Virus News and Research

Latest Virus News and Research

CDC says U.S. H1N1 vaccine supplies on the rise; Senators question government's handling of H1N1 vaccination program

Supplies of the H1N1 (swine flu) vaccine are steadily increasing in the U.S. and should soon be more widely accessible in the next two weeks, the CDC said on Tuesday, CQ HealthBeat reports. During a press briefing, CDC Director Thomas Frieden said that 22.4 million vaccine doses are now available for states to order (Norman, 10/27). "We're beginning to get to significant increases in the availability," Frieden said.

28 Oct 2009

Avisio signs agreement to commercialize Instant Detect diagnostic technology

Avisio, Inc. announces the signing of a definitive agreement to commercialize Instant Detect, a portable nano-based diagnostic technology. Avisio, a publicly-traded commercialization company with a mission to unlock the value of high-potential assets and transform them into high-value businesses, now has the worldwide license to commercialize Instant Detect's ground-breaking portable diagnostic sensory technology.

28 Oct 2009

United States Patent and Trademark Office allows a patent application within ‘Esau’ patent family

Regulus Therapeutics Inc., founded by Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: ALNY), and Isis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: ISIS), announced today that the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has allowed a patent application within the ‘Esau’ patent family (US Application Serial No. 10/909,125).

28 Oct 2009

New data from CIMZIA WELCOME trial to be presented at the ACG meeting

According to new results from the WELCOME trial, exploratory data analyzing the impact of treatment with CIMZIA(®) (certolizumab pegol) - the only PEGylated anti-TNF (alpha) (Tumor Necrosis Factor alpha) - administered either every two weeks or every four weeks, showed that the majority of Crohn's disease patients in both dosing groups experienced no hospitalizations and surgical procedures during the course of the 26-week study.

28 Oct 2009

Fastest supercomputer used to create an evolutionary genetic HIV family tree

Supporting Los Alamos National Laboratory's role in the international Center for HIV/AIDS Vaccine Immunology (CHAVI) consortium, researchers are using the Roadrunner supercomputer to analyze vast quantities of genetic sequences from HIV infected people in the hope of zeroing in on possible vaccine target areas.

28 Oct 2009

3M launches new Rapid Detection Respiratory Syncytial Virus Test

Expanding its platform of rapid diagnostic testing, 3M today announced the introduction of the 3M™ Rapid Detection RSV Test. RSV, or respiratory syncytial virus, is a respiratory virus that infects the lungs and breathing passages and is a common cause of bronchitis and pneumonia in children under one year.

28 Oct 2009

NCKU transfers microalgal docosahexaenoic acid production technology to Vedan Biotechnology

NCKU President, Academician Michael Ming-Chiao Lai, signed Technology Transfer Agreement in this morning with Mr. Tou-Hsiung Yang, Chairman of Vedan International (Holding) Ltd, witnessed by Vedan Biotechnology President Shih-An (Raymond) Yang and the inventor, Prof. Huey-Lang Yang of the NCKU Institute of Biotechnology.

28 Oct 2009

Biomagnetics Diagnostics completes negotiations to acquire IBOS technology

Biomagnetics Diagnostics Corp., a developer of revolutionary diagnostic systems and technology for HIV, hepatitis, tuberculosis, and malaria detection, today announced the Company has completed business negotiations with one of the U.S. Government's top national security research institutions regarding the acquisition of rights to the Integrated Optical Biosensor System (IBOS) technology developed by the laboratory personnel. Biomagnetics Diagnostics plans to utilize this technology to enter the significantly underserved market for handheld biosensors capable of detecting a broad range of disease-causing viruses, bacteria and fungi.

28 Oct 2009

FDA issues clearance for Lumenis' PolyScope Flexible Endoscope

Lumenis Ltd., a global developer, manufacturer and seller of laser, light-based and radiofrequency devices for surgical, aesthetic, and ophthalmic applications, announced that on September 30th, 2009 the FDA issued a 510K to Lumenis stating that the PolyScope Flexible Endoscope can now be sold in the United States.

