Page 20 - Aesthetics&Dermatology_11_2018
P. 20
LATEST PHARMACY NEWS
NEW IDEAS TO FIGHT THE FLU
• Researchers concerned about US National Institute for Allergy and are seeking funding from
the severity of the recent flu and Infectious Diseases, is Fauci’s effort to research
season and worried about a spearheading the federal effort a vaccine they say works
potential pandemic are looking for a universal vaccine. For differently from the seasonal
for more effective ways to seven years, his project, the vaccine and would require no
prevent the virus, with some Collaborative Influenza Vaccine more than two or three shots
ideas including developing a Innovation Centers, will hand during a person’s lifetime. A trial
universal vaccine, reported The out $30 million a year in grants. of the vaccine is under way on
Wall Street Journal. about 65 patients.
• Adolfo Garcia-Sastre, a
• Although experts say professor of medicine and • Meanwhile, Fauci’s agency
vaccination remains the best infectious diseases at the is already funding research
option, and the FDA recently Icahn School of Medicine at into other universal vaccines,
approved Xofluza, a new drug Mount Sinai, remarked “the such as M-001 by BiondVax
designed to shorten the flu’s ultimate dream is the universal Pharmaceuticals. M-001 is
duration by a day or more with [vaccine], but even one that designed to keep the “vast
only one dose, preventing works better” than the seasonal majority of flu strains” at bay,
influenza continues to be flu shot would be welcome. BiondVax claims, and is being
the goal, with more effective tested in the US.
vaccines urgently needed, the • He and his colleagues teamed
news source said. up with other scientists,
including some from the
• Anthony Fauci, director of the pharmaceuticals industry,
20
