tuberculosis on the rise in the UK

According to health authorities, tuberculosis (TB) – a severe lung infection that has killed millions in the past, is resurfacing again in the UK. Last year the number of cases reached more than 9,000, the highest number for nearly 30 years. The numbers were revealed by the Health Protection Agency in its annual report on tuberculosis this Thursday.

5 Nov 2010

Antigenics awarded $424,720 grant under QTDP program

Antigenics Inc. today announced that it has been awarded $424,720 in grants under the IRS' Qualifying Therapeutic Discovery Project (QTDP) program. The grants were awarded in recognition of our two qualifying programs: AG-707, a phase 1 therapeutic vaccine for the treatment of genital herpes and QS-21 Stimulon® adjuvant.

4 Nov 2010

Afinitor tablets decrease size of SEGA associated with tuberous sclerosis

The New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) today published a study that found patients taking Afinitor (everolimus) tablets experienced a decrease in the size of their subependymal giant cell astrocytoma (SEGA), a benign brain tumor associated with tuberous sclerosis (TS).

4 Nov 2010

Cempra to present information on solithromycin antimalarial agent at Atlanta Annual Meeting

Cempra Pharmaceuticals today announced abstracts to be presented on its novel fluoroketolide antibiotic, solithromycin (CEM-101), at the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene 59th Annual Meeting, November 3 to 7 in Atlanta. The abstracts will present new information on solithromycin's antimalarial activity. Additional data will demonstrate activity against Mycobacterium leprae.

4 Nov 2010

Immune Network to complete patient enrollment in Phase 2b imm01 trial for tuberculosis

Immune Network Ltd. a company in the business of discovery and development of immune-based therapies, today announced that patient enrollment will be completed next week for the company's future partner Immunitor's Phase 2b imm01 trial of V5 immunotherapy in 120 patients with tuberculosis.

3 Nov 2010

Novel technology using quantum dots increases drug uptake in lung injury

Researchers at the University at Buffalo have developed a novel technology using quantum dots that is expected to have major implications for research and treatment of tuberculosis, as well as other inflammatory lung diseases.

2 Nov 2010

Recent releases in Global Health

Global Fund Will Make 'Every Possible Effort' To Raise Additional Resources: Although pledges to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria at its recent replenishment meeting did not meet "the lowest estimate of demand," the Fund "will make every possible effort to raise the additional resources that we expect countries to request in the years ahead" through new donor recruitment and "innovative financing approaches," writes Executive Director Michael Kazatchkine in a Lancet comment

30 Oct 2010

China CDC signs collaborative agreement with Hutchinson Cancer Research Center

The Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (China CDC) and Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center today formalized an ongoing relationship by signing a collaboration agreement. It marks the first such agreement between the China CDC and a U.S. cancer research center.

29 Oct 2010