| 103 Health - Hepatitis Resources |
| 6,800 exposed to HIV or hepatitis at Ottawa clinic |
| Up to 6,800 people may have been exposed to HIV and hepatitis an Ottawa clinic over the past decade, health officials warned Monday. |
| October 17, 2011 |
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| AASLD publishes updated practice guidelines on hepatitis C |
| On Monday, September 26, 2011, the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases published online at its journal Hepatology's website an update to its practice guidelines for hepatitis C — "An Update on Treatment of Genotype 1 Chronic Hepatitis C Virus Infection: 2011 Practice Guideline by the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases." AASLD is the premiere organization for research and education in the area of liver disease. The authors of the update are Marc Ghany, David R. Nelson, Doris B. Strader, David L. Thomas, and Leonard B. Seeff, all of whom are thought leaders in the field of hepatology. |
| September 29, 2011 |
| Alios, Vertex sign worldwide license agreement to develop new hepatitis C combination medicines |
| Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated and Alios BioPharma, Inc. today announced an exclusive worldwide licensing agreement that will add two distinct nucleotide analogues to Vertex's hepatitis C portfolio. The compounds, which were discovered by Alios and are known as ALS-2200 and ALS-2158, have shown in in vitro studies to be potent inhibitors of the hepatitis C virus (HCV) polymerase, an enzyme essential for replication of the virus. |
| June 13, 2011 |
| Analysis finds mortality from all causes higher among hepatitis C-infected |
| Although liver-related mortality among those infected with hepatitis C is well-documented, little is known about deaths in these patients that are not related to liver problems. A new study published in Clinical Infectious Diseases and now available online sought to determine mortality from all causes, including liver- and non-liver related deaths among hepatitis C patients in the general U.S. population. The analysis found mortality from all causes to be higher in these patients. |
| June 10, 2011 |
| Antiviral Drugs Advisory Committee recommends FDA to approve telaprevir for hepatitis C |
| Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated today announced that the Antiviral Drugs Advisory Committee to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) voted unanimously to recommend FDA approval of telaprevir for people with genotype 1 chronic hepatitis C. The Committee recommended by a vote of 18-0 the approval of telaprevir for those who were not treated previously and those who were treated previously but not cured with currently available medicines. Telaprevir was studied in all major subgroups of people who were treated previously and not cured: relapsers, partial responders and null responders. The FDA is expected to make a decision on the approval of telaprevir by May 23, 2011, under the Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA). The FDA is not bound by the Committee's recommendation, but usually follows its advice. |
| April 29, 2011 |
| Arrival of Direct Antiviral Agent Therapy for Hepatitis C Sparks Debate of Who to Treat First |
| For many patients with the hepatitis C virus (HCV), direct antiviral agents (DAA) offer a potential cure for the disease. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has recently approved two new DAAs, telaprevir and boceprevir, and with that clinicians must now decide who should be the first to receive this treatment. Discussion of this timely topic is now available in the June issue of Hepatology, a journal published by Wiley-Blackwell on behalf of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases. |
| May 25, 2011 |
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| Boceprevir: Indication of added benefit for specific patients |
| The active ingredient boceprevir has been available since the middle of 2011 as a treatment for chronic hepatitis C of genotype 1. In an early benefit assessment pursuant to the "Act on the Reform of the Market for Medicinal Products" (AMNOG), the German Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG) has now examined to establish whether boceprevir offers added benefit in comparison with the previous standard therapy. |
| December 9, 2011 |
| Biomagnetics accepts Los Alamos National Labs' optical biosensor for disease diagnosis |
| Biomagnetics Diagnostics Corp., a developer of revolutionary diagnostic systems and technology for HIV, hepatitis, tuberculosis, cholera and malaria detection, and other innovative technologies, today announced it has accepted delivery of the world's first integrated optical biosensor for disease diagnosis. This new type of diagnostic device was developed in conjunction with the scientists and engineers at Los Alamos National Laboratory. The Company now plans to proceed with the process of ministration and commercialization of this groundbreaking technology. |
