Critics accuse Merck of hyping cervical cancer risk
Just how important Gardasil has become to Merck's top line is underscored by a New York Times article analyzing the impact of what the pharma company calls "educational programs" and just about
Study examines cost-effectiveness of Gardasil
A new study in the New England Journal of Medicine questions the cost-effectiveness of Gardasil in older women, saying that the payback is reduced by their increased exposure to the virus that causes
New strain of bird flu found; Panacea inks $35M vaccines deal;
Vaccine Research A new strain of bird flu has been discovered in Nigeria. Report BN ImmunoTherapeutics has forged a scientific
Nanotech hep B vaccine could revolutionize therapy
Scientists at the University of Michigan are moving closer to human trials of a new nanoemulsion hepatitis B vaccine that could revolutionize therapy in the third world. The nanoemulsion approach
Other pandemic threats are lurking in H9 virus
H5N1 isn't the only avian virus that threatens to trigger a pandemic. A group of virologists was able to make an H9 virus much more transmissible by changing a single chemical component in the
Woman's immune system may be key to HIV vax
An investigative team at Johns Hopkins has been studying a woman whose natural immunity has quelled the virus she was infected with 10 years ago. Researchers say that she is an 'elite suppressor:'
Vaccine cure for RA heads to human trial
A team of scientists at Newcastle University is preparing a small human trial to test a one-shot approach to curing rheumatoid arthritis with a vaccine devised from a patient's white blood cells. The
New push for meningitis vaccine; Extending flu vaccine protection in the UK;
Vaccine Market A new push by the CDC will help get half of the country's 11 to 18-year olds inoculated with a meningococcal meningitis vaccine, but health officials remain concerned that millions of
Researchers post positive late-stage Heplisav data
Researchers for Dynavax and Merck say that a late-stage trial of their hepatitis B vaccine Heplisav hit the endpoint they were aiming at: non-inferior antibody response compared to GlaxoSmithKline's
Ivins' anthrax attack linked to vaccine criticism?
Federal officials believe that Senator Tom Daschle's objections to the anthrax vaccine being given to soldiers may have been a prime reason why he was targeted in the 2001 anthrax attacks. Daschle
FDA selects flu strains for next round of vaccines
The FDA has come up with a lineup of three all-new flu strains for this year's vaccine recipe. Typically, only one or two strains are changed, but health officials felt that following last season's
IAVI maps out a new route to AIDS vaccine
Merck, Dynavax announce Heplisav results
Dynavax and Merck announced that their hepatitis B vaccine Heplisav achieved the primary endpoint in a Phase III study. In the study, 95.1 percent of subjects who received Heplisav developed
Vitamin C jab slows growth of cancer
Injecting a large dose of vitamin C into mice started a chain reaction that destroyed cancer cells in mice, according to a research team at the National Institutes of Health. Brain, ovarian and
Would-be partners wage angry feud
The angry exchanges between Emergent BioSolutions and Protein Sciences keep getting nastier. Both companies now accuse each other of breaking their $78 million merger pact, and the accusations are
Fauci says HIV vaccine requires a new approach
The deeply confused state of HIV vaccine research was underscored by NIAID chief Anthony Fauci's recent decision to halt a planned human trial of an experimental jab. In an interview, Fauci pointed
Acambis plots growth after $549M buyout
Sanofi-Aventis' announcement earlier this week that it is buying the UK's Acambis for $549 million is fresh evidence of a buoyant vaccine market. The French drug company is paying a 65 percent
Vaccine may offer protection from black plague
An experimental vaccine created from genetically engineered plant cells appears to be effective against the Black Plague, which has bedeviled the world for centuries and is listed as a top bioterror
