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"Seqirus Media Monitoring" 13th Jun 2018

Seqirus mentions

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Industry News
India's Strides Shasun rises on US FDA nod for flu treatment
Shares of Strides Shasun climbed as much as 5.5 pct to 369 rupees, as its unit Strides Pharma Global received final approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for oseltamivir phosphate capsules, a treatment for symptoms caused by influenza
InDevR releases first reagent kit for assessing neuraminidase in influenza vaccines
InDevR announced the product release of the first ever commercial reagent kit designed explicitly for assessment of neuraminidase in influenza vaccines. The new VaxArray kit is poised to help improve influenza vaccines by empowering manufacturers with a standardized method to meet current regulatory requirements and to prepare for future trends. The VaxArray NA kit is also expected to serve as an important new tool in the push for a more broadly protective or "universal" flu vaccine.
GlaxoSmithKline to pass $10B in 2024 vaccine sales, with Merck, Sanofi and Pfizer rounding out the top 4: report
Shingrix may not make it on the top 5 best-selling vaccines list in 2024, but a diversified portfolio will still secure GlaxoSmithKline the lead position in the vaccine industry at that time, followed by Merck &Co., Sanofi, Pfizer and a dark horse biotech, life science commercial intelligence firm Evaluate predicts. Sanofi’s strong growth will come from two major products, according to the group. Compared to 2017, Pentacel and flu shot Fluzone will together grow nearly $1.45 billion by 2024, Evaluate predicts
What if South Korea supplies vaccines for North?
It is more likely now that the South could give the North vaccines. Analysts picked GC and SK Chemicals as the South Korean drugmakers to make more profits out of the opportunity to supply vaccines to the North. GC operates a vaccine factory in Hwasun, South Jeolla Province, which can produce up to 50 million doses with the egg-based manufacturing process. The factory mainly manufactures flu shots, Japanese encephalitis vaccines, and chicken pox vaccines. SK Chemicals runs a plant in Andong, North Gyeongsang Province, which can manufacture up to 140 million doses with the cell culture method. It mainly produces trivalent and quadrivalent flu vaccines. The plant recently began manufacturing shingles vaccine, too.
GlaxoSmithKline bids adieu to vaccines president Luc Debruyne as executive overhaul continues
GlaxoSmithKline has experienced multiple top executive departures under CEO Emma Walmsley, but the reformation of the company's leadership isn't finished yet. The company's vaccines president Luc Debruyne will leave at the end of the year. He will be replaced by Manufacturing & Supply President Roger Conner.
Can this flu drug really stop Ebola in its tracks?
On June 4, an ethics committee in the Democratic Republic of the Congo approved the use of favipiravir, a drug originally developed by a pharmaceutical company in Japan to fight influenza, for treating Ebola patients. While there’s no conclusive evidence yet that favipiravir will be the magic pill that ends Ebola, there was a case study during the last outbreak of a French nurse successfully treated using a number of experimental drugs, including favipiravir.
Pandemic Influenza News

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Academic studies
Hong Kong and Dutch scientists make breakthrough in battle against global flu outbreaks
A team of Hong Kong and Dutch ­scientists say they have developed a cutting-edge technique to help predict whether an emerging virus will have outbreak potential in humans, an important advance in the battle against the next flu pandemic. The group created the “mature airway organoid culture system” which mimic the respiratory tract from the nose to the bronchus using adult stem cells from lung tissue. Four types of emerging flu viruses were tested.
False Negative Rapid Test Results Delay Therapy in Patients with Severe Flu Infections
New research from investigators at the Chang-Gung Memorial Hospital in Taoyuan, Taiwan, finds that about half of the influenza cases in patients who are admitted to the intensive care unit had received a false-negative rapid influenza antigen test (RIAT). False negative results could delay needed treatment in patients with severe infection. The findings were presented at the 2018 ASM Microbe meeting in Atlanta, Georgia.
Study: Vitamin D Effective in Preventing Flu Only Among Non-vaccinated Population
Numerous peer-reviewed published studies have linked an increase in Vitamin D uptake with a decrease in influenza infection during the flu seasons. The logic is easy to understand: winter brings shorter days with less sunlight, when influenza is most prevalent, while influenza outbreaks are rare during the summer months with increased exposure to sunlight, the most common source of Vitamin D.
Existing Anti-Hypertension Drug Could Help Fight Flu
In a study published in Cell Host & Microbe, scientists in Japan have identified a receptor involved in flu virus infection, providing a novel target for anti-flu drug development. In the present study, scientists led by Professor Yusuke Ohba of Hokkaido University, Japan, have discovered that the Ca2+ channel—a transmembrane protein that allows Ca2+ to move across the cell membrane—is a key receptor molecule for IAV infections.
