Virology News and Research

Latest Virology News and Research

Positive results from Stage A pivotal study of 2009 A/H1N1 VLP pandemic influenza vaccine

Novavax, Inc. announced today positive results from the entire 1,000 subject Stage A of its two-stage pivotal study evaluating the safety and immunogenicity of Novavax's unadjuvanted 2009 A/H1N1 virus-like particle pandemic influenza vaccine.

26 Mar 2010

New research may help advance treatment strategies for common liver disease

A research article published in the journal PloS Pathogens could lead to improvements in the production of vaccines for hepatitis A, the most widespread viral disease in the world.

26 Mar 2010

Medicare Roundup: Changes from health reform, payments for HIV patients

USA Today: "Perhaps the biggest factor in whether your Medicare costs will rise or fall depends on your Medicare plan. There are two: a traditional Medicare plan run by the federal government and Medicare Advantage, which is run by private insurance companies. Medicare Advantage costs more than the traditional plan, but provides more generous benefits.

26 Mar 2010

Clinic sites seek gay men to participate in HIV vaccine study

Clinic sites in 13 cities across the U.S. are looking for a total of 1,350 HIV-negative gay men to participate in the latest HIV vaccine study from the HIV Vaccine Trials Network (HVTN). And they're using social media to help reach these individuals where they are, which, these days, is increasingly online.

25 Mar 2010

Queensland rains and floods – boon or bane?

Warnings of floods and rains across Queensland have sparked fears related to Ross River fever among health authorities. Ross River fever is caused by a virus carried by a number of mosquito species. It is usually associated with joint pain and swelling that can last for weeks.

25 Mar 2010

Swine flu closely related to 1918 Spanish flu pandemic

In research on the swine flu virus it has been seen that the virus may seem new, but it has old relatives. An influenza virus which was pandemic in 1918 is seen to be very closely related, structurally speaking, to the H1N1 swine flu vaccine. This virus has the dubious distinction of having claimed between 40 million to 100 million lives in the flu wave of 1918.

25 Mar 2010

New study investigates effects of influenza among pregnant women

This spring, pregnant women in Bergen and Oslo will be invited to take part in the Norwegian Influenza Study (NorFlu). The aim is to find out how influenza in pregnancy affects maternal health and childhood development. NorFlu will also study any implications of vaccination during pregnancy.

25 Mar 2010

Shingles drug receives clearance for final stage of testing

A new Welsh-developed drug to help alleviate the suffering of shingles could move a step closer for patients if the final stage of testing is given the go-ahead.

24 Mar 2010

Life Technologies' real-time PCR instrument available for IVD use in Europe

Life Technologies Corporation (NASDAQ: LIFE) today announced that its Applied Biosystems 7500 Fast Dx Real-Time PCR Instrument is available as a platform suitable for in vitro diagnostics (IVD) use in Europe. Clinical laboratories from 22 countries and European institutions that develop in vitro molecular diagnostic assays in oncology, genetic disease and infectious disease will now be able to leverage the instrument’s regulatory clearance to develop tests for clinical applications.

24 Mar 2010

FDA recommends clinicians temporarily suspend use of Rotarix vaccine

The agency recently became aware that an independent U.S. academic research team, using a novel technique, has found DNA from porcine circovirus 1 (PCV1) in Rotarix, which is manufactured by GlaxoSmithKline. PCV1 is not known to cause illness in humans or other animals. In addition, Rotarix has been studied extensively, before and after approval, and found to have an excellent safety record.

24 Mar 2010

Washington State mercury-limit suspension for swine flu vaccine ends

When it comes to some diseases prevention still is better than cure and swine flu is one such disease. The sheer global panic that gripped nations last year is hard to forget. The PanvaxH1N1 vaccine is specifically manufactured to target the influenza (A) H1N1 strain known more popularly as swine flu. Getting the flu shots may be crucial in prevention of spread of the highly contagious disease. Health officials say that the H1N1 strain of flu is still circulating but at low levels.

24 Mar 2010

WHO advises continued use of GSK's rotavirus vaccine in developing countries

The WHO on Monday advised developing countries to continue administering GlaxoSmithKline's Rotarix vaccine - which offers protection to children against the diarrhea-causing rotavirus - after the FDA advised doctors in the U.S. to temporarily stop using the vaccine following the discovery that it was "contaminated with an apparently harmless pig virus," Reuters reports

24 Mar 2010

HPV test could help predict risk of cervical cancer, but more research needed

Testing for the human papillomavirus (HPV) - the major cause of cervical cancer - may not help to identify women who are at risk of the disease, a new UK study suggests.

24 Mar 2010

Celladon Corporation receives USPTO notice of allowance covering MYDICAR for advanced heart failure

Celladon Corp. announced today that the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has granted a notice of allowance for a broad patent covering the company's lead drug candidate MYDICAR®, a genetically targeted enzyme replacement therapy for advanced heart failure. The patent will be issued to The Regents of the University of California and licensed exclusively to Celladon.

23 Mar 2010

Merix Pharmaceutical introduces new Fast-Results! Genital Herpes Treatment

Merix Pharmaceutical Corp. unveiled its new Fast-Results!™ Genital Herpes Treatment March 1st while attending a retail industry trade show in Dallas. The first ever OTC treatment for genital herpes, Fast-Results! answers the unmet need of people who suffer painful symptoms caused by the herpes virus.

23 Mar 2010

More awareness and earlier diagnosis of brain cancer needed

One of the UK’s largest surveys of brain cancer sufferers and carers, conducted by the Samantha Dickson Brain Tumour Trust, suggests that GPs and the general public need better guidance on spotting the key symptoms to aid earlier diagnosis and improve survival.

23 Mar 2010

Researchers devise simple water test to check for herbicide clomazone

University of California, Davis, scientists are helping rice farmers in Uruguay stop polluting their waterways -- including drinking-water sources and a globally valuable nature reserve.

23 Mar 2010

First reported Australian swine flu case of 2010 – gearing up with protective measures

Swine flu a form of influenza, became a major health scare assuming pandemic proportions starting in Mexico early last year. There were 37,000 confirmed cases in Australia with 5,000 hospitalizations, 700 admissions in intensive care units and 191 deaths.

23 Mar 2010

Temporary suspension of Rotarix – a rotavirus vaccine for kids

The US FDA after deliberation has come up with a warning to the nation’s pediatricians to stop giving children a vaccine that prevents diarrhea causing Rotavirus vaccine. There is reportedly a contamination with a harmless pig virus in this vaccine called Rotarix and manufactured by GlaxoSmithKline.

23 Mar 2010

Chest x-rays may help identify high-risk H1N1 patients

A new study published in the April issue of Radiology suggests that chest x-rays may play an important role in the diagnosis and treatment of H1N1 influenza by predicting which patients are likely to become sicker.

23 Mar 2010