Virus News and Research

Latest Virus News and Research

FDA clears Diagnostic HYBRIDS' D3 FastPoint L-DFA Respiratory Virus Identification Kit

Diagnostic HYBRIDS, a leading developer of IVD fluorescent staining kits and cell culture products, today announced the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) (510k) clearance of its D3 FastPointTM L-DFATM Respiratory Virus Identification Kit, which allows the individual detection of influenza A, influenza B, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), human metapneumovirus (hMPV), adenovirus and parainfluenza viruses from a patient’s specimen in under 30 minutes.

15 Sep 2009

Emerging Growth Research to manage investor relations programs for Biomagnetics Diagnostics

Biomagnetics Diagnostics Corp., a producer of revolutionary diagnostic systems and technology for HIV, hepatitis, tuberculosis, and malaria detection, today announced it has retained Emerging Growth Research, LLP to manage its public relations and investor relations programs. Emerging Growth Research specializes in small market capitalization companies in the technology and biotechnology sectors.

14 Sep 2009

Emergency Medical Associates to track swine flu movement with SAP business intelligence solutions

As families return from summer travels and children head back to school, Emergency Medical Associates (EMA) is preparing for a potential resurgence in the swine flu virus (H1N1) this fall. By using business intelligence (BI) solutions from SAP AG (NYSE: SAP), EMA will continue to pinpoint the movement of swine flu and alert federal organizations such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as well as 21 different emergency medical departments to patterns of outbreak.

14 Sep 2009

H1N1 vaccine to be available in U.S. earlier than anticipated

Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said on Sunday that the H1N1 (swine) flu vaccine will be available in the U.S. earlier than previously anticipated, the Wall Street Journal reports. "We are on track to have an ample supply rolling out by mid-October, but we may have some early vaccine as early as the first full week in October. And we plan to get the vaccine rolling out the door as fast as it hits the production line," Sebelius said (Davis, 9/13).

14 Sep 2009

Washington Post examines HIV/AIDS rights, responsibilities questions

The Washington Post examines how African countries are "grappling with debates over what rights and duties to give those living with [HIV/AIDS] -- a growing segment of the population that remains largely hidden." The newspaper writes: "Across the continent, lawmakers are considering whether to make criminals of those who infect others with HIV, allow bosses to test workers for the virus, punish women who pass it to their babies and give constitutional protections to those with HIV."

14 Sep 2009

Clinical studies reveal treatment with pirfenidone is safe and well-tolerated

InterMune, Inc. (Nasdaq: ITMN) today announced that the results of a comprehensive review of safety data from four clinical studies were presented at the 2009 European Respiratory Society Annual Congress in Vienna, Austria by Dr. Ulrich Costabel of the Ruhrlandklinik, Essen, Germany.

14 Sep 2009

New data confirm link between Epstein-Barr virus and multiple sclerosis

Over the last 40 years, Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) has been repeatedly associated with multiple sclerosis and other autoimmune diseases. During the 2nd European Congress of Immunology ECI 2009 held in Berlin, Francesca Aloisi, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, will present new data that further support the link. In the brain lesions of patients with multiple sclerosis her team found abnormal accumulation of EBV infected B lymphocytes.

14 Sep 2009

Malnutrition, poor sanitary conditions and HIV leads to defective immune system

The most common causes worldwide include malnutrition, poor sanitary conditions and human immune deficiency virus (HIV) infection. Other causes of temporary or permanent damage to the immune system include old age, medications (e.g. cortisone, cytostatic drugs), radiotherapy, stress after surgery and malignant tumors of the bone marrow and the lymph nodes.

14 Sep 2009

Wash and dry hands to fight against H1N1

Countries around the world are trying to tackle the escalating H1N1 (swine flu) pandemic in different ways. Advice from all authorities, including the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), remains the same: good hand hygiene, particularly in public places. Despite this, there are still too few people who know how to wash and dry their hands in the most hygienic way.