Research Brief: Explaining Herd Immunity Benefits Raises Willingness to Get Flu Shot
University of Minnesota School of Public Health graduate Jacqueline Logan and Assistant Professor Nicole Basta led a study to investigate if people consider the benefits to their community, such as herd immunity, when deciding whether or not to get a flu shot. The study also assessed if teaching people about these community benefits would increase their willingness to get vaccinated and if they had an accurate estimate of the vaccination coverage levels in their home county. The researchers recommended that providers administering vaccinations emphasize both the personal benefits of vaccination in protecting individuals from getting the flu and the community benefits of preventing outbreaks to raise awareness about the need to increase vaccination coverage.
A mucus wrapper helps flu to fly
Phlegm and other airway secretions might help to protect airborne influenza-virus particles and facilitate the disease’s spread. Previous research suggested that moderate humidity causes the influenza virus to decay. The finding has been cited to explain why flu outbreaks tend to occur in winter, when humidity is low. But the studies behind the finding did not look at the effects of mucus components on the fate of airborne viruses.
Pediatric influenza news
CDC reported influenza deaths in children exceeds seasonal high
In the U.S., with the report of an additional pediatric influenza-relate death, CDC said that the total number for the season was 172. This figure sets a record for the highest influenza-related deaths in children reported in a single influenza season, excluding pandemics. According to CDC, about 80% of the deaths were among children who had not been vaccinated against influenza. CDC noted, "These deaths are a somber reminder of the importance of flu vaccination and the potential seriousness of flu."
More U.S. kids unvaccinated in states that allow non-medical exemptions
In the U.S., a growing number of children are missing out on recommended vaccinations in states that permit parents to skip inoculations due to their personal beliefs even when there’s no medical reason kids can’t be vaccinated, a study suggests. The study wasn’t a controlled experiment designed to prove whether or how non-medical exemptions might contribute to outbreaks of measles or other vaccine-preventable diseases.
Stewardship / Resistance Scan for Jun 11, 2018
A small study in Clinical Infectious Diseases has found that coinfection with influenza and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is associated with high mortality in critically ill children, and that mortality was more than five times higher in children who received vancomycin monotherapy, a finding the authors say supports treatment with additional antibiotics in severe cases.
Over 65’s influenza news
Flu vaccines: Nearly all residents and staff at Eventide Homes have been vaccinated for influenza
In Australia, despite the shortage of flu vaccinations, the majority of residents and staff at Eventide Homes have been vaccinated. Pharmacies in Stawell and Ararat experienced a shortage of vaccines at the end of May this year due to the high demand.
General Influenza News
Mildura clinics and chemists run out of stocks as winter hits: Flu vaccine shock
In Australia, despite nearly doubling its order of the flu vaccine this year, Mildura’s Chemist Warehouse has exhausted its stock for the general public. The heightened demand following last year’s horror flu season has resulted in many first timers, particularly “the average bloke”, having to wait for the vaccine. Those who have a chronic conditions and others who are also considered vulnerable (including those over 65 years, aboriginal people and pregnant women) still have access to the vaccine.
New push for one jab to prevent cancer and other deadly conditions
The new Perth Children’s Hospital will house international researchers who believe they can develop single vaccines for various diseases. It’s the first research hub outside of North America, for scientists from the Human Vaccines Project. The CEO of Human Vaccines Project, Dr Wayne C Koff, says the new centre adds significant scientific capacity to the project. “All people including the most vulnerable will benefit from the breakthroughs realised by decoding the human immune system,” Dr Koff said. “Together we will enhance scientific efforts towards better vaccines and immunotherapy including a universal flu vaccine,” he said.
Human Vaccines Project announces new partnership with Telethon Kids Institute in Australia
The Human Vaccines Project announced its first international scientific hub through a partnership with Telethon Kids Institute. "Telethon Kids is a rapidly growing research institute in Australia that brings exceptional expertise to the Human Vaccines Project," said Wayne Koff, PhD, president and CEO of the Human Vaccines Project. "The Institute's knowledge in pediatrics and indigenous populations will enhance our efforts toward better vaccines and immunotherapies, as well as our work towards a universal flu vaccine."
Looking back at 100 years of flu [timeline]
Whilst medicine and technology have developed rapidly since 1918, the risk of another pandemic of influenza still remains a global concern. This article explores the last hundred years of flu, as we mark the Spanish flu centenary, from the four major pandemics to the medical advances along the way, with an interactive timeline.
District hospital claims to start H1N1 test, health dept says not easy
In India, a district hospital authorities have claimed to provide a swine flu test for free from August. Chief medical superintendent of the district hospital in Sector 30, Dr. Ajay Agarwal said he wrote to the health department seeking reagents used in the H1N1 test. “I have sought the reagents so that the H1N1 test can be conducted here at the district hospital. We will provide the test for free to the patients,” he said.