| April 27, 2011 |
| Birth cohort screening for hepatitis C is cost effective, could save thousands of lives each year |
| According to a new study being published early online in Annals of Internal Medicine, the flagship journal of the American College of Physicians, birth cohort screening for hepatitis C is cost effective in the primary care setting. A proactive screening strategy could identify over 800,000 currently unidentified cases, which could save many thousands of lives each year. |
| November 4, 2011 |
| Breakthrough Opens New Avenues for Hep C Vaccine |
| Hopes for an effective vaccine and treatment against the potentially fatal hepatitis C virus (HCV) have received a major boost following the discovery of two 'Achilles' heels' within the virus. |
| September 13, 2011 |
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| Canine hepatitis C virus discovery opens up new doors for research |
| In a study to be published online this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, researchers report the discovery of a novel hepatitis C-like virus in dogs. The identification and characterization of this virus gives scientists new insights into how hepatitis C in humans may have evolved and provides scientists renewed hope to develop a model system to study how it causes disease. |
| May 23, 2011 |
| Coffee Drinking Improves Hepatitis C Treatment Response, Study Suggests |
| Advanced hepatitis C patients with chronic liver disease may benefit from drinking coffee during treatment, according to a new study in Gastroenterology, the official journal of the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) Institute. Patients who received peginterferon plus ribavirin treatment and who drank three or more cups of coffee per day were two times more likely to respond to treatment than non-drinkers. |
| June 7, 2011 |
| Combination of oral drugs suppresses common type of hepatitis C |
| A new combination of investigational drugs successfully suppressed hepatitis C genotype 1 infection in a high percent of patients who had not responded to previous treatment in a study led by a University of Michigan hepatologist. |
| January 19, 2012 |
| Could Vertex Sell $1 Billion Of Its Hepatitis C Drug This Year? |
| Despite a partnership with Roche, one of the traditional leaders in the hepatitis C market, Vertex's Incivek is being prescribed four times as often as Merck's Victrelis, analysts say. This morning, Geoffrey Porges of Sanford C. Bernstein, a Vertex bull, wrote in a note to investors that Incivek is doing even better than they think. |
| August 19, 2011 |
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| Danger Signal Limits Hepatitis C Infection |
| Despite the fact that hepatitis C virus (HCV) persists chronically in about 80 percent of those infected, some liver cells remain free of the virus even after many years. Now Sung Key Jang of Pohang University of Science and Technology, South Korea, et al. explain that paradox. During chronic HCV infection, a cellular protein, HMGB1, helps restrain viral reproduction. That prevents HCV from sweeping the liver, and results in a lower blood burden of virus than in the case of hepatitis B. This first description of HMGB1-related responses triggered by HCV infection is published in the September 2011 issue of the Journal of Virology. |
| September 19, 2011 |
| Device could help liver failure patients, extend options for transplant |
| For patients with acute alcoholic hepatitis (AAH), inflammation of the liver can result in a multitude of symptoms, including jaundice, fluid accumulation in the abdomen and hepatic encephalopathy -- impaired brain function leading to irritability, tremors and confusion. |
| March 11, 2011 |
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| ELPA, WHA to launch PATH B programme for patients with chronic hepatitis B |
| The European Liver Patients Association (ELPA) and the World Hepatitis Alliance (WHA), announced today on the 4th annual World Hepatitis Day that 'PATH B - "Patients and Professionals Acting Together for Hepatitis B" - My journey with chronic hepatitis B', a comprehensive educational resource designed to improve the lives of people living with chronic hepatitis B, is to be launched in August 2011. PATH B aims to increase patient understanding of the consequences of chronic hepatitis B and improve patient-physician dialogue, with the goal of enhancing chronic hepatitis B disease management, resulting in a better quality of life. |
| July 28, 2011 |
| Enrollment complete in Boehringer Ingelheim's BI 201335 Phase III trial for HCV |
| Boehringer Ingelheim today announced that the final patient has been randomised to treatment in the large-scale Phase III clinical trial programme for BI 201335, its investigational, oral protease inhibitor for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV). |
| December 9, 2011 |
| Entry inhibitors show promise as drugs with new MOA for treatment of HBV and HDV infection |