14 Sep 2009

VBI's flu vaccine offers protection against H1N1

Variation Biotechnologies, Inc. (VBI), an emerging leader in the discovery and development of novel vaccines to fight infectious diseases, today reported that the company’s proprietary influenza vaccine triggered a robust immune response and provided protection against the H1N1 strain of influenza.

14 Sep 2009

Multi-topic, hour-long series hosted by a cardiac surgeon premiers today

"The Dr. Oz Show," a high octane, multi-topic hour-long series hosted by trusted health expert, best-selling author, and world-renowned cardiac surgeon Dr. Mehmet Oz, premieres in syndication today (check local listings). Episodes airing during its premiere week feature two of the recently announced "Core Team Oz" guest contributors, fashion and style expert Tim Gunn ("Project Runway") and fitness specialist Bob Harper ("The Biggest Loser"). Also debuting this week as a member of Core Team Oz is "America's vet," Dr. Marty Becker, the popular author and regular veterinary contributor on ABC-TV's "Good Morning America."

14 Sep 2009

Technology and science tours on Pittsburgh's economy

Carnegie Mellon University, the University of Pittsburgh and UPMC (University of Pittsburgh Medical Center) have driven a dramatic shift in the Pittsburgh economy during the last four decades, transforming the city from a manufacturing town to an international knowledge-based center for research, education and medicine.

14 Sep 2009

Phase III STARTMRK clinical study on ISENTRESS in comparison to efavirenz

ISENTRESS , an integrase inhibitor from Merck & Co., Inc., was studied in comparison to efavirenz in maintaining viral load suppression to undetectable levels (less than 50 copies/mL) and at improving CD4 cell counts in previously untreated (treatment-naïve) HIV-1-infected patients through 96 weeks in a Phase III study called STARTMRK.

14 Sep 2009

Influenza patients treated with Tamiflu has higher survival rates

Roche announced today that two new observational studies concluded that influenza patients treated with Tamiflu(R) (oseltamivir phosphate) had significantly higher survival rates than untreated patients.

14 Sep 2009

Clinical study results of DAS181 against H1N1 influenza presented

NexBio, Inc. announced today the presentation of two studies of DAS181 activity against H1N1 influenza and NAI-resistant influenza at the 2009 Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy (ICAAC) meeting on Sunday, September 13, 2009, in San Francisco, CA.

14 Sep 2009

Communicable and Chronic Disease and AIDS course on biological agents causing diseases

Indiana State University's exposure this week to the H1N1 virus has one of the school's environmental health sciences professors using the campus as her classroom.

14 Sep 2009

Master gene could lead to new ways of cancer treatments

The master gene that causes blood stem cells to turn into disease-fighting 'Natural Killer' (NK) immune cells has been identified by scientists, in a study published in Nature Immunology today. The discovery could one day help scientists boost the body's production of these frontline tumour-killing cells, creating new ways to treat cancer.

14 Sep 2009

TCAD therapy shows potency against seasonal and novel H1N1 influenza viruses

Adamas Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a privately held company, announced today that a multi-center in vitro study of its proprietary triple combination antiviral drug (TCAD) therapy showed substantially greater potency against seasonal and novel H1N1 influenza viruses than currently recommended single or double therapy and that the triple combination is active against drug-resistant flu strains.

14 Sep 2009

U.S., Australian researchers say single H1N1 vaccine dose protects adults against virus

The results of clinical trials have shown one dose of the H1N1 (swine) flu vaccine is enough to offer adults protection against the virus, U.S. and Australian researchers said Thursday, the Associated Press reports (Neergaard, 9/11).

11 Sep 2009

Study identifies causes, rates of death among young people worldwide

"Road accidents, pregnancy and childbirth complications, suicide, violence, the AIDS virus and tuberculosis are the biggest killers of young people across the world," according to a paper published on Friday in the journal Lancet, Reuters reports.

11 Sep 2009