Influenza vaccine worked better than expected last year
A reader asks whether it is worth getting the flu vaccine despite its low effectiveness last season. She is told that "It's always worth getting the flu shot, and that 20 to 25 percent effectiveness number was simply an early estimate. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that the effectiveness rate ended up about 36 percent across several different flu strains, but primarily against H3N2. However, even a 20 percent effectiveness rate —as was the case in 2014-2015 — prevents an estimated 144,000 flu-related hospitalizations and 4,000 deaths."
Australia hit with the deadliest flu epidemic in 25 years - as vaccinations against the killer virus run out
A research paper has concluded that last year's flu season was the deadliest in a quarter of a century for both Australia and New Zealand. The research paper was published in the New England Journal of Medicine and was co-authored by Professor David Pilcher from the Monash University in Melbourne. Professor Pilcher, who also works at The Alfred Hospital in Melbourne, said the intensive care unit was flooded with patients suffering from the flu, many of them unaware how dangerous it can be. Meanwhile in Queensland, parents are having trouble finding flu vaccinations for their children on the back of a national shortage
Pharmacies to submit their Gesy proposals this month, suggest offering flu shots
In Cyprus, talks on implementing the national health scheme (Gesy) are underway with the pharmaceutical association, which is bringing its own demands to the table. Head of the Cyprus pharmaceutical association, Eleni Piera-Isseyegh said they will submit their proposals in writing on June 29, including that pharmacies will also be able to offer services such as flu shots. “Pharmacies are the most accessible point of contact when it comes to health,” Isseyegh said. Having seasonal flu shots available at pharmacies -which are scattered everywhere in Cyprus- will increase the number of people getting the shots and avoid hospitals from getting overloaded with such cases, she added.
Univ. of Florida team develops flu-detection device
New technology under development at the University of Florida in Gainesville could change future flu seasons by detecting the virus faster. Dr. Chang-Yu Wu and a team of researchers have developed a first-of-its-kind air sampler to detect the tiny influenza virus in the air in public spaces.
Burden of disease
Health Department confirms fourth death due to H1N1 flu in Catanduva region
The Secretary of Health of Catanduva confirmed this morning (12th) another death from the H1N1 flu virus in the region. The victim was a man, 50, a resident of Pindorama (SP). The number of deaths caused by the disease in the region now rises to four. The victim was hospitalized at Emilio Carlos Hospital and died on Friday (1st), but the result of the tests only confirmed the diagnosis on Monday (11th). According to the health secretary, the patient was also suffering from aggravated comorbidities.
Sapucaia Health Department confirms first death due to H1N1 just south of Rio
The H1N1 flu virus victim was a 45-year-old man who had been hospitalized since the end of May at the Hospital das Nossa Senhora da Conceição in Três Rios.
Influenza A (H1N1) accounts for most seasonal flu cases
In Vietnam, the H1N1 swine influenza strain accounted for 40% of infectious seasonal flu cases, Nguoi Lao Dong newspaper cited the head of the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology, Dang Duc Anh, as saying on June 12. Research on influenza in the first few months of 2018 found that H1N1 represented a higher proportion than flu B and flu A (H3N2), noted Anh.
News Scan for Jun 12, 2018
In its latest global flu update, the World Health Organization said flu has returned to inter-seasonal levels for most of the Northern Hemisphere, and is rising but still under seasonal thresholds in the Southern Hemisphere's temperate zone countries. Influenza activity has increased, however, in recent weeks in Southern Africa with more detections of 2009 H1N1. Brazil, Chile, and Paraguay also had more influenza detections. Australia and New Zealand reported inter-seasonal levels.
Influenza A still present in Polynesia
In Polynesia, influenza A is still spreading, and 21 new cases were reported in the past two weeks, with 15 people hospitalised
Capixaba businessman dies from H1N1 in São Paulo
A businessman from Espirito Santo died from H1N1 in the city of Sao Paulo last Monday 11th. Antonio Ponso Louzada Junior, 58, known as Tony Louzada, had been hospitalized for 17 days. According to the family the cause of death was confirmed by health experts at the Ipiranga Hospital just south of Sao Paulo, where Louzada was hospitalized
Flu Surveillance in Animals
BC research improves ability to detect and predict avian flu outbreaks
In 2014/2015 an outbreak of highly pathogenic Avian Influenza struck British Columbia. A total of 13 poultry farms were affected and approximately 240,000 birds died or were destroyed to control the outbreak. To improve the surveillance to include environmental monitoring, in 2015 the BC Ministry of Agriculture, BC Centre for Disease Control Public Health Laboratory, and University of British Columbia joined forces to develop a new approach - a genomics-based test that identifies and characterizes AI viruses in wetland sediments. To further evaluate this novel surveillance approach, there is a new project, Genomic Analysis of Wetland Sediment as a Tool for Avian Influenza Surveillance and Prevention.

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