CQU Rockhampton is now the headquarters of an Australian research team seeking better ways to prevent respiratory infections which kill millions of people worldwide every year.
This tip sheet provides summaries of the studies published in the November/December issue of Annals of Family Medicine and cover topics such as antibiotic use for rhinosinusitis and sore throat, the impact of the 2004 flu vaccine shortage and other clinical topics.
Marijuana is not a “gateway” drug that predicts or eventually leads to substance abuse, suggests a 12-year University of Pittsburgh study. The study, which found that young men who chose to initiate their drug use with marijuana were no more likely to go on to abuse drugs or alcohol than those who smoked or drank first, calls into question the long-held belief that has shaped prevention efforts and governmental policy for six decades.
The Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunizations (GAVI) pledged $200 million to fight diseases in poor countries, promising to slash the time it takes to get new vaccines to needy children and save more than a million lives a year. The cash would allow various countries around the world to receive the vaccines quicker.
The 2006 American College of Neuropsychopharmacology annual meeting will feature hundreds of new studies on brain and behavior from the world’s leading scientists. Presentations include innovative research on potential new treatments for Alzheimer’s disease, autism, nicotine addiction and treatment resistant depression.
Bristol-Myers Squibb Company (NYSE: BMY) in cooperation with the National AIDS Fund today launched the third annual “Light to Unite” campaign in support of World AIDS Day. This year’s “Light to Unite” program shines a light on the devastating impact of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in underserved communities throughout the United States. Bristol-Myers Squibb and the National AIDS Fund are encouraging people across the country to visit http://www.lighttounite.org/ to show their support and to educate themselves and others on emerging HIV/AIDS issues within diverse communities across the U.S.
On the occasion of World Aids Day 2006 Boehringer Ingelheim stated that its patent rights to Viramune (nevirapine) do not prevent access to this medication in low income countries.
Perestane?, an innovative biocidal product created and developed by Solvay, has been proven to be an effective disinfectant against Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and Clostridium difficile. These so-called ?superbugs? may cause fatal diseases, and the treatment of patients with most current antibiotics is ineffective. Researchers from the University of Leeds and Leeds General Infirmary (United Kingdom) have recently demonstrated that disinfectants commonly used in hospitals fail to eradicate Clostridium difficile from the premises, and may even promote spore formation.
Solvay announces today that its vinyls joint venture in Europe, SolVin, is launching NanoVin?, an innovative nanocomposite combining polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and nanoparticles of clay. This specialty product displays exceptional properties in terms of plasticity, viscosity and flow. These distinctive rheological properties make NanoVin? a so-called ?smart material?, capable of sensing and reacting to changes in its environment (see Notes to the Editors below).
Novartis unveiled today new data on its promising pipeline amid plans for multiple new product approvals and launches over the next two years. Many of these anticipated approvals are for potentially best-in-class medicines that would advance treatment standards for patients with hypertension, diabetes, cancer and other diseases.