Immunotherapy Weekly articles from December 2000

Immunotherapy Weekly archives from December 2000

Cytokine Induced in Schistosomiasis May Suppress Reactions in Children.
December 6, 2000... 2000 DEC 6 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The anti-inflammatory cytokine interleukin-10, induced in chronic schistosomiasis, may be central to suppressing allergic reactions in African children, concludes research published in the November 18,...

Fexofenadine Provides Relief Without Central Nervous System Disruption.
December 6, 2000... 2000 DEC 6 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The antihistamine fexofenadine provides effective relief to allergic rhinitis sufferers without the central nervous system (CNS) impairment that characterizes other antihistamines, immunologists report....

Maternal Fat Intake During Breastfeeding Increases Sensitization in Infants.
December 6, 2000... 2000 DEC 6 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Atopic sensitizations, or allergic reactions to certain stimuli, are more prevalent in infants breastfed by mothers who consume higher quantities of fat when they are breastfeeding. Researchers at...

Two Studies Reflect Revolution in AD Research.(Alzheimer's disease)
December 6, 2000... 2000 DEC 6 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Some Alzheimer's disease (AD) researchers have recently shifted their focus away from a search for genes (and gene therapy) to a more immediate approach: trying to prevent or reverse the destruction of...

Poly- and Monoclonal Antibodies Interfere with Viral Entry into Cells.
December 6, 2000... 2000 DEC 6 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Microbiologists in Singapore have demonstrated that exposure to polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies interferes with binding and entry of dengue-2 virus into cells, thus inhibiting viral replication....

Xoma Reports Updates on its Immunotherapeutic and Other Products.
December 6, 2000... 2000 DEC 6 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Xoma Ltd. (XOMA), a biopharmaceutical company that develops products for immunological disorders, infectious diseases, and cancer, announced updates November 13, 2000, on many of its medically related...

Patent Announced for Non-Viral Delivery System of Interleukin-2.
December 6, 2000... 2000 DEC 6 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Vical Inc. (VICL), San Diego, California, announced the issuance of U.S. Patent No. 6,147,055 covering the gene-based, non-viral delivery of interleukin-2 (IL-2) for the treatment of cancer. ...

Companies Form Antibody Collaboration.(Medarex Inc. and Epigen Inc.)
December 6, 2000... 2000 DEC 6 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Medarex, Inc., and Epigen, Inc., announced a collaboration to research, develop, and commercialize antibody-based cancer therapeutics. Medarex expects to use its HuMAb-Mouse(R) technology to develop...

Phase I/II Clinical Trial Initiated for MS.(multiple sclerosis)
December 6, 2000... 2000 DEC 6 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The Immune Response Corp. (IMNR), Carlsbad, California, announced that it has initiated a Phase I/II clinical trial with its investigational immune-based therapy in multiple sclerosis (MS) to confirm...

How to Keep Your Kids Asthma- and Allergy-Free.
December 6, 2000... 2000 DEC 6 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Each year asthma and allergies take their toll on a large percent of the American population. More then 35 million people in the United States suffer from seasonal allergic rhinitis, or "hay fever,"...

First Randomized, Control Study of Scheduled Intermittent HAART Conducted in Monkeys.
December 6, 2000... 2000 DEC 6 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Results of a study conducted in rhesus monkeys suggest that a fixed schedule of intermittent therapy may help to train the immune system to control HIV without the use of drugs. Investigators at...

European Commission Grants "Orphan" Status for Treatment.(Mylotarg)
December 6, 2000... 2000 DEC 6 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Wyeth-Ayerst Laboratories, Madison, New Jersey, announced that the European Commission has designated Mylotarg (gemtuzmab ozogamicin) as an "orphan medicinal product." The Commission decision...

Nasal Amyloid-Beta Peptide Exposure Reduces Cerebral Damage.
December 6, 2000... 2000 DEC 6 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Nasal administration of amyloid-beta (A beta) peptide, the substance that makes up the destructive cerebral plaque that characterizes Alzheimer's disease, can prompt an immune response that reduces the...

