Virus News and Research

Latest Virus News and Research

Merck’s MF/F Phase III study data presented at AAAAI annual meeting

Data from two Phase III studies of Merck’s investigational fixed-dose combinations of mometasone furoate and formoterol fumarate (MF/F) were presented by researchers today in two poster presentations at the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI) annual meeting.

3 Mar 2010

Merck announces updated late-stage pipeline following its recent merger with Schering-Plough

Merck & Co., Inc. today announced its updated, newly integrated, late-stage pipeline following its recent merger with Schering-Plough. The new pipeline features a broad and diversified portfolio of investigational medicines and vaccines, including more than 20 candidates in Phase III or under regulatory review, and more than 20 candidates in Phase II of development.

3 Mar 2010

Enanta Pharmaceuticals nominates EDP-239 lead development candidate from NS5A HCV inhibitor program

Enanta Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced today the nomination of lead development candidate, EDP-239, from its NS5A hepatitis C virus (HCV) inhibitor program. EDP-239 has demonstrated picomolar potency against multiple genotypes of the virus and a preclinical pharmacokinetic profile amenable to once-a-day dosing.

3 Mar 2010

Biomagnetics Diagnostics announces accelerated delivery timetable for integrated optical biosensor

Biomagnetics Diagnostics Corp., a developer of revolutionary diagnostic systems and technology for HIV, hepatitis, tuberculosis and malaria detection, today announced its accelerated timetable for delivery of the world's first handheld, integrated optical biosensor.

3 Mar 2010

Ichor, Profectus announce agreement for clinical development of DNA vaccine programs

Ichor Medical Systems (Ichor) and Profectus Biosciences (Profectus) announced today that they have entered into a long-term development, license, and supply Agreement providing Profectus with commercial access to Ichor’s TriGrid™ Delivery System (TriGrid™) for the clinical development of its DNA vaccine programs, with an option for Ichor to co-develop.

3 Mar 2010

HIV, NCDs impact achievement of MDGs, study says

Unequal progress in achieving U.N. Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) for tuberculosis and child mortality in low-income countries is related to the countries' burdens of HIV and non-communicable diseases (NCD), according to a study published Tuesday in the journal PLoS Medicine, Reuters reports (Kelland, 3/2).

3 Mar 2010

Abbott and Enanta advance treatment for Hepatitis C

Abbott and Enanta Pharmaceuticals announced today the advancement of their Hepatitis C (HCV) collaboration into Phase 2 clinical trials.

2 Mar 2010

National Cancer Institute awards PDS Biotechnology $1.28M phase 2 SBIR contract

PDS Biotechnology Corporation today announced that the company has been awarded a $1.28M phase 2 SBIR contract by the National Cancer Institute division of the US National Institutes of Health. The contract provides funding to complete studies required to file an Investigational New Drug Application (IND) with the FDA for the company's lead human papillomavirus (HPV)-cancer product late in 2010.

2 Mar 2010

InterMune seeks European marketing approval for pirfenidone

InterMune, Inc. today announced that it has submitted a Marketing Authorization Application (MAA) to the European Medicines Agency (EMA) seeking approval to market pirfenidone for the treatment of patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) in the European Union (EU). Currently, there are no EMA-approved treatments for IPF in the EU.

2 Mar 2010

Discovery of two new compounds opens new approach to drug design against HIV protease

A team of researchers at the renowned Scripps Research Institute has discovered two new compounds that prove the existence of new binding sites on HIV protease. Associate Professor C. David Stout, senior author of the study, explained "These results open the door to a whole new approach to drug design against HIV protease," which is an enzyme used by HIV to create new, infectious viral particles.

2 Mar 2010

Greffex Group signs Strategic Alliance Framework Agreement with UPMC and ISMETT

The Greffex Group of regenerative medicine companies announces the signing of a Strategic Alliance Framework Agreement with UPMC and ISMETT, Italy.

2 Mar 2010

Stress increases resistance to influenza infection

A new study using mice suggests that a repeated stressful situation that triggers the animals' natural "fight-or-flight" response may actually enhance their ability to fight disease when re-exposed to the same pathogen.

2 Mar 2010

Intercell AG's revenues for full year 2009 increase 10.6%

Today, the biotech-vaccine company Intercell AG announced its financial results for Q4 and the preliminary results for the full financial year 2009, and presented an update on the Company's development programs.

2 Mar 2010

Inovio Biomedical's SynCon preventive DNA vaccine receives approval in Korea for Phase I clinical trial

Inovio Biomedical Corporation, a leader in DNA vaccine design, development and delivery, announced today that its affiliate VGX International Inc. has received approval in Korea to begin a Phase I clinical trial in healthy volunteers for Inovio’s SynCon™ preventive DNA vaccine (VGX-3400) targeting H5N1 avian influenza.

2 Mar 2010

Most strains of pandemic H1N1 flu virus resist Tamiflu, say scientists

If the behavior of the seasonal form of the H1N1 influenza virus is any indication, scientists say that chances are good that most strains of the pandemic H1N1 flu virus will become resistant to Tamiflu, the main drug stockpiled for use against it.

2 Mar 2010

Merck's Isentress HIV/AIDS drug pricing: CalSTRS and CalPERS express concern

Today AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) announced that the two largest public pension funds in the nation, the California State Teachers' Retirement System (CalSTRS) and the California Public Employees’ Retirement System (CalPERS), have sent letters to Merck and Co. Pharmaceuticals expressing concern over the company’s pricing for its key HIV/AIDS drug, Isentress—now the most expensive first-line AIDS treatment in the U.S.

2 Mar 2010

Study finds most HIV prevention, treatment, care efforts overlook IDUs

A systematic review of HIV prevention, treatment and care for injecting drug users (IDUs) throughout the world, published Monday in the journal Lancet, found that international efforts to fight the disease are largely overlooking this population, the Australian Associated Press/Sydney Morning Herald reports (Rose, 3/1).

2 Mar 2010

Joint Chiefs Chair visits Haiti to examine aid response

Joint Chiefs of Staff Chair Mike Mullen, who is President Barack Obama's top military adviser, visited Haiti over the weekend to examine relief and rebuilding efforts and meet with local leaders, Agence France-Presse reports. It was his first visit to the country after the earthquake, according to AFP.

2 Mar 2010

McGill University and RI MUHC secure $300,000 CIHR grant to develop VLP vaccines

The Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) have awarded a $300,000 grant for research focusing on the nature of the immune response induced by the action mechanisms of plant-made Virus-Like Particles (VLP) to Dr. Louis Vezina, Chief Scientific Officer of Medicago and to Dr. Brian Ward and Dr. Ciriaco Piccirillo of the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (RI MUHC) and McGill University.

1 Mar 2010

Reversing protein deficiency through gene therapy can improve SMA

Reversing a protein deficiency through gene therapy can correct motor function, restore nerve signals and improve survival in mice that serve as a model for the lethal childhood disorder spinal muscular atrophy, new research shows.

1 Mar 2010