Merck secures 2 patents in India May 12, 2008
Apart from the dyslipidimia and obesity drugs, Merck has plans to roll out two vaccines in Indiaa cervical cancer vaccine and rotavirus vaccine. Its current product portfolio has five drugs in India. (Economic Times)
Food Poisoning - Part 1 May 6, 2008
Rotavirus: Causes moderate to severe illness with vomiting followed by watery diarrhea and fever. It is the most common cause of food poisoning in infants and children and is transmitted from person to person by fecal contamination of food and shared play areas. (Stuttgart Daily Leader, AR)
New Clorox disinfectant is EPA registered to kill both known types of MRSA May 6, 2008
Clorox Pro Quaternary All-Purpose Disinfectant Cleaner is a one-step, labor-saving solution for killing both strains of MRSA as well as a variety of other illness causing germs, such as Hepatitis B and C, Avian Influenza A, HIV-1 and HIV-2, SARS-associated Coronavirus, Rotavirus, Salmonella enterica and E. coli ... The products kill claims include both known types of MRSA and other common bacteria, viruses and fungi, such as Influenza A2, Rotavirus, Hepatitis B and C, HIV-1 and HIV-2,... (EurekAlert!)
Noting dehydration symptoms can save a child's life May 3, 2008
"Other bugs that can lead to dehydration due to vomiting and diarrhoea include rotavirus, salmonella and e-coli.Dr Ong, who sees about 50 cases of dehydrated children of various ages every month, recommends giving children small amounts of fluid every half an hour or hourly.In this hot weather, he added that older children who do strenuous exercises must also have enough fluid intake to stay well-hydrated throughout the day.Besides water, they can also take other oral rehydrate solutions to... (Channel NewsAsia, Singapore)
Importance of immunizations being highlighted May 2, 2008
Infant immunization is extremely important and begins a lifetime of good health," said Iowa Department of Public Health acting Bureau of Disease Prevention and Immunization Chief Don Callaghan. IDPH works to ensure all Iowa children, regardless of income or insurance, are properly vaccinated. The IDPH Immunization Program purchases and distributes vaccine to public and private health care providers through the Vaccines for Children Program. Approximately 257,000 Iowans ages 18 and younger are... (Fairfield Daily Ledger, IA)
FDA Nod For Glaxo Shifts Playing Field In Rotavirus Market Apr 19, 2008
Mention "rotavirus" and most parents might remember the week they spent cleaning up diarrhea and vomit and trying to convince their children to drink electrolyte fluids ... But while rotavirus can carry a big cost mainly from medical care and the time parents must take off from work it's rarely life-threatening ... Rotavirus causes at least 50,000 hospitalizations a year due to dehydration. (Investors Business Daily)
Health & Medicine Apr 19, 2008
Investor's Business Daily: FDA Nod For Glaxo Shifts Playing Field In Rotavirus Market ... FDA Nod For Glaxo Shifts Playing Field In Rotavirus Market ... Mention "rotavirus" and most parents might remember the week they spent cleaning up diarrhea and vomit and trying to convince their children to drink electrolyte fluids. (Investors Business Daily)
Time to eat, drink and be wary Apr 17, 2008
Highly contagious viruses, such as norovirus and rotavirus, spread rapidly in child-care centres and aged care institutions. Better surveillance, with improved testing and a greater likelihood of cases being reported, can also inflate figures, the NSW Food Authority's chief scientist, Dr Lisa Szabo, says. (Sydney Morning Herald -- Australia)
FDA OKs Glaxo vaccine for use on babies Apr 6, 2008
Rotarix is a vaccine for the rotavirus, a common gastrointestinal infection in infants that can cause severe diarrhea and vomiting ... The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that all young children in the country be vaccinated against rotavirus. (Philadelphia Business Journal, PA)
Stocks Have Biggest Weekly Gain in Five Years, Led by British Energy, BHP Apr 5, 2008
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the drugmaker's Rotarix oral vaccine that can protect infants from rotavirus. gained 60 pence, or 2. (Bloomberg -- UK)
Reuters Health News Summary Apr 5, 2008
