Bird-flu vaccine shows promise

Pennsylvania researchers have produced a bird-flu vaccine made from a genetically engineered human cold virus and shown that it protected 100 percent of vaccinated mice and chickens.

While production of a conventional flu vaccine requires months and large numbers of fertilized chicken eggs, the researchers reported Thursday that they prepared their vaccine in only 36 days, growing it in a laboratory dish.

The ability to produce a new vaccine quickly could give public-health officials a powerful tool to combat the H5N1 bird-flu virus if it should begin infecting humans widely.

The team is working with the Food and Drug Administration to begin human tests of the vaccine, said Dr. Andrea Gambotto of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, who led the team. He said those trials could begin within weeks.

Washington

Drug gets FDA nod

to treat 2 cancers

A new drug that combats a rare stomach cancer and advanced kidney cancer won speedy federal approval Thursday.

Sunitinib, to be marketed by Pfizer as Sutent, is the first cancer drug to simultaneously win Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for two conditions, the agency said.

The FDA granted the medication priority review as a kidney-cancer drug and approved it just six months later, given its usefulness in treating the serious and life-threatening disease.

A trial of Sutent as a stomach-cancer treatment was cut short after the drug's ability to delay tumor growth prompted researchers to give the Pfizer drug to patients who had been taking placebos, or dummy medication.

Pfizer is studying the drug for use in treating other cancers, including colorectal, breast and lung cancer.

Stolen truck crashes

near border; 6 die

A stolen pickup authorities suspect was being used for human smuggling smashed into a tractor-trailer Thursday on a remote two-lane highway north of the Mexican border, killing five men and a woman and injuring at least six others.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement was investigating the crash, and agents suspected it involved human smuggling, spokeswoman Luisa Deason said.

The wreck happened about 10 miles north of the Border Patrol checkpoint in Falfurrias, about 75 miles from the Mexican border and about 170 miles south of San Antonio.

Harrisburg, Pa.

Swann remark costs

manager his job

A gubernatorial candidate challenging pro football Hall of Famer Lynn Swann in the Republican primary fired his campaign manager after the man told a televised call-in show: "The rich white guy in this campaign is Lynn Swann."

Bill Scranton, a former lieutenant governor who is white and comes from a wealthy family, also issued an apology to Swann after his campaign manager's comments Wednesday.

The remarks by James Seif "in no way whatsoever reflect my views or those of my campaign," Scranton said.

Swann, a former Pittsburgh Steelers star, is seeking to become Pennsylvania's first black governor. His campaign declined to comment.

The primary is May 16.

Compiled from The Associated Press and the Los Angeles Times