| Promising new viral hepatitis data presented today at the International Liver CongressTM show that entry inhibitors --a new mechanism of action for drugs to treat viral hepatitis -- could provide the first new hepatitis B and hepatitis D treatments for many years. |
| April 2, 2011 |
| Entry Point for Hepatitis C Infection Identified |
| A molecule embedded in the membrane of human liver cells that aids in cholesterol absorption also allows the entry of hepatitis C virus, the first step in hepatitis C infection, according to research at the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine. |
| January 24, 2012 |
| European studies on risks of hepatocellular carcinoma |
| Among known risk factors for hepatocellular cancer, smoking, obesity, and heavy alcohol consumption, along with chronic hepatitis B and C infection, contribute to a large share of the disease burden in Europe, according to a cohort study published online October 21 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. |
| October 21, 2011 |
| Experimental drug suppresses rebound of hepatitis C virus in liver transplant patients |
| A human monoclonal antibody developed by MassBiologics of the University of Massachusetts Medical School (UMMS) given to patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection undergoing liver transplantation significantly suppressed the virus for at least a week after transplant and delayed the time to viral rebound. Results from a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 2 study were presented this week at The Liver Meeting, the annual meeting of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases, in San Francisco. |
| November 7, 2011 |
| Experts Propose Age-Based Hepatitis C Testing |
| Screening People Born From 1946 to 1970 Would Prevent Advanced Disease, Model Shows; Other Experts Want More Evidence |
| May 9, 2011 |
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| FDA Approves Hepatitis C Drug Victrelis |
| Studies Show Victrelis Is an Effective Treatment for Hepatitis C |
| May 13, 2011 |
| FDA grants fast track designation for Pharmasset's PSI-938 to treat chronic HCV infection |
| Pharmasset, Inc. has received fast track designation from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for PSI-938 for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. PSI-938 is an oral guanosine nucleotide analog polymerase inhibitor of HCV. |
| August 24, 2011 |
| FDA grants Premarket Approval for Roche's IgM antibody to hepatitis B core antigen assay |
| Roche announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted Premarket Approval for its IgM antibody to hepatitis B core antigen assay for use on the cobas e 601 analyzer, the immunoassay module of the cobas® 6000 analyzer series for mid-volume laboratories. The test represents the final component of the acute panel within the hepatitis test menu for the cobas 6000 series. |
| October 31, 2011 |
| FDA says Merck drug successfully fights hepatitis |
| Federal health officials said Monday a highly-anticipated drug to treat hepatitis C made by Merck appears to cure more patients in less time than established drugs that have been used for 20 years. But the agency has questions about how the drug should be combined with older medicines for the maximum effect. |
| April 25, 2011 |
| First vaccine for viral hepatitis C could become a reality |
| Berlin, Germany, Friday 01 April 2011: Early data from phase I trials of an HCV vaccine presented today at the International Liver CongressTM show encouraging results, with high immunogenicity and good safety profile. |
| April 1, 2011 |
| Fluvastatin Enhances HCV Response in Combination With Interferon and Ribavirin, Study Suggests |
| New data presented March 31 at the International Liver CongressTM confirm the antiviral activity of fluvastatin -- commonly used as a cholesterol-lowering treatment -- in patients with chronic hepatitis C (HCV). |
| March 31, 2011 |
| Fresh cells can pep talk immune cells exhausted by HIV or hepatitis C |
| Chronic infections by viruses such as HIV or hepatitis C eventually take hold because they wear the immune system out, a phenomenon immunologists describe as exhaustion. |
| December 14, 2011 |
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| Gene PNPLA3 offers potential therapeutic target in chronic hepatitis C liver damage |
| New research confirms that a variant on the patatin-like phospholipase-3 (PNPLA3) gene increases risk of steatosis and fibrosis progression in patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV). The PNPLA3 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs 738409 may represent an important genetic predictor and potential therapeutic target in chronic HCV liver damage. Study details are published in the July issue of Hepatology, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases. |
| June 29, 2011 |
| Gene variant increases fatty liver risk and fibrosis progression |
