Cocaine addiction vaccine a step closer

Brazilian researchers working to develop a vaccine against cocaine addiction have begun test trials on animals. The vaccine has been under development for more than two years, one of the lead researchers, Xinhua news agency reported on Wednesday citing local media. “We are developing a molecule to stimulate the production of antibodies by the immune system against cocaine,” said Professor Angelo de Fatima, of the Organic Chemistry department at the Federal University of Minas Gerais, at Belo Horizonte, in the state of Minas Gerais, in Brazil. “These antibodies bind to…

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New Dengue Vaccine May Up Infection In Low Affected Areas: Study

The newly licensed dengue vaccine may actually increase the incidence of infections if used in low transmission areas, a team of international researchers has warned. Dengue — a viral infection that records nearly 400 million cases per year — is spread by mosquitoes, and causes fever, headache, muscle and joint pain. The virus typically causes a mild first infection but a far worse one if someone is infected with the disease a second time, researchers said. The study found that the dengue vaccine with the trade name Dengvaxia can reduce…

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Vaccine development necessary to end the AIDS epidemic

A team from International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI), led by President and CEO, Mark Feinberg, will be encouraging the global response to end HIV at the 21st International AIDS Conference, in Durban, South Africa. Researchers, policy makers, people living with HIV and other individuals committed to ending the pandemic will be present to discuss new scientific knowledge and offer opportunities for structured dialogue on major issues facing the global response to the epidemic. The conference is important for both India and Africa, as they are looked upon as key players…

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Austrian biotech plans Zika vaccine clinical trials in 12 months

An Austrian biotech company working with the Institut Pasteur said on Tuesday it planned to start clinical trials with an experimental Zika vaccine in the next 12 months, marking a further acceleration of research in the field. Themis Bioscience has signed a licence deal with the French research institute giving it extensive rights to the Zika vaccine candidate, which is based on established measles vaccine technology. More than a dozen small biotech firms and other organisations are working on vaccines against mosquito-borne Zika, which has been linked to birth defects…

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