Women with Early Stage Disease Sought for Drug Evaluation.
December 6, 2000... 2000 DEC 6 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Iowa University (IU) of Iowa Health Care is joining the National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project (NSABP), a network of medical professionals funded by the U.S. National Cancer Institute...

Novel Approach to Improve Immunization Efficiency Identified.
December 6, 2000... 2000 DEC 6 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Researchers at Dendreon Corporation have reported a novel method for generating an enhanced immune response with potentially important implications for improving the efficiency of therapeutic cancer...

Patent Issued for Genetic Modification and Use of Key Human Immune System Cell.
December 6, 2000... 2000 DEC 6 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Nexell Therapeutics Inc. (NEXL) announced that it has received a patent (#6,146,623) from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office covering several methods for preparing and administering...

FDA Close to Approving Eczema Drug.(Protopic)
December 6, 2000... 2000 DEC 6 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The first new type of drug in decades to treat the troubling skin disease eczema moved a step closer to market in the U.S. as the government's scientific advisers unanimously declared Protopic ointment...

Researchers Investigate Regulation of Immune System Memory.
December 6, 2000... 2000 DEC 6 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- If a person's immune system successfully fights off an infection, not only does he recover, but he also acquires immunity against re-infection by that same pathogen. The ability of the immune system to...

Collaboration Will Study Genetic Control.(Interleukin Genetics Inc. and Brigham and Women's Hospital to study inflammation control)
December 6, 2000... 2000 DEC 6 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Interleukin Genetics, Inc. (ILGN) announced the initiation of a collaboration with Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH), Massachusetts, to investigate the genetic control of inflammation. Interleukin...

Clinical Trials for Vaccine Adjuvant Begin.(Stimulon adjuvant QS-21)
December 6, 2000... 2000 DEC 6 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Aquila Biopharmaceuticals, Inc. (AQLA), Framingham, Massachusetts, announced the initiation of an NIAID/DMID-sponsored clinical trial at Baylor College of Medicine, Texas, to evaluate the effectiveness...

Recombinant Lactoferrin in Works for Hepatitis C Treatment.
December 6, 2000... 2000 DEC 6 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- XTL Biopharmaceuticals Ltd. (XTL), Leiden, The Netherlands, and Pharming Group N.V. (PHAR), Rehovot, Israel, announced the signing of an agreement to jointly evaluate and potentially co-develop...

Studies Reveal Accelerated Improvement of Immune System and Antiviral Reactivity.(interleukin 2 helps improve immune system)
December 20, 2000... 2000 DEC 20 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A multicenter, controlled study has shown that low daily doses of the T-cell growth factor interleukin 2 (IL2) can be given to individuals with chronic HIV infection and low lymphocyte concentrations...

Type of Clothing Affects Allergen Exposure.(wool may attract more dust mites than cotton)
December 20, 2000... 2000 DEC 20 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Woolen sweaters are more likely to make you sneeze than cotton T-shirts, according to a study in the November 2000 issue of the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. Research also has found...

Caregivers of Dementia Patients More Susceptible to Illness.
December 20, 2000... 2000 DEC 20 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The chronic stress of caring for a family member with dementia may dampen the immune systems of the elderly caregivers, according to the results of a small study. "Dementia caregiving can be quite...

Enhanced Immune Response Improves Immunization Efficiency.(report from Dendreon Corp.)
December 20, 2000... 2000 DEC 20 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Researchers at Dendreon Corporation have reported a novel method for generating an enhanced immune response with potentially important implications for improving the efficiency of therapeutic cancer...

New Role for Statins.(reduction of atherosclerosis in heart transplant patients)
December 20, 2000... 2000 DEC 20 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Researchers at the University Hospital Geneva, Switzerland, report for the first time that the statin drugs have an effect on the immune system. Statins, such as pravastatin, simvastatin, and...