| New research confirms that a variant on the patatin-like phospholipase-3 (PNPLA3) gene increases risk of steatosis and fibrosis progression in patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV). The PNPLA3 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs 738409 may represent an important genetic predictor and potential therapeutic target in chronic HCV liver damage. Study details are published in the July issue of Hepatology, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases. |
| June 28, 2011 |
| Genetic variant linked to development of liver cancer in hepatitis C virus carriers |
| A genome-wide study by researchers at the RIKEN Center for Genomic Medicine, Hiroshima University Hospital and Sapporo-Kosei General Hospital has identified a genetic variant associated with the development of liver cancer in chronic hepatitis C virus carriers. The findings are based on a study of 3,312 Japanese individuals and appear in the journal Nature Genetics. |
| July 3, 2011 |
| Genetic variants determine severity of HCV-related graft disease and antiviral treatment response |
| German researchers have found a significant association of IL28B genotypes to interferon-based antiviral treatment outcome, and to graft inflammation caused by hepatitis C virus (HCV). The study determined that the presence of G-allele serves as a marker for severe HCV-induced graft inflammation, as well as a predictor for unsuccessful treatment. |
| March 2, 2011 |
| Gilead to amend design of ongoing clinical trials against chronic hepatitis C |
| Gilead Sciences, Inc. today announced that, in consultation with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the company will amend the design of ongoing clinical trials to discontinue dosing of GS 9190 in hepatitis C-infected patients who are receiving that compound in combination with pegylated interferon and ribavirin, and another direct-acting antiviral agent. |
| September 6, 2011 |
| Green tea flavonoid may prevent reinfection with hepatitis C virus following liver transplantation |
| German researchers have determined that epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG)--a flavonoid found in green tea--inhibits the hepatitis C virus from entering liver cells. |
| December 1, 2011 |
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| HALT-C trial reveals high mortality rates among patients with HCV |
| A three-year follow-up study of patients in the Hepatitis C Antiviral Long-term Treatment against Cirrhosis (HALT-C) trial revealed that increased mortality among patients with advanced chronic hepatitis C who received long-term peginterferon therapy was attributed to non-liver related causes and occurred primarily in patients with bridging fibrosis. No pattern to this excess mortality was evident to researchers, but deaths were unrelated to the peginterferon treatment. Full findings are published in the April issue of Hepatology, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD). |
| April 8, 2011 |
| Hepatitis B Vaccination for Health Care Students Lags Behind Recommendations |
| A study in the August issue of Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology, the journal of the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA), suggests that documentation of hepatitis B vaccination for health care students may fall short of current recommendations. |
| July 21, 2011 |
| Hepatitis C is transmitted by unprotected sex between HIV-infected men |
| Sexual transmission of hepatitis C virus (HCV) is considered rare. But a new study by researchers at Mount Sinai School of Medicine, working with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), provides substantial evidence that men with HIV who have sex with other men (MSM) are at increased risk for contracting HCV through sex. |
| July 21, 2011 |
| Hepatitis C patients likely to falter in adherence to treatment regimen over time |
| Patients being treated for chronic hepatitis C become less likely to take their medications over time, according to a new study from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. Since the study also showed better response to the drugs when they're taken correctly, the researchers say the findings should prompt clinicians to assess patients for barriers to medication adherence throughout their treatment, and develop strategies to help them stay on track. The study is published online this month in Annals of Internal Medicine. |
| September 29, 2011 |
| Hepatitis transmission risk needs to be studied in nail salons, barbershops |
| The risk of hepatitis transmission through non-single use instruments --- such as nail files, nail brushes, finger bowls, foot basins, buffers, razors, clippers, and scissors --- during nail salon and barbershop visits cannot be excluded, according to the results of a new report unveiled today at the American College of Gastroenterology's (ACG) 76th Annual Scientific meeting in Washington, DC. |
| October 31, 2011 |
| High rates of disability and health care use for older Americans with cirrhosis |
