Vaccination News

BRISBANE, Calif., Dec. 18 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- VaxGen, Inc. (Pink Sheets: VXGN.PK) announced today that the Food and Drug Administration's Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER) has informed the company that it is maintaining its clinical hold on the company's second Phase II trial for its investigational anthrax vaccine. The hold is due to CBER's continued concerns about the vaccine candidate's stability.

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), under its contract with VaxGen to purchase 75 million doses of its recombinant anthrax vaccine, rPA102, had imposed a deadline of today, December 18, for the company to initiate its next clinical trial for the vaccine candidate. The Office of Public Health Emergency Preparedness (OPHEP), the office within HHS that administers the contract, has yet to inform VaxGen what direction it intends to take with respect to the contract.

Continue reading "FDA Maintains Clinical Hold on VaxGen's Anthrax Vaccine Trial" »

BEIJING, Dec. 18 (Xinhua) -- China is seeking volunteers to participate in its second clinic trial of a new AIDS vaccine early next year, a leading Chinese scientist said recently.

The center is looking for men and women to participate in the trials which will take place in Beijing, said Shao Yiming, chief expert for the National Center for AIDS/STD Control and Prevention.

He revealed the plan at a conference on Sino-U.S. AIDS vaccine research and development held on Sunday without indicating how many participants will be involved in the trial.

Continue reading "China to test new AIDS vaccine on humans" »

BERN, Switzerland, Dec. 18, 2006 – Pevion Biotech announced the start of phase I clinical testing of its virosome-based hepatitis C virus (HCV) vaccine. The therapeutic HCV vaccine is based on Pevion Biotech`s proprietary PeviPROTM and PeviTERTM technologies and will be tested for its safety and immunogenicity.

Pevion Biotech has designed a therapeutic vaccine to treat patients who suffer from chronic hepatitis C virus infection. The vaccine is based on a combination of the PeviPROTM and PeviTERTM platforms using synthetic peptide antigens from the hepatitis C virus. Generally, a cellular immune response by cytotoxic T-lymphocytes (CTL) seems to be crucial in overcoming a hepatitis C virus infection. In-depth research in recent years has shown that the cellular immune response is even more effective when supported by helper T-cells. Pevion Biotech’s HCV vaccine candidate utilizes this effect inducing specific CTL responses (PeviTERTM) together with a supportive helper T cell response (PeviPROTM). This virosome-based technological combination in a single product represents a new generation of modular therapeutic vaccines.

Continue reading "Pevion Biotech Announces Its Hepatitis C Vaccine Enters Clinical Phase I" »

London – 'Daronrix', Glaxo's bird-flu vaccine, will hold a pride of place in the annals of preventive medicine, to be the first experimental bird-flu vaccine to receive certification by the European Medicines Agency, for its use in protecting people in the event of a bird-flu pandemic.

This first generation vaccine can be used only after the WHO or the European Union officially declares a pandemic.

A second –generation vaccine has also been conceived by the same company, Glaxo, and work is underway to study the effects of the vaccine in combating the H5N1 virus strain. The product is slated to go in for approval in the subsequent weeks. This second generation vaccine is intended to strengthen the immune system, as a preventive measure against an imminent pandemic.

Continue reading "Daronrix, Glaxo's Bird-flu Vaccine Approved by European Medicines Agency" »

Legislation that would urge young girls to receive a vaccine to fight cervical cancer hit a red light. The bill passed easily in the senate, but did not pass in the state house.

Concerns about the vaccine's long-term effects hindered the bill's ability to gain enough support with lawmakers.

However, the Food and Drug Administration did approve the vaccination for use in girls as young as nine years old.

source - WLNS 

By Ed Susman SAN ANTONIO, TX -- December 15, 2006 -- A experimental breast cancer vaccine appeared to offer protection against recurrences but failed to achieve statistical significance after 2 years of treatment, doctors reported here at the 29th San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium (SABCS).

"Recurrence rates reached 8.3% among the 101 women who received the vaccine and 16% among the 85 women who acted as controls in the trial," said Col. George Peoples, a surgeon at Brooke Army Medical Center, Fort Sam Houston, Texas.

Despite the nearly 50% reduction in recurrence, the small numbers of women in the trial resulted in a statistical value that is above the cutoff generally recognized as being significant.

Continue reading "Breast Cancer Vaccine Moving Forward Despite Lack of Significant Findings in Pilot Study" »

By Anai Rhoads Ford

Recently, the Washington post printed an article about vaccine waivers that could jeopardise your parental rights:

"The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that doctors ask parents who refuse to vaccinate their children to sign a waiver indicating they are aware of the risks of refusal."

Note: Despite that vaccines have been linked to asthma, autism, diabetes, and sudden infant death syndrome, the author implies that parents are being overly theatrical about the shots.

Continue reading "Why Signing a Waiver to Avoid Vaccines Can Be Considered Abuse" »

Kozhikode, INDIA - Tetanus vaccination has been temporarily suspended following the death of Rupisha (15), daughter of Rajan of Kuttiyadi. A temporarily ban was put on the vaccine of Mumbai based Afkin Company which is suspected to be the cause of death of the girl. The health department ordered to suspend the vaccine used in the Vattoli sector.

Though the authorities stated that the death was not due to the tetanus vaccine, suspicion arose after temporarily suspending it. The sample of the medicine used for the tetanus injection at the Vattoli High School has been sent for analysis to the National Virology Institute at Hasoli in Himachal Pradesh. The decision to ban the injection temporarily was taken since it takes at least one month to get the report.

source - Keral Online