Roots of Asian Plants Have Immunostimulatory and Suppressive Activity.(Astragali and Hedysari roots have beneficial effects)
December 20, 2000... 2000 DEC 20 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- An ethnopharmacology study of roots of two commonly used medicinal plants in Asia reports exhibit differential immunostimulatory and immunosuppressive activity. "It has traditionally been known in...

Study Seeks Participants with Peanut Allergy.(Centers for Peanut Allergy)
December 20, 2000... 2000 DEC 20 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A new study is seeking eligible participants who suffer from peanut allergy for innovative national medical research study. Peanut and tree nut allergy can be a serious condition that affects...

Alliance Established to Develop Drug Candidates.(between Abgenix Inc. and CuraGen Corp.)
December 20, 2000... 2000 DEC 20 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Abgenix, Inc. (ABGX), Fremont, California, announced the expansion of their strategic alliance to develop and commercialize genomics-based antibody drugs using XenoMouse technology and CuraGen's suite...

Antibody-Based Therapeutics Target 10 Cancer-Specific Antigens.(collaboration between Abgenix Inc. and Immunex Corp.)
December 20, 2000... 2000 DEC 20 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Abgenix, Inc. (ABGX), Fremont, California, and Immunex Corp. (IMNX), Seattle, Washington, announced a multi-year collaboration designed to discover, develop, and potentially commercialize fully human...

Antibody Humanization Agreement Announced.(between Protein Design Labs Inc. and InterMune Pharmaceuticals Inc.)
December 20, 2000... 2000 DEC 20 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Protein Design Labs, Inc. (PDL) (PDLI) and InterMune Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (ITMN) announced an agreement under which PDL will humanize an InterMune monoclonal antibody targeted to the bacteria...

Promising Results Reported for Radiolabeled Monoclonal Antibody in Patients Failing Rituximab Treatment.
December 20, 2000... 2000 DEC 20 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Coulter Pharmaceutical, Inc. (CLTR) and SmithKline Beecham (SBH) announced promising results from a new study of Bexxar(TM) (tositumomab, iodine I131 tositumomab) in low-grade and transformed low-grade...

Radioimmunotherapy Trial Results Announced.(IDEC Pharmaceuticals Corp. announces Zevalin trial results)
December 20, 2000... 2000 DEC 20 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- IDEC Pharmaceuticals Corporation (IDPH) announced the final results of two pivotal trials of Zevalin(TM) (Ibritumomab Tiuxetan), an investigational radioimmunotherapy, during oral presentations at the...

Cancer Antibody Patent Issued.(to Northwest Biotherapeutics Inc.)
December 20, 2000... 2000 DEC 20 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Northwest Biotherapeutics, Inc. (NWBio), Bothell, Washington, announced that it has been issued U.S. Patent No. 6,150,508 for "Monoclonal Antibodies Specific For The Extracellular Domain of...

Breakthrough Announced in Treatment of Solid Tumors.
December 20, 2000... 2000 DEC 20 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- BioPulse International, Inc. (BIOP), San Ysidro, California, announced what it believes is a major breakthrough in the treatment of solid tumors using a new mixture of anti-cancer cytokines. ...

Vaccine with Novel Delivery Method Enters Human Trials.(Co-X-Gene from Virax Holdings Ltd.)
December 20, 2000... 2000 DEC 20 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Virax Holdings Limited (VHL), Melbourne, Australia, announced ethics committee approval has been received so removing the last hurdle to the start of a human clinical trial of a vaccine to treat people...

Whole-Blood Assay Gives Rapid Picture of Immune Response to Antiretroviral Therapy.
December 20, 2000... 2000 DEC 20 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Researchers in Germany have developed a simple, rapid whole-blood assay that estimates total HIV-reactive CD4 and CD8 cells in patients on antiretroviral therapy. According to Martina Sester and...

Oxidative Stress Might be Rate-limiting Factor for Successful Hepatitis C Treatment.
December 20, 2000... 2000 DEC 20 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Interferon therapy effectiveness against hepatitis C virus (HCV) may be limited in the presence of oxidative stress, new research has found. Y. Sumida and others at Kyoto Prefectural University of...