| New research shows that older Americans with cirrhosis have significantly worse health status and greater functional disability compared to those without this potentially deadly disease. In fact, findings now published in Hepatology, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases, show that elderly patients with cirrhosis require twice the amount of informal caregiving and contribute added strain on the health care system. Given the increase in obesity and aging of those with hepatitis C (HCV), researchers expect the prevalence of cirrhosis to climb in this frail population. |
| January 10, 2012 |
| How a molecular switch activates the anti-viral innate immune response |
| When a thief breaks into a bank vault, sensors are activated and the alarm is raised. Cells have their own early-warning system for intruders, and scientists at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) in Grenoble, France, have discovered how a particular protein sounds that alarm when it detects invading viruses. The study, published today in Cell, is a key development in our understanding of the innate immune response, shedding light on how cells rapidly respond to a wide range of viruses including influenza, rabies and hepatitis. |
| October 14, 2011 |
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| Ignored Virus Can Cause Liver Cancer, Study Suggests; Should We Be Screening Blood for Hepatitis G? |
| Hepatitis G virus was identified in 1995. Some little research was carried out on the virus, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) declared it a non-harmful virus in 1997. Researchers in Saudi Arabia, writing in the International Journal of Immunological Studies, present evidence to suggest that this may have been the wrong decision. They claim that transmission of the virus through donated blood that was not screened for the virus as well as infection through other routes has led to an increase in cirrhosis of the liver and liver cancer. |
| August 22, 2011 |
| IL28B gene predicts treatment outcome for liver transplantation patients |
| German researchers have found a significant association of IL28B genotypes to interferon-based antiviral treatment outcome, and to graft inflammation caused by hepatitis C virus (HCV). The study determined that the presence of G-allele serves as a marker for severe HCV-induced graft inflammation, as well as a predictor for unsuccessful treatment. Study findings -- the largest to report on the role IL28B variants in a transplant cohort with recurrent HCV -- are published in the March issue of Liver Transplantation, a journal of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases. |
| March 2, 2011 |
| Increased compensation for NHS tainted blood victims |
| Welsh people who contracted hepatitis C from contaminated blood from the NHS will receive extra compensation. |
| March 8, 2011 |
| Increased Mortality Rates Seen in Chronic Hepatitis C Patients With Pre-Cirrhotic Advanced Fibrosis |
| A three-year follow-up study of patients in the Hepatitis C Antiviral Long-term Treatment against Cirrhosis (HALT-C) trial revealed that increased mortality among patients with advanced chronic hepatitis C who received long-term peginterferon therapy was attributed to non-liver related causes and occurred primarily in patients with bridging fibrosis. No pattern to this excess mortality was evident to researchers, but deaths were unrelated to the peginterferon treatment. |
| April 7, 2011 |
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| Lipid-modifying enzyme: New target for pan-viral therapeutics |
| Three different disease-causing viruses -- poliovirus, coxsackievirus, and hepatitis C -- rely on their unwilling host for the membrane platforms enriched in a specific lipid, phosphatidylinositol 4 phosphate on which they can replicate. |
| December 7, 2011 |
| Liver cancer incidence lower in patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease than hepatitis C |
| Patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) with advanced fibrosis or cirrhosis have a lower incidence of liver-related complications and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) than patients infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV), according to the prospective study published in the October issue of Hepatology, a journal of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases. Patients with both NAFLD and HCV had similar mortality rates. |
| September 27, 2011 |
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| Many high-risk Americans don't get hepatitis B vaccine |
| Although there is an effective vaccine for hepatitis B and public health officials have a strong sense of who is at highest risk for the infectious liver disease, tens of thousands of people in the United States contract the virus every year. According to a new study by researchers at Brown University, missed opportunities to administer the vaccine continue to be a reason why infections persist. |
