Award for sleeping sickness work Nov 5, 2008
African sleeping sickness is caused by a parasite spread by tsetse fly bites. A Ugandan scientist based at Glasgow University has won this year's 65,000 Royal Society Pfizer Award. (BBC News -- Health)
Virtual Screening Leads To Real Progress In Drug Design Oct 30, 2008
29, 2008) Around 150,000 people per year get African sleeping sickness, a disease spread by the biting tsetse fly and caused by the parasite Trypanosoma brucei ... Only one new drug to treat African sleeping sickness has appeared in the past 50 years ... This work, says McCammon, "tells a story that may be of wide interest." The computational approach not only could lead to improved drugs for treating African sleeping sickness, but it could be used to develop compounds for use against other... (Science Daily)
Revealing Secrets Of 'African Sleeping Sickness' Oct 29, 2008
Revealing Secrets Of 'African Sleeping Sickness ... Revealing Secrets Of 'African Sleeping Sickness ... 28, 2008) Scientists in the United Kingdom and Russia are reporting identification of a long-sought chink in the armor of the parasite that causes African sleeping sickness, a parasitic disease that kills at least 50,000 people each year. (Science Daily)
Tourists To Caribbean Urged To Pay One Dollar Each To Help Fight Tropical Diseases Of Poverty May 30, 2008
26, 2007) The neglected tropical diseases are a group of 13 infectious diseases, including elephantiasis, hookworm, African sleeping sickness and trachoma, which affect more than one billion people worldwide. . (Science Daily)
Sleeping Sickness Finding Could Lead To Earlier Diagnosis Apr 18, 2008
17, 2008) Sleeping sickness creates a metabolic 'fingerprint' in the blood and urine, which could enable a new test to be developed to diagnose the disease, according to new research published today in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Sleeping sickness, or human African trypanosomiasis, is usually fatal if it is not diagnosed and treated in time. (Science Daily)
Drug Combo Reduces Colon Cancer Risk Apr 15, 2008
DFMO is the basis of the drug eflornithine, which was initially developed as a cancer medication, but is now used to treat African sleeping sickness. A cream formulation of eflornithine is marketed as a hair removal agent under the brand name Vaniqa. (Newsmax)
Model Offers New Understanding Of Cell Signaling, Will Speed Finding Of Drug Targets Mar 26, 2008
16, 2005) Only about 1% of newly developed drugs are for tropical diseases, such as African sleeping sickness and dengue fever. While patent incentives have driven commercial pharmaceutical companies to make. (Science Daily)
Immtech Focusing on Other Infectious Disease Programs Following Discontinuation of Development of Pafuramidine Feb 23, 2008
However, Immtech believes that the potential risk associated with further treatment of African sleeping sickness patients outweighs the benefits of further development because these patients are generally located in places where medical care may not be readily available ... The decision to discontinue the development programs was made in conjunction with representatives from the Data Safety Monitoring Board, the Governance Council for the African sleeping sickness grant for the PCP study. (PR Newswire)
Jump-start on slow trek to treatment for a disease Jan 9, 2008
Last month, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation donated $19 million to the Drugs for Neglected Diseases Initiative to further one of its goals: finding a new drug for African sleeping sickness. Not that $19 million will come close to doing that. (International Herald Tribune -- Health)
Poor Americans Suffer Hidden Burden Of Parasitic And Other Neglected Diseases Jan 2, 2008
1, 2008) Large numbers of the poorest Americans living in the United States are suffering from some of the same parasitic infections that affect the poor in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, says the Editor-in-Chief of PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases. In an article entitled "Poverty and Neglected Diseases in the 'Other' America," Professor Peter Hotez (George Washington University and the Sabin Vaccine Institute) says that there is evidence that the parasitic diseases toxocariasis, cysticercosis... (Science Daily)
Honour for Dolly sheep scientist Dec 30, 2007
The honour is in recognition of his work to try to find a vaccine for currently incurable insect-transmitted tropical diseases, such as African sleeping sickness. Professor Martyn Poliakoff of Nottingham University's Clean Technology Group has also been made a CBE.. (BBC News -- Science)