Global Partnerships for Health, Biotech Content Announced.
December 20, 2000... 2000 DEC 20 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- NewsRx.com(TM), Atlanta, Georgia, recently announced partnerships with several international firms, including EBSCO Online, Factiva, and the new iSyndicate Europe-Bertelsmann venture. "iSyndicate...

Human Monoclonal Antibody Patent Issuance Announced.(by XTL Biopharmaceuticals Ltd.)
December 20, 2000... 2000 DEC 20 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- XTL Biopharmaceuticals Ltd. (XTL) (XTL), Rehovot, Israel, announced that it has been issued U.S. Patent No. 6,146,629, (the "629 patent") entitled "Human Monoclonal Antibody Against Hepatitis B Virus...

Novel Immunomodulatory Measures On the Way.
December 27, 2000... 2000 DEC 27 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Maryclaire Lindgren, staff medical writer -- New mouse models are providing avenues for effective studies in the inflammatory processes of cystic fibrosis (CF), and hopefully, new therapies. ...

Antibody May Neutralize Protein Important to Parasite Invasion.(2A3 and C26 may help prevent malaria)
December 27, 2000... 2000 DEC 27 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Researchers may have found a way to interfere with the invasion of the malaria parasite into mosquitos. An important step in the life cycle of the Plasmodium parasite - the parasite that causes...

Mouse Allergy Contributes to Inner-City Health Crisis.(may be a contributing factor to childhood asthma)
December 27, 2000... 2000 DEC 27 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Mouse allergen, in the form of mouse urine or dander, is widely distributed in the inner city and may be a significant contributing factor to the childhood asthma epidemic in urban areas. This...

Herbal Medicine Eases Interferon's Weight Loss Effects.
December 27, 2000... 2000 DEC 27 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Oriental herbal medicine combined with interferon-alpha A/D eases body weight loss in treatment of metastatic renal cell carcinoma. Juzen-taiho-to, a Japanese and Chinese traditional herbal...

Human Leukemic T Cells Effective Treatment for Brain Tumors.
December 27, 2000... 2000 DEC 27 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The human leukemic T-cell line, TALL-104, kills human malignant brain tumor cells, researchers report. C.A. Kruse, of the University of Colorado, and associates conducted pre-clinical studies of...

Bacterial Cell Wall Protein Induces Anti-Tumor, Infectious Disease Immunity.
December 27, 2000... 2000 DEC 27 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Researchers from the Centre d'Immunologie Pierre Fabre (CIPF), Paris, France, have developed a promising antigen delivery approach for cancer and infectious diseases immunotherapy. A protein from...

Silymarin Is an Ineffective Therapy.(for primary biliary cirrhosis)
December 27, 2000... 2000 DEC 27 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Silymarin is not an effective treatment for primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) patients with limited response to ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA). Although UDCA has been established as safe and effective...

Asthma Drugs Battle Endotoxin.
December 27, 2000... 2000 DEC 27 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- (beta)(2)-agonists, commonly used to combat asthma, protect the lung against endotoxin, a pro-inflammatory agent in the dust that causes pulmonary disease. O. Michel, of the Free University...

Clinical Trials Under Way to Boost Immune System.
December 27, 2000... 2000 DEC 27 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Human clinical trials are under way on an innovative peptide-based therapy developed at the University of Arizona (UA) College of Medicine that researchers hope will allow people infected with HIV to...

Data on HIV Entry Inhibitors Presented.
December 27, 2000... 2000 DEC 27 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Progenics Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (PGNX), St. Lucia, West Indies, reported findings on the company's anti-HIV agents PRO 542 and PRO 140. The results were described at the Collaborative Research...

Viral Infections May Trigger Conditions Via Rare, But Normal Process.
December 27, 2000... 2000 DEC 27 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Viral infections may be responsible for triggering autoimmune disorders in certain people. The body's immune system has sophisticated safeguards in place to prevent it from turning its destructive...