| January 19, 2012 |
| Medivir initiates TMC649128 phase Ib trial in chronic hepatitis C |
| Medivir AB, the emerging research-based specialty pharmaceutical company focused on infectious diseases, today announces the start of a phase Ib clinical trial with TMC649128 intended for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. |
| June 22, 2011 |
| More than half of high-risk Americans do not receive HBV vaccination |
| Although there is an effective vaccine for hepatitis B and public health officials have a strong sense of who is at highest risk for the infectious liver disease, tens of thousands of people in the United States contract the virus every year. According to a new study by researchers at Brown University, missed opportunities to administer the vaccine continue to be a reason why infections persist. |
| January 20, 2012 |
| Morriston Hospital heart patients at Hepatitis B risk |
| More than 150 patients who underwent heart surgery in Swansea earlier this year have been told they may have been exposed to the Hepatitis B virus. |
| July 21, 2011 |
| Mortality from All Causes Higher Among Hepatitis C-Infected, Analysis Finds |
| Although liver-related mortality among those infected with hepatitis C is well documented, little is known about deaths in these patients that are not related to liver problems. A new study published in Clinical Infectious Diseases and now available online sought to determine mortality from all causes, including liver- and non-liver-related deaths among hepatitis C patients in the general U.S. population. The analysis found mortality from all causes to be higher in these patients. |
| June 10, 2011 |
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| NEJM publishes MSD's VICTRELIS two pivotal Phase III studies against HCV |
| MSD, known as Merck in the United States and Canada, announced today that final results from the two pivotal Phase III studies of VICTRELIS™ (boceprevir), its investigational oral hepatitis C protease inhibitor, will be published in the March 31st edition of The New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM). In the studies, the addition of boceprevir to peginterferon alfa-2b and ribavirin (PR) significantly improved sustained virologic response (SVR) - the goal of treatment - for adult patients who failed previous treatment (treatment-failure) and those who were new to treatment (treatment-naïve) for chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype 1, compared to standard therapy (PR) alone. |
| March 31, 2011 |
| New compounds show promise against hepatitis C infection |
| Two bioflavonoids, catechin and naringenin, have displayed antiviral activity on tissue culture infected with Hepatitis C. |
| April 12, 2011 |
| New drug represents breakthrough in treatment of hepatitis C |
| The drug telaprevir (Incivek) provides a dramatic improvement in the treatment of the most common form of hepatitis C infection, says an international team of investigators led by Dr. Ira M. Jacobson of NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center. |
| June 22, 2011 |
| New FDA-approved antiviral drugs offer treatment hope for hepatitis C |
| The Methodist Hospital in Houston is excited to share significant news for patients who need treatment for hepatitis C genotype 1, a viral infection that causes liver inflammation that can lead to diminished liver function or symptoms for liver failure. Two new antiviral drugs recently approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Victrelis and Incivek, when taken with standard hepatitis C treatment drugs interferon and ribavirun, cured 65 percent to 75 percent of people with hepatitis C in clinical trials. "Two decades ago the cure rate for hepatitis C genotype 1 patients was about 6 percent, so this is a 10 times increase," notes Dr. Howard Monsour, Chief of Hepatology at The Methodist Hospital in Houston. The new drugs also help to shorten treatment time in patients who respond quickly to them. |
| September 21, 2011 |
| New fibrosis classification improves accuracy of diagnosis in hepatitis C |
| A new classification for diagnosing fibrosis in patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) has shown to be as accurate as currently used algorithms, but required no further liver biopsy. The study details a method that synchronously combines two fibrosis tests, providing a non-invasive and more precise fibrosis diagnosis. |
| January 10, 2012 |
| New Hepatitis C Drug Incivek Gets FDA Approval |
| Much Better Hepatitis C Cure Rate When Incivek Added to Standard Combination Therapy |
| May 23, 2011 |
| New hope for hep C vaccine |
| Hopes for an effective vaccine and treatment against the potentially fatal hepatitis C infection have received a major boost following the discovery of two 'Achilles' heels' within the virus. |
| September 13, 2011 |
| New instrument for analyzing viruses |