From Lumenis Inc. 28 Oct 2009

D3 FastPoint L-DFA Influenza A/ Influenza B Virus Identification Kit receives FDA clearance

Diagnostic Hybrids, a leading developer of in vitro diagnostic fluorescent staining kits and cell culture products, announces the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) (510k) clearance of its D3 FastPointTM L-DFATM Influenza A/ Influenza B Virus Identification Kit, which allows for the identification of influenza A virus and influenza B virus from a patient’s specimen in under 30 minutes.

28 Oct 2009

Nasopharyngeal Flocked Swabs are recommended for H1N1 and influenza A testing

Preparing for this flu season, the American Society for Microbiology (ASM) PSAB Committee on Laboratory Practices has recently published a new interim algorithm providing guidance to clinical laboratories responsible for testing patients with respiratory illness for Influenza A, including H1N1.

28 Oct 2009

Drug-cocktail approach offers hope in developing single agent to treat drug-resistant H1N1 swine flu

An experimental drug cocktail that includes three prescriptions now widely available offers the best hope in developing a single agent to treat drug-resistant H1N1 swine flu, says a virology researcher in the University of Alabama Birmingham (UAB) Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases.

28 Oct 2009

HMSMobile Swine Flu Center application to provide information on H1N1 virus introduced

The HMSMobile Swine Flu Center, a new iPhone application developed by the Harvard Health Publications Division of Harvard Medical School, is now available for purchase in the iTunes store.

28 Oct 2009

H1N1 overwhelms hospitals; Sebelius addresses flu vaccine shortage

Hospitals across the country are overwhelmed "as waves of flu patients arrive at their doors, doubling their emergency room volume," USA Today reports. "Just as significant is the effect on intensive care units: A relatively small number of flu patients are requiring intensive care, but some are so ill they will need round-the-clock care for weeks.

27 Oct 2009

Federal study would test all adults in a community for AIDS

The New York Times reports that "Federal health officials are preparing a plan to study a bold new strategy to stop the spread of the AIDS virus: routinely testing virtually every adult in a community, and promptly treating those found to be infected.

27 Oct 2009

Coverall Health-Based Cleaning System partners with Ecolab

Coverall Health-Based Cleaning System, a leading franchisor of commercial cleaning businesses, today announced a strategic alliance agreement with Ecolab Inc., a global leader in cleaning, sanitizing, food safety and infection prevention products and services. The agreement comes at a critical time, as businesses take steps to protect against the H1N1 virus and other germ-related illnesses.

27 Oct 2009

Oncolytics Biotech receives its 33rd U.S. Patent

Oncolytics Biotech Inc. today announced that it has been granted its 33rd U.S. Patent, # 7,608,257, entitled "Sensitization of Chemotherapeutic Agent Resistant Neoplastic Cells With a Virus." The patent claims cover methods of using reovirus in combination with currently approved chemotherapeutic agents to treat patients that are refractory to those chemotherapeutic agents alone.

27 Oct 2009

SDC-based hard surface disinfectant is effective against the 2009 H1N1

PURE Bioscience, creators of the patented silver dihydrogen citrate (SDC) antimicrobial, announced today that its SDC-based hard surface disinfectant is effective against the 2009 H1N1 and is included on the list published by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) of antimicrobial products effective against the 2009 H1N1 flu strain based on their effectiveness against other influenza A virus strains.

27 Oct 2009

KOKEN receives license to manufacture and provide RNAi research products under Kreutzer-Limmer patent family

Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a leading RNAi therapeutics company, and KOKEN Co., Ltd., a leading atelocollagen company, announced today that Alnylam has granted KOKEN a non-exclusive worldwide license to manufacture and provide RNAi research products and services under the Kreutzer-Limmer patent family.

27 Oct 2009

Astellas enters into agreement with Medivation to develop MDV3100

Astellas Pharma Inc. ("Astellas") and Medivation, Inc. announced today that they have entered into a global agreement to develop and commercialize MDV3100, Medivation's investigational drug for the treatment of prostate cancer.

27 Oct 2009