Recent News

By Category: Countermeasures

Anthrax vaccine – To the victor, the spoils

(Scientific American) In my last post, we began to play “Follow the Money” to better understand the history of the anthrax vaccine and the current proposal to test the vaccine on children. Conflicts of Interest-Case Study: Major issues with the anthrax vaccine include safety, conflicts of interest and the lobbying power of the drug developer. Read More »

May 31, 2012
| Filed under North America, Agents & Toxins, Countermeasures, Policy & Initiatives, and Public Health
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OHSU Oregon National Primate Research Center develops new, safer method for making vaccines

(Oregon Health & Science University) OHSU researchers have discovered a new method for creating vaccines that is thought to be safer and more effective than current approaches. The method uses hydrogen peroxide to inactivate viruses for use as vaccines. The research results are published online in the journal Nature Medicine.

May 30, 2012
| Filed under North America, Countermeasures, Public Health, and Research
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Made-in-Singapore H5N1 Bird Flu Diagnostic Kit – Detects All Known Strains of H5N1 Virus with a Single Test

(Press Release) Singapore – The close collaboration between scientists from the Experimental Therapeutics Centre (ETC) under the Agency for Science and Technology Research (A*STAR) and clinicians from Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH) has enabled the successful development of the most comprehensive and rapid H5N1 bird flu test kit available to date. With this highly advanced Read More »

May 30, 2012
| Filed under Asia/Pacific, Biotechnology, Countermeasures, and Public Health
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Lawmaker Seeks HHS Assessment of Strategic National Stockpile

(Global Security Newswire) Representative Sue Myrick (R-N.C.) this month requested that the U.S. Health and Human Services Department conduct an assessment of existing and future requirements for the Strategic National Stockpile of medical countermeasures against WMD agents, Government Security News reported on Thursday. In addition, the department should “consider ways to ensure that HHS reacts Read More »

May 30, 2012
| Filed under North America, Countermeasures, Policy & Initiatives, and Public Health
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New study shows why swine flu virus develops drug resistance

(University of Bristol) Professor Adrian Mulholland and Dr Christopher Woods from Bristol’s School of Chemistry, together with colleagues in Thailand, used graphics processing units (GPUs) to simulate the molecular processes that take place when these drugs are used to treat the H1N1-2009 strain of influenza – commonly known as ‘swine flu’. Their results, published today Read More »