virus news from FierceBiotech

An FDA advisory panel agreed Wednesday that GlaxoSmithKline's Rotarix vaccine was safe and effective, recommending the anti-rotavirus shot for agency approval. Rotarix is designed to help protect Read more...

The Dutch developer Crucell has opted to shelve its development program for a West Nile vaccine after seeing a drop in the number of people infected by the virus in the U.S. That was a surprise move Read more...

The fallout over Merck's disastrous AIDS vaccine trial continues. There are new Read more...

Vertex shares sank on Friday after the company reported that its closely-watched hepatitis C drug telaprevir eradicated the virus in more than 60 percent of patients. Standard therapies on the market Read more...

A group of experts has flown to China to investigate a recent outbreak of a virus afflicting the country's pigs. That move underscores the lingering concerns that China is still failing to be open Read more...

Wyeth could gain up to $5 million through next year in a licensing deal with Novavax covering its virus-like particle technology for use in vaccine development. The technology creates viruses that mimic the disease-causing virus but lacks genetic material needed to make it a threat. Release

Weeks after it released positive data on an early-stage study of its experimental gene therapy for HIV, VIRxSYS has raised $20 million in a series G round of financing. Some of that money will be used to support a Phase II trial of VRX496 for HIV. VRX496 relies on an HIV-based lentiviral vector--or viral container--from which the disease-causing aspects of the virus have been removed, leaving behind an efficient gene-delivery vehicle. VIRxSYS then equips the vector with a long antisense …

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Sanofi Pasteur says that its experimental bird flu vaccine has proved effective against recent variations of the virus, leading its researchers believe that the therapy could be effective against a viral mutation that could trigger a human pandemic. Sanofi researchers announced last May that the vaccine appeared safe and effective in early human trials. And the new data indicates that the vaccine produces antibodies that work against recently discovered strains of H5N1.

- here's the AFX report on the vaccine

Canada's Ambrilia Pharmaceuticals has licensed its early-stage lead product to Merck for $17 million up front and up to $215 million in milestones. The first milestone of $3 million will be rewarded for a successful completion of its ongoing Phase I dosing study of its HIV drug PPL-100. Data from that study is expected in November. After that study is wrapped, Merck is responsible for development costs.

Researchers at Ambrilia have touted PPL-100 for its ability to bind to the …

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Indonesia is investigating what could be two new clusters of bird flu victims, including one that is in the same area where seven family members were recently wiped out in one of the most alarming clusters seen yet. Researchers began to look for human victims of the disease when they discovered several dead birds in the area. The virus has not been confirmed in the new clusters, but Indonesian health officials are treating it as H5N1 pending lab confirmation.

- see this …

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