Recent News

By Category: Countermeasures

U.S. Funds Tularemia, Botulism Treatment Research

The Canadian biopharmaceutical firm DiaMedica on Monday said it had entered a deal with the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases for continued study of a potential tularemia countermeasure (see GSN, April 5, 2010). The antibody under investigation inhibits a specific protein, a process that “has previously been shown to suppress the lethal Read More »

April 14, 2011
| Filed under North America, Countermeasures, Public Health, and Research
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PharmAthene Completes Dosing in Valortim® Phase I Clinical Trial – PR Newswire (press release)

PharmAthene Completes Dosing in Valortim® Phase I Clinical TrialPR Newswire (press release)"In preclinical animal studies Valortim® has been shown to protect both rabbits and monkeys against the lethal effects of anthrax infection when administered…

April 14, 2011
| Filed under North America and Countermeasures
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Army Starts Clinical Testing of Ricin Vaccine

The U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases on Wednesday announced the beginning of a clinical evaluation of a potential vaccine against the biological agent ricin (see GSN, April 16, 2010). The Phase 1 trial is intended to examine the safety of the ricin vaccine candidate and its capacity to produce an immune reaction Read More »

April 13, 2011
| Filed under North America, Agents & Toxins, Countermeasures, and Research
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U.S. Provides Additional Funds for Smallpox Vaccine

A Danish biotechnology firm said on Monday it would receive an additional $54 million in U.S. funding for development of a freeze-dried form of a smallpox vaccine (see GSN, Feb. 3). The U.S. Health and Human Services Department’s Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority has boosted an existing contract with Bavarian Nordic from $40 million Read More »

April 12, 2011
| Filed under North America, Countermeasures, Policy & Initiatives, and Public Health
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Nasal spray vaccines more effective against flu

(Society for General Microbiology) Nasal vaccines that effectively protect against flu, pneumonia and even bioterrorism agents such as Yersinia pestis that causes the plague, could soon be a possibility, according to research presented at the Society for General Microbiology’s Spring Conference in Harrogate. Professor Dennis Metzger describes how including a natural immune chemical with standard Read More »