The GlaxoSmithKline Plc (GSK.L) vaccine Rotarix fights infection with the rotavirus, which causes about 55,000 hospitalizations in U.S. children each year and kills more than 600,000 children worldwide, mostly in developing countries. Micronutrients, education keys to end hunger: study. (San Diego Union-Tribune -- Business)
FDA APPROVES ROTARIX(R) [Rotavirus Vaccine, live, oral], THE FIRST VACCINE LICENSED TO COMPLETE THE ROTAVIRUS IMMUNIZATION SERIES BY FOUR MONTHS OF AGE Apr 4, 2008
Vaccine Offers Early Protection with Only Two Doses Against the Most Commonly Circulating Rotavirus Types in the U.S. PHILADELPHIA, April 3, 2008 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- GlaxoSmithKline (NYSE: ) announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved ROTARIX(R) [Rotavirus Vaccine, live, oral] for the prevention of rotavirus gastroenteritis in infants. ROTARIX will offer protection against the most commonly circulating rotavirus types in the U.S. and allow infants to... (PR Newswire)
FDA clears new rotavirus vaccine Apr 4, 2008
FDA clears drugmaker's new rotavirus vaccine ... The GlaxoSmithKline vaccine Rotarix fights infection with the rotavirus, which causes about 55,000 hospitalizations in U.S. children each year and kills more than 600,000 children worldwide, mostly in developing countries ... The vaccine competes with Merck's rotavirus vaccine called RotaTeq. (MSNBC -- Health)
Sabin Vaccine Institute Receives $9.2M Gates Foundation Grant to Pursue Sustainable Immunization Financing Mar 31, 2008
Countries are reaching more children than ever before, and their programs are incorporating newer and underutilized vaccines against influenza, hepatitis, yellow fever and rotavirus. Investments in immunization are increasing almost everywhere, but costs are increasing faster. (Yahoo News -- Press Releases)
Investigational drug tested for preventing muscle fiber death in muscular dystrophy Mar 17, 2008
It has an established tradition of research excellence, with discoveries including the Sabin oral polio vaccine, the surfactant preparation that saves the lives of thousands of premature infants each year, and a rotavirus vaccine that saves the lives of hundreds of thousands of infants around the world each year. Current strategic directions include the translation of basic laboratory research into the development of novel therapeutics for the treatment of disease, and furthering the development... (EurekAlert!)
Avant's Rotarix receives favorable recommendation from FDA ... Feb 24, 2008
Rotarix is a vaccine against rotavirus disease in infants. Avant licensed the technology for Rotarix to GlaxoSmithKline (NYSE:GSK) in 1997 for worldwide commercialization. (CNNMoney.com)
FOCUS: GlaxoSmithKline's Rotarix Set To Reach Key US Market Feb 22, 2008
LONDON -(Dow Jones)- GlaxoSmithKline PLC's (GSK) rotavirus vaccine Rotarix is set to reach the key U.S. market later this year after a panel of U.S. Food and Drug Administration panel of experts recommended its approval late Wednesday ... Rotavirus infects nearly every child worldwide by the age of five and is the leading cause of severe gastroenteritis in infants and young children, often resulting in hospitalization ... The U.S. is the only major market that has recommended rotavirus... (CNNMoney.com)
Gates urges help for 'bottom third' Feb 22, 2008
About 15 years later, he was reading about how a germ known as rotavirus kills a half-million children per year, and he thought, "What's rotavirus? I've never heard of it. Is somebody working on it?". As it turned out, he said, not many people were paying attention to the virus, which causes severe diarrhea in infants, because there were no market incentives to do so. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, PA)
FDA Advisory Committee Recommends US Approval of Rotavirus Vaccine Feb 21, 2008
Feb. 20 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The US Advisory Committee on Vaccines and Related Biological Products issued a positive recommendation today on the use of rotavirus vaccines, potentially bringing greater protection to children in the US from this common and sometimes fatal cause of severe diarrhea ... Another rotavirus vaccine, RotaTeq(R) manufactured by Merck Inc., received FDA approval in 2006 ... Globally, rotavirus accounts for more than 500,000 deaths and two million hospitalizations... (PR Newswire)
FDA Panel: Glaxo Vaccine Safe To Prevent Infant Diarrhea Virus Feb 21, 2008
