Vaccine News and Research

Latest Vaccine News and Research

Microbix Biosystems receives Health Canada's marketing and export approval for KINLYTIC

Microbix Biosystems Inc. today announced that KINLYTIC (urokinase for injection) has been approved in Canada for marketing and export. Health Canada's issuance of a Drug Identification Number for KINLYTIC gives Microbix the opportunity to market the product in Canada and export the clot-busting therapy to markets worldwide.

11 Nov 2009

Also in Global Health: Child sexual abuse in Zimbabwe; dengue outbreak in Cape Verde; program reduces waste in Kenya slums

The Mail & Guardian examines how the "economic collapse" in Zimbabwe has contributed to rising numbers of children falling victims to sexual abuse. "A single clinic in the capital, Harare, says it has treated nearly 30,000 girls and boys who were abused in the past four years - an average of 20 per day." The article examines other contributing factors to the sexual abuse of children in Zimbabwe and a recent program that aims to make schools safe places for Zimbabwe's children (11/10).

11 Nov 2009

GSK to donate 50M H1N1 vaccine doses to WHO in coming months

Drugmaker GlaxoSmithKline announced plans on Tuesday to donate 50 million doses of its H1N1 (swine flu) vaccine to the WHO for use in developing countries within the next few months, Reuters reports. "We expect to start receiving [the first of the H1N1 doses] at the end of the month or early December and that the full 50 million will come by the end of spring," WHO spokesman Gregory Hartl said, adding, "We hope it is the first of many donations."

10 Nov 2009

Aduro BioTech raises funds through its Series A-1 financing

Aduro BioTech, a privately held biotechnology company focused on the development of therapeutic and prophylactic vaccines based on proprietary recombinant strains of the bacterium Listeria monocytogenes, today announced completion of its Series A-1 financing.

10 Nov 2009

BioVex completes $70M financing to complete OncoVEX Phase III study

BioVex Inc, a company developing new generation biologics for the treatment and prevention of cancer and infectious disease, announced today that it has concluded a $70 million private financing, raising $30 million in addition to the $40 million announced in March. The proceeds of the financing will primarily be used to complete the ongoing Phase III pivotal study of OncoVEX (GM-CSF) for the treatment of recurrent and metastatic melanoma and to fund pre-commercialization activities.

10 Nov 2009

NIH awards $6.8 million subcontract to Kineta to develop vaccine immune boosters

Kineta, Inc. announced today it has been awarded a $6.8 million subcontract from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), to develop novel vaccine adjuvants (agents that help boost the immune system). The Kineta subcontract is part of a larger $13 million award to the University of Washington.

10 Nov 2009

Study on how robust antibodies work to block the HIV virus raise hope for new vaccine

A very close and detailed study of how the most robust antibodies work to block the HIV virus as it seeks entry into healthy cells has revealed a new direction for researchers hoping to design an effective vaccine.

10 Nov 2009

H1N1 vaccine updates from Pennsylvania Department of Health

The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC, has allocated a total of 1,351,400 doses of H1N1 vaccine to Pennsylvania to date, the state Department of Health announced today.

10 Nov 2009

Novartis to acquire 85% stake in Zhejiang Tianyuan Bio-Pharmaceutical for US$125 million

Hard To Treat Diseases (HTDS.PK) www.htdsmedical.com, announced today that Novartis, a US$41 billion international healthcare company, is acquiring an 85% stake in HTDS' H1N1 Vaccine partner, Zhejiang Tianyuan Bio-Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., for US$125 million.

10 Nov 2009

Third quarter 2009 financial results announced by Akorn

Akorn, Inc. a specialty pharmaceutical company, today reported financial results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2009.

10 Nov 2009

Yo-yo dieting and sugar-bingeing can lead to anxiety and withdrawal symptoms

In research that sheds light on the perils of yo-yo dieting and repeated bouts of sugar-bingeing, researchers from The Scripps Research Institute have shown in animal models that cycling between periods of eating sweet and regular-tasting food can activate the brain's stress system and generate overeating, anxiety, and withdrawal-like symptoms.