Molecular Biochemistry & Chemical Biology Dec 29, 2007
J Allen: Unusual mitochondrial protein assembly and biochemistry in the African sleeping sickness parasiteJ Armitage: Molecular microbiology bacterial signal transduction and motility F Armstrong: Electron-transport proteins, Bio-Hydrogen, bio-fuel cells B Berks: Protein transport. Bacterial energy metabolism. (Nature News Service)
Immtech Announces Pafuramidine (DB289) Program on Clinical Hold Dec 27, 2007
D., Senior Vice President of Pharmaceutical Development and Chief Officer of Immtech, stated, "This evaluation will continue until patients stabilize or return to baseline status. At that time, Immtech and the independent experts in liver toxicity will prepare a summary of the available safety data and recommendations for presentation to the FDA. The clinical hold may be released after FDA has received satisfactory data regarding the safety of pafuramidine." This South African study involving... (PR Newswire)
Immtech says pneumonia drug program on hold Dec 27, 2007
The study was to collect additional safety data regarding the drug, pafuramidine, which is currently in late-stage trials as a treatment of pneumocystis pneumonia and African sleeping sickness, the company said. The study volunteers, dosed with pafuramidine or a dummy drug, are under observation for any changes in the status of their liver function, it said. (Reuters)
Immtech and BioAlliance Sign Licensing Agreement for Pafuramidine Dec 5, 2007
NEW YORK, Dec. 4 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Immtech Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (AMEX: ) announced today that the Company has granted an exclusive license to BioAlliance Pharma SA (Euronext Paris - ticker code BIO) to commercialize Immtech's oral drug, pafuramidine maleate (pafuramidine), in Europe for the treatment of pneumocystis pneumonia (PCP) in AIDS patients and for the treatment of Human African trypanosomiasis, also known as African sleeping sickness ... Immtech has advanced clinical programs... (PR Newswire)
New Drug Combination Shows Promise For African Sleeping Sickness Nov 20, 2007
19, 2007) A small clinical trial in Uganda, conducted within a long-established M;decins Sans Fronti;res (MSF) treatment program for African sleeping sickness, has found that a new combination treatment using the drugs nifurtimox and eflornithine holds promise and deserves further evaluation ... The parasitic disease African sleeping sickness (human African trypanosomiasis, or HAT) threatens millions across remote and conflict-affected regions of sub-Saharan Africa, and causes about 15 000... (Science Daily)
Mass Drug Treatment For Elephantiasis Is Affordable Compared With Other Public Health Programs Nov 5, 2007
26, 2007) The neglected tropical diseases are a group of 13 infectious diseases, including elephantiasis, hookworm, African sleeping sickness and trachoma, which affect more than one billion people worldwide. (Mar. (Science Daily)
Multiple Neglected Tropical Diseases Effectively Treated With Drugs Oct 26, 2007
26, 2007) The neglected tropical diseases are a group of 13 infectious diseases, including elephantiasis, hookworm, African sleeping sickness and trachoma, which affect more than 1 billion people worldwide, most of whom live in extreme poverty ... That disease, African sleeping sickness, or trypanosomiasis, largely succumbed to heroic public health ... 16, 2005) Only about 1% of newly developed drugs are for tropical diseases, such as African sleeping sickness and dengue fever. (Science Daily)
Developing world needs chronic disease help-expert Oct 25, 2007
Yet he added people in developing countries also face another obstacle -- lack of appropriate treatments for many of the common diseases they face, such as African Sleeping Sickness. Existing ones can have toxic side effects and are becoming less effective. (AlertNet)
Enzyme Synergy Shown To Perpetuate Sleeping Sickness Oct 23, 2007
6, 2006) Researchers have made a crucial breakthrough in the journey towards finding a treatment for African Sleeping Sickness. The team of researchers from Lancaster, Oxford and Manchester Universities have. (Science Daily)
Upstream Biosciences CEO to Unveil Promising New Approach to Treating Sleeping Sickness at International Trypanosomiasis Conference Oct 2, 2007