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration's panel of vaccine experts voted unanimously that Glaxo's Rotarix protects infants against rotavirus ... Agency reviewers said prior to the meeting that Rotarix appeared to be free of life-threatening intestinal problems seen with the first rotavirus vaccine approved in the U.S. That product, Wyeth's (WYE) RotaShield, was pulled from the market in 1999 after it was linked to an increase in intussusception, a twisting of the intestines ... About 55,000 U.S.... (CNNMoney.com)
Pneumonia deaths seen with Glaxo vaccine: FDA Feb 18, 2008
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - GlaxoSmithKline Plc's rotavirus vaccine is effective but also associated with an increase in pneumonia-related deaths and other reactions, U.S. regulatory staff said in documents posted on Friday. The review comes ahead of a U.S. Food and Drug Administration advisory meeting on Wednesday to consider approval of the oral vaccine, which aims to prevent rotavirus infection, a cause of severe infant diarrhea that requires hospitalization ... The two "are battling it out in the... (Reuters)
To The Point Feb 17, 2008
The FDA said GlaxoSmithKline's () vaccine Rotarix appears safe and effective for stopping the rotavirus, the leading cause of diarrhea in infants. But the FDA also expressed concern that the British drug maker's safety study of the vaccine did not follow U.S. regulations. (Investors Business Daily)
Glaxo rotavirus vaccine has some safety issues-FDA Feb 16, 2008
WASHINGTON GlaxoSmithKline Plc's rotavirus vaccine has been linked to more pneumonia-related deaths and other reactions including bronchitis, U.S. regulatory staff said in documents posted Friday. The review comes ahead of a Food and Drug Administration advisory meeting next Wednesday to consider approval of the oral vaccine to prevent the most common cause of severe diarrhea among children. (San Diego Union-Tribune -- Business)
2 microRNAs promote spread of tumor cells Jan 29, 2008
Discoveries at Wistar led to the creation of the rubella vaccine that eradicated the disease in the United States, human rabies vaccines used worldwide, and a rotavirus vaccine approved in 2006. Today, Wistar is home to preeminent research programs studying skin cancer, lung cancer, and brain tumors. (EurekAlert!)
Keep those germs to yourself! Jan 23, 2008
Rotavirus is the leading cause of stomach flu in infants and young children. You re contagious even before you develop symptoms, and you typically remain contagious for two weeks after you ve recovered. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
Panel pushing use of baby vaccine Jan 23, 2008
A blue-ribbon panel of scientists is urging parents to have their babies vaccinated against rotavirus, a common cause of diarrhea and vomiting in youngsters, and a disease that often wreaks havoc in daycare centres ... Rotavirus is a family of viruses that causes gastroenteritis, a common childhood disease that infects virtually all children by the age of 5 ... "The little guys can get really, really sick with rotavirus," said Anna Karwowska, a pediatric emergency physician at the Children's... (Globe and Mail)
State vaccine policy a-changing Dec 28, 2007
Newer recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention include shots against rotavirus, human papillomavirus and meningococcal virus. No additional money has been given to the states to pay for them, which resulted in the policy shift. (Bismarck Tribune, ND)
Large bird flu cluster emerges Dec 18, 2007
In temperate climates the strong seasonal waterborne infections like norovirus, rotavirus, salmonellae, campylobacter and - differing from the usual dogma - influenza are mainly triggered by drinking water dependent on the drinking water temperature (in Germany minimum feb/mar maximum august). There is no evidence that influenza primary is transmitted by saliva droplets. (Nature News Service)
Cattle rustling on the rise in California Dec 16, 2007
Calves in particular are vulnerable to suffer and die from diarrhea if they are not given colostrum for rotavirus and coronavirus within 12 hours of birth, he said. Milk replacer is essential, too. (San Francisco Chronicle -- Business)
Opinion: Vaccine failure no reason to stop Dec 1, 2007
Each year 3 million American kids are infected with rotavirus which can cause severe diarrhea, vomiting and fever ... There is now a vaccine against rotavirus. (MSNBC -- International)