Chemotherapy + Herceptin Improves Response Rate in Patients with Advanced Disease.
December 27, 2000... 2000 DEC 27 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The addition of weekly Taxol (paclitaxel) plus Paraplatin (carboplatin) to Herceptin (trastuzamab) improves patient response and disease control in metastatic, or advanced, breast cancer that...

Data Support Development of Gene-Based Immunotherapies.
December 27, 2000... 2000 DEC 27 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Vical Inc. (VICL), San Diego, California, presented data supporting conclusions that excellent safety profiles and encouraging efficacy results warrant continued development of the company's gene-based...

Phase II Clinical Trial Announced for Immunotherapy of HPV-Associated Cancer Precursor.
December 27, 2000... 2000 DEC 27 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Zycos Inc. announced the initiation of a multi-center Phase II clinical trial for ZYC101a, its novel therapeutic candidate designed to treat cervical dysplasia associated with the human papillomavirus...

Newer Version of Hepatitis C RNA Assay Useful for Predicting Interferon Response.
December 27, 2000... 2000 DEC 27 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A newer version of an assay commonly used to test for hepatitis C virus (HCV) can predict patient response to interferon therapy better than the older version can, scientists reported in Hepatology...

Cancer-Fighting Eggs in the Works.(Roslin Institute plans to mass-produce cancer-fighting drugs in eggs of genetically modified chickens)
December 27, 2000... 2000 DEC 27 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The creators of Dolly the Sheep announced on December 7, 2000, plans to mass-produce cancer-fighting drugs in the eggs of genetically modified chickens. The Roslin Institute in Edinburgh, Scotland,...

Data from Thymidine Kinase Suicide Gene Program Published.
December 27, 2000... 2000 DEC 27 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Avax Technologies, Inc. (AVXT), Kansas City, Missouri, has reported additional animal data relating to its thymidine kinase (TK) suicide gene program for graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). The...

Transgenic Expression of Receptor Enables Investigation of Primary T Cells.
December 27, 2000... 2000 DEC 27 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Researchers have devised a transgenic mouse technology that enables efficient adenoviral-mediated gene delivery to primary T cells. They believe their technique can help further research of...

Co-Infection with Schistosomiasis Doesn't Limit Treatment Effectiveness.
December 27, 2000... 2000 DEC 27 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Scientists have determined that Schistosoma mansoni co-infection with hepatitis C virus (HCV) will not hinder the effectiveness of interferon, which is used in treating HCV. Schistosomiasis, a...

More Research Connects IFN Treatment with Psychoses in Hepatitis C Patients.
December 27, 2000... 2000 DEC 27 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A new study adds to the body of evidence that patients with hepatitis C virus infection can sometimes develop psychological symptoms during the course of being treated with interferon (IFN). ...

Human Monoclonal Antibody Patent Covers Antibodies Against Hepatitis B Virus Surface Antigen.
December 27, 2000... 2000 DEC 27 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- XTL Biopharmaceuticals Ltd. (XTL) announced that it has been issued U.S. Patent No. 6,146,629, (the "'629 patent") entitled, "Human Monoclonal Antibody Against Hepatitis B Virus Surface Antigen...

Companies to Co-Develop Lactoferrin to Treat Hepatitis C.
December 27, 2000... 2000 DEC 27 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- XTL Biopharmaceuticals Ltd. (XTL) and Pharming Group N.V. (PHAR) announced the signing of an agreement to jointly evaluate and potentially co-develop recombinant human Lactoferrin (rhLF) as a treatment...

Collaboration Aims to Develop TB Vaccine.
December 27, 2000... 2000 DEC 27 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Galenica Pharmaceuticals, Frederick, Maryland, announced that it has entered into an agreement with the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) of the U.S. National Institute...

Technology Developed for Oral/Nasal Delivery of Anti-Infective Agents.
December 27, 2000... 2000 DEC 27 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- LigoCyte Pharmaceuticals Inc., Bozeman, Montana, announced that it will develop "M Cell" vaccine technology from Montana State University (MSU) for the delivery of anti-infective agents via oral and...