Vaccine News and Research

Latest Vaccine News and Research

Bird flu, WHO and Indonesia

The World Health Organization (WHO) has announced that Indonesia will no longer require an outside laboratory to confirm test results for bird flu.

16 May 2007

Dealing with emerging diseases

The outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in 2002 was a loud wake-up call for researchers studying infectious diseases.

16 May 2007

Indonesia demands 'a fair go' for poor countries over bird flu vaccines

Indonesia has taken the lead in demanding that poor countries have equal access to bird flu vaccines.

15 May 2007

New blood pressure drug derived from sea creature promises to save millions of lives

Scientists in Britain say they have developed a new vaccine for people suffering from hypertension; they say the vaccine will control blood pressure and has the potential to save millions of lives.

15 May 2007

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the United States says FluMist, an influenza vaccine made by MedImmune appears to be safe for young children even though the influenza vaccine is still under review.

15 May 2007

Oral sex 'ups' the risk of throat cancer

According to scientists in the U.S. a virus contracted through oral sex is the cause of some throat cancers.

14 May 2007

Research shows that pigs get hepatitis E virus early enough to minimise the risk of human infection

The scenario humans need to worry about would occur if the infection rate in pigs drops. At low infection rates, there is actually a higher chance pigs will pass on HEV to humans at slaughter.

11 May 2007

New treatment for warts

A clinical trial treating the papillomaviruses responsible for genital warts was on target at the halfway mark, according to Australian of the Year 2006 Professor Ian Frazer and trial manager, sexual health specialist Dr David Jardine

10 May 2007

Human papillomavirus linked to throat cancers

Researchers at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center have conclusive evidence that human papillomavirus (HPV) causes some throat cancers in both men and women.

10 May 2007

Project unites U.S., Singapore and Indonesia in the fight against bird flu

Indonesia the nation worst hit by bird flu is clearly struggling to cope with the deadly virus but has now joined with close neighbour Singapore to control the spread of the H5N1 virus.

9 May 2007

Experts explain China's mystery pig disease

According to media reports a mysterious disease has killed thousands of pigs in China's southern Guangdong province.

9 May 2007

Predicting the next pandemic

In planning for a future influenza pandemic, most experts agree that two things are known for certain, there will be another pandemic someday, and nobody can predict when.

9 May 2007

Hydrogel to tackle H5N1

Influenza virus H5N1, which caused the recent outbreak of avian flu, may have a new enemy.

9 May 2007

Assessment of state immunization requirements for healthcare workers and patients

A new study shows wide state-to-state variations in laws regulating vaccinations for health care workers and patients, setting the stage for future research to determine whether more laws could serve as effective tools to combat infectious diseases.

9 May 2007

New vaccine breakthrough for respiratory syncytial virus

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection is a widespread infant illness that has been linked to asthma and can be deadly but may be curable by the development of this new vaccine technology by the Sir Albert Sakzewski Virus Research Centre and The University of Queensland's Faculty of Biological and Chemical Sciences.

9 May 2007

Researchers identify immune dysfunction in melanoma patients

Researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine have begun to shed light on why the human immune system isn't able to stop such cancers as melanoma, suggesting answers that could pave the way for better treatment of this often-fatal illness.

9 May 2007

Sigma-Aldrich acquires Molecular Medicine BioServices

Sigma-Aldrich Corporation has announced that it has acquired Molecular Medicine BioServices Inc. (MMB), a biopharmaceutical contract manufacturing organization (CMO) located in Carlsbad, California, to further enhance the biologics capabilities within its SAFC Pharma business segment.

9 May 2007

FluMist may help reduce the burden of seasonal influenza

MedImmune, Inc. has announced research results showing that use of FluMist(R) (Influenza Virus Vaccine Live, Intranasal) in daycare and school settings may help reduce the burden of seasonal influenza.

9 May 2007

Promising new target for brain tumor therapy

A drug that targets the body's immune cells may be effective in treating malignant brain tumors, according to a new study led by researchers from Duke's Preston Robert Tisch Brain Tumor Center.

9 May 2007

Abbott seeks U.S. and E.U. approvals for Humira as a treatment for juvenile rheumatoid arthritis

Abbott has announced it has simultaneously submitted a supplemental Biologics License Application (sBLA) with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and a Type II Variation to the European Medicines Agency (EMEA) seeking approval to market HUMIRA (adalimumab) as a treatment for juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA) in the U.S. and juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) in the European Union (EU).

9 May 2007