Health and Fitness File Nov. 28 Nov 29, 2007
Immunizations Clinics: Children s vaccines include: chicken pox, diphtheria, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, Hib meningitis, HPV, measles, meningococcal, mumps, pertussis, pneumococcal, polio, rotavirus, rubella and tetanus. Resident fees: Administration fee is $5 per visit. (Racine Journal Times, WI)
Moderate Doses of Pot Can Lower Pain Nov 26, 2007
14:56, November 24th 2007. A recent study made at the University Of California, San Diego in the United States revealed that smoking a moderate amount of cannabis might have benefic effects when human body is exposed to pain. (eFluxMedia)
Lung Transplant Not the Best Solution for Cystic Fibrosis Nov 25, 2007
14:36, November 23rd 2007. Lung transplants, which have been seen as a treatment of last resort for cystic fibrosis, seem to be rarely beneficial to children with that condition or even worse, they can be harmful, according to a study released on Thursday. (eFluxMedia)
Fetal Exposure to Arsenic Linked To Cancer Nov 25, 2007
Pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline has announced that is Rotarix rotavirus vaccine is effective at preventing rotavirus gastroenteritis during the first two years of life. The results of a.. (eFluxMedia)
New Data Published in The Lancet Show GSK's ROTARIX(R) Offers Protection Against the Most Common Circulating Rotavirus Types Nov 24, 2007
Protection Sustained During the First Two Years of Life PHILADELPHIA, Nov. 23 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- New data from a large European clinical trial published today in The Lancet show ROTARIX(R), GlaxoSmithKline's (NYSE: ) oral rotavirus candidate vaccine to prevent rotavirus gastroenteritis, provides protection against the five most commonly circulating rotavirus types around the world and in the United States (U.S.). The GSK candidate vaccine, if approved by the U.S. Food and Drug... (PR Newswire)
News in brief Nov 24, 2007
Babies should routinely be vaccinated against viral stomach upsets, researchers said yesterday, after a study looked at the effect of giving rotavirus vaccine to more than 2,500 children aged six to 14 weeks in six European countries. Writing in the Lancet, Professor Timo Vesikari, of the University of Tampere in Finland, and colleagues said that two doses of the vaccine were given to the children, while 1,302 received a placebo. (Guardian Unlimited -- UK)
Glaxo rotavirus vaccine highly effective Nov 24, 2007
LONDON (Reuters) - GlaxoSmithKline's (GSK.L: , , ) Rotarix vaccine given along with other routine infant shots is highly effective at protecting against rotavirus, the most common cause of severe diarrhoea in young children, researchers said on Friday. New data from a large European trial, published in the Lancet journal, showed the oral vaccine worked against the five most commonly circulating rotavirus types -- G1, G2, G3, G4 and G9 -- responsible for 98 percent of rotavirus gastroenteritis... (Reuters UK)
Clean Control Corporation's Germ Control 24(TM) Featured on Nationally Televised ''Geraldo at Large'' Nov 22, 2007
Notable viral efficacy claims for PUREs disinfectant include a three-minute kill against Human Corona virus (SARS surrogate) and Rotavirus and a ten-minute kill against Norovirus and Avian Influenza A (Bird Flu). Moreover, SDC-based disinfectants pose little if any health hazards because they are odorless, colorless, non-corrosive, non-flammable and are compatible with other disinfecting and cleaning chemicals. (Yahoo! Wire -- Entertainment News)
Shots up to date? Nov 17, 2007
Are your child's shots up-to-date. - Kids and parenting- msnbc. (MSNBC -- Health)
GSKs strategy depends on market dynamics Nov 10, 2007
And there are a slew of products that GSK plans to bring into India next year, including breast-cancer drug Tykerb, it s six-in-one vaccine Infanrix hexa and the rotavirus vaccine for gastroenteritis. The cervical cancer vaccine, though, is slated for 2009. (Hindu Business Line)
IAVI statement on new analysis of STEP large-scale AIDS vaccine trial Nov 8, 2007
Rotavirus, which causes diarrheal disease, took 33. HIV was discovered 24 years ago and weve only had a serious AIDS vaccine effort for about a decade, with only two candidates tested for efficacy. (EurekAlert!)