Trypanosomiasis is the medical term for the disease known as African sleeping sickness. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), an estimated 60 million people in sub-Saharan Africa are at risk of contracting this devastating condition spread by the tsetse fly. (Canada Newswire)
Funding for research on parasites Aug 17, 2007
Illnesses such as African sleeping sickness and Chagas' disease kill tens of thousands of people every year ... He said: "We need to develop new knowledge about the parasites which cause diseases such as African sleeping sickness, diseases for which the current treatments are inadequate. CHAGAS' DISEASE Chagas' disease is spread by bites from beetle-like bugs Many patients do not realise they have been infected Drugs are toxic and only cure some patients in the early stages of infection "We also... (BBC News -- Health)
Ku Antibodies Jul 23, 2007
Clinical Significance of Antibodies to the Ku Antigen. The anti-Ku antibody is a rare type of antinuclear antibody with either a speckled or nucleolar that is seen in several different autoimmune diseases. (Suite101.com)
Critics decry U.S. watchdog's terrorism list Jul 11, 2007
Meanwhile, Immtech Pharmaceuticals Inc., which has conducted experiments for the treatment of African sleeping sickness in Sudan, makes the list, as does media firm Reuters Group PLC, which has reporters in Iran, Syria and Cuba. The misleading nature of the press release and website is very problematic, said Nancy McLernon, senior vice-president at the U.S.-based Organization for International Investment. (Globe and Mail)
Mosquito genome leaves researchers itching for more May 18, 2007
At various stages in the sequencing process are: the deer tick, a scourge particularly in the United States because it can carry the bacterium that causes Lyme disease; the body louse, which c 00000AC8 an cause epidemic typhus; two different sand flies that can transmit leishmaniasis; and the tsetse fly, which can spread African sleeping sickness. Visit our to read and post comments about this story. (Nature News Service)
Potential New Drug Against African Sleeping Sickness Apr 23, 2007
Researchers have shown that a drug that was extensively tested against cancer may also qualify as a new drug against African sleeping sickness. African sleeping sickness, a disease marked by fever, headaches, and sleepiness, is caused by a parasite that is transmitted to humans through tsetse fly bites ... The scientists tested the action of the drug on mice infected with the trypanosome parasite and showed that the infection was suppressed for at least one month without serious side effects,... (Science Daily)
News tips from the Journal of Biological Chemistry Apr 21, 2007
Potential New Drug against African Sleeping Sickness ... Potential New Drug against African Sleeping Sickness ... Researchers have shown that a drug that was extensively tested against cancer may also qualify as a new drug against African sleeping sickness. (EurekAlert!)
Immtech Reports Fiscal Third Quarter 2007 Results Feb 10, 2007
Immtech has advanced clinical programs that include new oral treatments for Pneumocystis pneumonia (PCP), malaria, and trypanosomiasis (African Sleeping Sickness), and a well defined, expanding library of compounds targeting fungal infections, Hepatitis C and other serious diseases. Immtech holds the exclusive worldwide licenses to certain patents, patent applications and technology for products derived from a proprietary pharmaceutical platform. (PR Newswire)
New Form Of Sleeping Sickness Discovered In India Stems From Deficiency In Natural Immunity Protein Jan 23, 2007
(April 6, 2006) -- Researchers have made a crucial breakthrough in the journey towards finding a treatment for African Sleeping Sickness ... (March 22, 2005) -- Sixty million people in 36 countries of sub-Saharan Africa are threatened daily by a deadly parasitic disease known as African sleeping sickness. (Science Daily)
New Program Aims to Treat World's Most Devastating Diseases UCSF, Jan. 04 Jan 5, 2007
Neglected diseases include malaria, African sleeping sickness, schistosomiasis, Chagas' disease and tuberculosis ... "The Malaysian Institute of Pharmaceuticals and Nutraceuticals (MIPN) is a newly established institute that aims to stimulate and sustain the global competitiveness of the Malaysian biopharmaceutical and nutritional supplement industries."I really believe that increased training of graduate students and postdocs from developing countries will eventually bring the greatest rewards... (University of California Newswire, CA)
