2012: Banner Year for New Drugs

February 12, 2013 | by

Fueled by new cancer therapeutics, last year the annual new molecular and biological entity approval count from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) saw its highest year since 1997. One-third of the novel products approved by the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) are used to treat cancers of the blood, breast, colon, prostate, skin and thyroid.

FDA approved

CDC Reports Flu Widespread, Google Search Trends Alarming

January 15, 2013 | by

According to new surveillance statistics released on Friday from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), forty-seven states in the U.S. are now reporting widespread influenza activity [1]. The virus, which first appeared in the Southeast, has reached epidemic levels.

U.S. Influenza-like illness Activity - Jan 5, 2013

Flu Vaccine for the 2011-2012 Season Approved

July 20, 2011 | by

On Monday, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said it had approved the formulation for the 2011-2012 vaccine [1]. This year’s formulation is designed to protect against all three strains included in last years vaccine. Nevertheless, if you received a flu shot last year, you should still get vaccinated again this year: immunity to influenza viruses from vaccination declines over time and may be too low to provide protection after a year.

Flu vaccine

NIAID Trial of 2009 H1N1 Influenza Vaccine Enrolling HIV-Positive Adults

December 10, 2009 | by

HIV-infected adults currently are being recruited to participate in a clinical trial of 2009 H1N1 influenza vaccine. The study, sponsored by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) of the National Institutes of Health, will enroll approximately 240 men and women between the ages of 18 and 64.