Cinnamon the cat could offer hope to the blind Nov 1, 2007
Cats also get feline versions of many human infectious diseases, including rotavirus, poxvirus, herpes, Q-fever, chlamydiosis and dozens more. The domestic cat also serves as an excellent model for AIDS because feline immunodeficiency virus is a genetic relative of human immunodeficiency virus, which causes AIDS, said Stephen O'Brien, chief of the Laboratory of Genomic Diversity of the National Cancer Institute, Bethesda. (Telegraph.co.uk)
SCHOOL GERMS Oct 30, 2007
"Rotavirus, or gastrointestinal illness, is very common among children. It's usually characterized by such things as abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea," said Gerald, noting that medication little to help the attack the virus, which generally passes on its own within a few days. "One of the things that we try to stress with parents is that a child should wash their hands for at 15 to 20 seconds, long enough to sing the 'Happy Birthday' song once, possibly twice. Also, if they have a... (Orangeburg Times and Democrat, SC)
Children's medical director has big growth plans Oct 30, 2007
We have a vaccine against rotavirus, which is one of the leading causes of death, from diarrhea, around the world. By developing that, we've had a huge impact on millions of children. (Cincinnati Business Courier, OH)
After Drought, Diversity Dries Up And Ponds All Look The Same Oct 18, 2007
An ecologist at Washington University in St. Louis has discovered that after ponds dry up through drought in a region, when they revive, the community of species in each pond tends to be very similar to one another, like so many suburban houses made of ticky tacky. Jonathan M. Chase, WUSTL associate professor of biology in Arts & Sciences, and director of the university's Tyson Research Center, created 20 artificial ponds out of tanks that hold 300 gallons of water. (Science Daily)
Testosterone Turns Male Junco Birds Into Blustery Hunks -- And Bad Dads Oct 16, 2007
The ability to ramp up testosterone production appears to drive male dark-eyed juncos to find and win mates, but it comes with an evolutionary cost. Big fluctuations in testosterone may also cause males to lose interest in parenting their own young, scientists have learned. (Science Daily)
Benefits Of 80 Million Years Without Sex Oct 13, 2007
Scientists have discovered how a microscopic organism has benefited from nearly 80 million years without sex. Bdelloid rotifers are asexual organisms, meaning that they reproduce without males. (Science Daily)
Difference Between Fish And Humans: Century-old Developmental Question Answered Oct 13, 2007
Embryologists at UCL (University College London) have helped solve an evolutionary riddle that has been puzzling scientists for over a century. They have identified a key mechanism in the initial stages of an embryo's development that helps differentiate more highly evolved species, including humans, from less evolved species, such as fish. (Science Daily)
Officials change immunization Oct 13, 2007
Rotavirus and the human papillomavirus vaccinations were added as requirements this year, said Stacy Lovelace, also immunization surveillance coordinator for the North Dakota Department of Health ... Bacterial diseases like meningococcal meningitis and the rotavirus were at one time deadly, but can now be fought through vaccination. (Wahpeton Daily News, ND)
Driving Force Of Evolution? Evolution Of Proteins Linked To Species' Metabolic Rate Oct 9, 2007
ScienceDaily: Driving Force Of Evolution. Evolution Of Proteins Linked To Species' Metabolic Rate. (Science Daily)
Use of formative research in developing a knowledge translation approach to Rotavirus vaccine introduction in developing countries Oct 6, 2007
Rotavirus gastroenteritis is the leading cause of diarrheal disease mortality among children under five, resulting in 450,000 to 700,000 deaths each year, and another 2 million hospitalizations, mostly in the developing world. Nearly every child in the world is infected with rotavirus at least once before they are five years old ... Vaccines to prevent rotavirus or minimize its severity are now becoming available, and have already been introduced into the public vaccine programs of several Latin... (BioMed Central)
Saber-toothed Cat Was More Like A Pussycat Than A Tiger Oct 3, 2007
In public imagination, the sabre-toothed cat Smilodon ranks alongside Tyrannosaurus rex as the ultimate killing machine. Powerfully built, with upper canines like knives, Smilodon was a fearsome predator of Ice-Age America's lost giants. (Science Daily)