10 Nov 2009

H1N1 cases increase in China, Japan; Afghanistan attempts to contain virus

The WHO on Friday reported on a rising number of H1N1 (swine flu) cases in China and Japan, Reuters/Washington Post reports. "In China, after an earlier wave of mixed influenza activity (seasonal H3N2 and pandemic H1N1), pandemic H1N1 influenza activity now predominates and is increasing," the agency said. "Sharp increases in pandemic flu infections continue to be reported throughout Japan, particularly on the northern island," the news service writes (Nebehay, 11/6).

10 Nov 2009

VOA News examines conculsion of MIM Pan-African Malaria Conference

The 5th Multilateral Initiative on Malaria (MIM) Pan-African Conference ended Friday in Nairobi, Kenya, " with scientists expressing optimism about several developments in the works to prevent, treat, and possibly eradicate a disease that kills nearly one million people in Africa each year," VOA News reports.

10 Nov 2009

TRICARE South Region beneficiaries urged to get H1N1 influenza vaccinations

Humana Military Healthcare Services, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Humana Inc. (NYSE: HUM), encourages TRICARE South Region beneficiaries to get their H1N1 influenza vaccinations in an effort to reduce the spread of the virus. Anticipating a greater need for the shots, the Department of Defense (DoD) is encouraging all military personnel to obtain the vaccines.

9 Nov 2009

VaxInnate licensed to use 3M Drug Delivery Systems' TLR agonists

3M Drug Delivery Systems has signed an agreement with VaxInnate Corporation under which VaxInnate acquires the use of 3M’s patented toll-like receptor (TLR) agonists for use as vaccine adjuvants. Data suggest that 3M’s TLR agonists could enhance vaccine potency, potentially enabling VaxInnate to develop vaccines that provide faster, more robust protection.

9 Nov 2009

Positive study data from Zosano Pharma's ZP-PTH transdermal patch for treating osteoporosis

Zosano Pharma, Inc., a privately held pharmaceutical company developing products using a novel transdermal delivery technology, announced publication in the current issue of the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism of results from a positive phase 2 study of its rapid-delivery transdermal patch (ZP-PTH) for the treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis.

9 Nov 2009

Caliper Life Sciences announces financial results for third quarter ended September 30, 2009

Caliper Life Sciences, Inc. today reported results for its third quarter ended September 30, 2009. GAAP revenues increased by 4% to $32.2 million, from non-GAAP revenues of $31.0 million in the same period of 2008, which represents GAAP revenue of $34.0 million in the third quarter of 2008 reduced by $3.0 million for the impact of divested product lines.

9 Nov 2009

Cellular mechanisms that may impact immune functions in the elderly discovered

Investigators discover cellular mechanisms that may impact the decline of both innate and adaptive immune functions that increase the susceptibility to various infectious agents, cancer and diseases in the elderly say experts at the annual meeting of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI) in Miami Beach, Fla.

9 Nov 2009

Poll examines the American public's response to H1N1 vaccine shortage

A new national poll from Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) researchers found that a majority of adults who tried to get the H1N1 vaccine for themselves or their children have been unable to do so. The poll, which examines the American public's response to the H1N1 vaccine shortage, is the fifth in a series of surveys of public views concerning the H1N1 flu outbreak undertaken by the Harvard Opinion Research Program at HSPH.

7 Nov 2009

PPD acquires Excel PharmaStudies

PPD, Inc. today announced it has completed its acquisition of Excel PharmaStudies, Inc., the market leader and one of the largest contract research organizations in China. The acquisition strengthens PPD’s full range of drug development services in the country and positions it to capitalize on the tremendous growth of the outsourcing market in Asia Pacific.

7 Nov 2009