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Archive for the ‘biotech/medical’ category: Page 1382

Mar 20, 2020

Teva to send US millions of malaria pills with potential to help COVID-19

Posted by in category: biotech/medical

Hydroxychloroquine one of several drugs cited in recent days as being possibly effective against coronavirus; Israeli firm says it will provide as many as possible at no cost.

The company said six million doses will be delivered to US hospitals by March 31, and more than ten million in a month.


Israeli generic drug giant Teva announced Friday that it will provide ten million doses of its anti-malarial drug hydroxychloroquine, which could potentially prove effective in fighting the coronavirus pandemic, to US hospitals free of charge. The company said six million doses will be delivered to US hospitals by March 31, and more than ten million in a month. “We are committed to helping to supply as many tablets as possible as demand for this treatment accelerates at no cost,” Teva executive vice president Brendan O’Grady said. Get The Times of Israel’s Daily Edition by email and never miss our top stories Free Sign Up.

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Mar 20, 2020

Chloroquine for the 2019 novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2

Posted by in category: biotech/medical

2020, Antiviral Research

Mar 20, 2020

How the Coronavirus May Force Doctors to Decide Who Can Live and Who Dies

Posted by in categories: biotech/medical, health

In the face of overwhelming demand and limited resources, health care would need to be rationed, with agonizing decisions.

Mar 20, 2020

Colorado distilleries switch to making hand sanitizer, and they’re giving it away free

Posted by in category: biotech/medical

As the coronavirus spreads through Colorado, local distilleries like Spirit Hound have begun making hand sanitizer.

Mar 20, 2020

NVIDIA Providing Access to Parabricks for Coronavirus Researchers

Posted by in category: biotech/medical

NVIDIA is giving Coronavirus Researchers Access to Parabricks for 90 Days. Learn more.

Mar 20, 2020

T-cell-mediated immune response to respiratory coronaviruses

Posted by in categories: biotech/medical, cybercrime/malcode

Circa 2014 Emerging respiratory coronaviruses such as the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) pose potential biological threats to humans. SARS and MERS are manifested as severe atypical pneumonia associated with high morbidity and mortality in humans. The majority of studies carried out in SARS-CoV-infected humans and animals attribute a dysregulated/exuberant innate response as a leading contributor to SARS-CoV-mediated pathology. A decade after the 2002–2003 SARS epidemic, we do not have any approved preventive or therapeutic agents available in case of re-emergence of SARS-CoV or other related viruses. A strong neutralizing antibody response generated against the spike (S) glycoprotein of SARS-CoV is completely protective in the susceptible host. However, neutralizing antibody titers and the memory B cell response are short-lived in SARS-recovered patients and the antibody will target primary homologous strain. Interestingly, the acute phase of SARS in humans is associated with a severe reduction in the number of T cells in the blood. Surprisingly, only a limited number of studies have explored the role of the T cell-mediated adaptive immune response in respiratory coronavirus pathogenesis. In this review, we discuss the role of anti-virus CD4 and CD8 T cells during respiratory coronavirus infections with a special emphasis on emerging coronaviruses.

Coronaviruses belong to the family coronaviridae and are enveloped, positive-sense, single stranded RNA viruses. The coronavirus genome is approximately 31 kb, making these viruses the largest known RNA viruses yet identified. Coronaviruses infect a variety of hosts including humans and several other vertebrates. Coronaviruses are associated with several respiratory and intestinal tract infections. Respiratory coronaviruses have long been recognized as significant pathogens in domestic and companion animals and as the cause of upper respiratory tract infections in humans. Thus, several human coronaviruses (HCoVs) are the etiological agents for mild respiratory illness, including the common cold and croup (e.g.: HCoV-229E, HCoV-OC43, HCoV-NL63 and HCoV-HKU) (3, 4). Human coronaviruses such as SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV are also associated with severe respiratory illness (5–9).

Mar 20, 2020

Drugs from antibodies of Covid-19 survivors

Posted by in category: biotech/medical

About 80,000 people worldwide have survived a Covid-19 infection. Their immune systems will have produced antibodies, which will help their bodies recognize and fight a repeat attack by the coronavirus. It’s a natural defense mechanism.


Aside from a Covid-19 vaccine, antibodies from recovered patients could provide a short-term “passive immunization” to the disease. A German immunologist saved thousands of lives with the method 100 years ago.

Mar 20, 2020

There’s A Shortage Of Ventilators For Coronavirus Patients, So This International Group Invented An Open Source Alternative That’s Being Tested Next Week

Posted by in categories: 3D printing, biotech/medical

Topline: A group of 300-plus engineers, designers, tech founders and others galvanized on Facebook with a goal of building a ventilator using readily available materials, 3D printing and open-source hardware resources. In just seven days, they built a prototype that will be validated as a solution to the global ventilator shortage by Irish authorities as early as next week.

Mar 20, 2020

The Doctor Who Helped Defeat Smallpox Explains What’s Coming

Posted by in categories: biotech/medical, health, neuroscience

In addition to working with the World Health Organization to end smallpox, Larry Brilliant has fought flu, polio, and blindness. He says we will, eventually, get back to normal. But that’s not going to occur until three important things happen first. LARRY BRILLIANT SAYS he doesn’t have a crystal ball. But 14 years ago, Brilliant, the epidemiologist who helped eradicate smallpox, spoke to a TED audience and described what the next pandemic would look like. At the time, it sounded almost too horrible to take seriously. “A billion people would get sick,” he said. “As many as 165 million people would die. There would be a global recession and depression, and the cost to our economy of $1 to $3 trillion would be far worse for everyone than merely 100 million people dying, because so many more people would lose their jobs and their health care benefits, that the consequences are almost unthinkable.”


Epidemiologist Larry Brilliant, who warned of pandemic in 2006, says we can beat the novel coronavirus—but first, we need lots more testing.

Mar 19, 2020

Chloroquine May Fight Covid-19—and Silicon Valley’s Into It

Posted by in category: biotech/medical

The old malaria drug is getting used against the coronavirus. Tech enthusiasts are abuzz. One missing step: clinical trials.