Saltwater Crocodiles Can Find Their Way Home Oct 3, 2007
Three crocodiles relocated from their homes in Far North Queensland have been tracked swimming between 10 and 30 kilometres per day according to a collaborative research project by The University of Queensland, Australia Zoo and Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service. (Credit: Photo by C. Franklin). (Science Daily)
Grub's Passion For Plastic Causes Water Loss Oct 2, 2007
Research by the NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI) has found that a small white grub is responsible for water leaking from sub-surface drip irrigation pipes used by some lucerne growers. Lucerne is a pasture or hay crop. (Science Daily)
New Approach To Improving Diarrhea In Infants With Probiotics Oct 1, 2007
Each year more than half a million infants worldwide, primarily in developing countries, die from diarrhoea caused by rotavirus ... Research showed that 59 percent of animal subjects did not develop rotaviral diarrhoea when L. rhamnosus GG was given before infection with rotavirus ... In comparison, only 7 percent of mice escaped rotavirus infection without prophylactic intervention. (Science Daily)
New Keys To Keeping A Diverse Planet Sep 29, 2007
Variation in plants and animals gives us a rich and robust assemblage of foods, medicines, industrial materials and recreation activities. But human activities are eliminating biological diversity at an unprecedented rate. (Science Daily)
New way to beat infant diarrhea Sep 28, 2007
Effective prophylaxis against rotavirus diarrhea using a combination of Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG and antibodies ... Rotavirus is a worldwide cause of infectious infantile diarrhea that claims over 600,000 lives annually ... Oral delivery of specific immunoglobulins provides passive immunity and is a fast acting treatment for rotavirus diarrhea. (BioMed Central)
Biologists Expose Hidden Costs Of Firefly Flashes: Risky Balance Between Sex And Death Sep 25, 2007
A new study by biologists at Tufts University has discovered a dark side lurking behind the magical light shows put on by fireflies each summer. Using both laboratory and field experiments to explore the potential costs of firefly courtship displays, the biologists have uncovered some surprising answers. (Science Daily)
Doctor-insurer disputes force parents to pay up front for shots Sep 22, 2007
They are Gardasil, the new vaccine that guards women and girls against cervical cancer by protecting them from human papillomavirus, or HPV; RotaTeq, which protects against severe diarrhea-causing rotavirus; Menactra, a new formulation of the meningococcal vaccine; and Prevnar, an immunization against pneumococcal disease ... -- Merck's RotaTeq (rotavirus): $66. (San Francisco Chronicle)
Peat And Forests Save Permafrost From Melting Sep 19, 2007
Permafrost may be buffered against the impacts of climate change by peat and vegetation present in the northern regions, according to a study by McMaster researchers. Altaf Arain, associate professor in the School of Geography Sciences. (Science Daily)
Ecologist Finds Dire Devastation Of Snake Species Following Floods Sep 15, 2007
In science, it's best to be good, but sometimes it's better to be lucky. Owen Sexton observes a flooded Marais Temps Clair. (Science Daily)
Scientists Harvest Answers From Genome Of Grain Fungus Sep 14, 2007
Evil forces thrive in an unstable environment. An infected wheat plant shows symptoms of Fusarium graminearum. (Science Daily)
Prehistoric Reptiles From Russia Possessed The First Modern Ears Sep 13, 2007
The discovery of the first anatomically modern ear in a group of 260 million-year-old fossil reptiles significantly pushes back the date of the origin of an advanced sense of hearing, and suggests the first known adaptations to living in the dark. The 260 million-year-old fossil of the small reptile Bashkyroleter mesensis, from central Russia, owner of the first known 'modern' ear. (Science Daily)
A Dog In The Hand Scares Birds In The Bush Sep 13, 2007
New research showing that dog-walking in bushland significantly reduces bird diversity and abundance will lend support to bans against the practice in sensitive bushland and conservation areas. Researchers determined that birds perceive dogs as predators and avoid dog-walking areas. (Science Daily)
Was Ability To Run Early Man's Achilles Heel? Sep 13, 2007
ScienceDaily: Was Ability To Run Early Man's Achilles Heel. Was Ability To Run Early Man's Achilles Heel. (Science Daily)