| Scientists in Israel and California have developed an instrument for rapidly analyzing molecular interactions that take place viruses and the cells they infect. By helping to identify interactions between proteins made by viruses like HIV and hepatitis and proteins made by the human cells these viruses infect, the device may help scientists develop new ways of disrupting these interactions and find new drugs for treating those infections. |
| March 8, 2011 |
| New research on improved treatment options and screening strategies for Hepatitis C |
| Studies reporting on the effectiveness of new therapies for chronic Hepatitis C virus are among the clinical science presented at the American College of Gastroenterology's 76th Annual Scientific Meeting, where investigators also presented findings from an age-based risk assessment and screening intervention for Hepatitis C among Baby Boomers, patients aged 50-65, who saw a gastroenterologist for routine colon cancer screening. |
| October 31, 2011 |
| New vaccine for hepatitis C virus |
| Murdoch University researchers have begun a study to develop a new and innovative vaccine for the hepatitis C virus (HCV). |
| July 28, 2011 |
| NJ doctor loses license after hepatitis B outbreak |
| New Jersey officials have revoked the medical license of an oncologist they say committed "gross and repeated acts of negligence" that led to an outbreak of hepatitis B among his patients. |
| September 15, 2011 |
| Noninvasive Diagnostics May Offer Alternative to Liver Biopsy for Assessing Liver Fibrosis |
| Patients who are evaluated for liver diseases such as hepatitis C (HCV) are typically recommended for liver biopsy to determine the extent of disease progression. For patients who question whether less invasive testing is available, clinicians now have alternatives options to consider. Elastography and serum markers are two such diagnostic options reviewed in an editorial published in the June issue of Hepatology, a journal of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases. |
| June 2, 2011 |
| Noninvasive liver tests may predict hepatitis C patient survival |
| Non-invasive tests for liver fibrosis, such as liver stiffness measurement or the FibroTest, can predict survival of patients with chronic hepatitis C, according to a new study in Gastroenterology, the official journal of the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) Institute. |
| June 14, 2011 |
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| OR models of hepatitis B prove decisive in treating millions in US, China |
| With hepatitis B infecting as many as 10% of people of Asian descent, operations researchers collaborated with a liver transplant surgeon to develop mathematical models that verified the cost effectiveness of hepatitis B interventions. These interventions now successfully screen, treat, and vaccinate millions of Asian and Pacific Islander adults in the U.S. and millions of children in China, according to a paper in a journal of the Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences (INFORMS). |
| July 26, 2011 |
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| 'Pep talk' can revive immune cells exhausted by chronic viral infection |
| Chronic infections by viruses such as HIV or hepatitis C eventually take hold because they wear the immune system out, a phenomenon immunologists describe as exhaustion. |
| December 13, 2011 |
| P7 protein resistance mutations identified; represent drug targets for hepatitis C virus |
| British researchers have identified specific resistance mutations for two classes of p7 inhibitor, which may explain their lack of effectiveness in clinical trials combined with current standard of care. Study results support the role of p7 inhibitor combinations as potential components of future HCV-specific therapies and are available in the July issue of Hepatology, a journal published by Wiley-Blackwell on behalf of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases. |
| June 28, 2011 |
| PCPs treat hepatitis C as effectively as specialists through new delivery model |
| Under a completely new way of providing health care, primary care clinicians in remote villages, prisons and poor urban neighborhoods who were trained to treat patients with hepatitis C achieved excellent results identical to those of specialists at a university medical center. |
| June 3, 2011 |
| Pharmasset adds two treatment arms to PSI-7977 ELECTRON trial on HCV |
| Pharmasset, Inc. announced today the addition of two treatment arms to the ELECTRON trial of PSI-7977, a nucleotide analog polymerase inhibitor, for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C (HCV). The rapid and consistent antiviral effects and high barrier to resistance demonstrated with PSI-7977 to date provided the rationale for additional exploratory regimens in this setting. |
| October 10, 2011 |
| Pinpointing a tell-tale mark of liver cancer |
| Persistent hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection can lead to chronic hepatitis C and then progress to fatal liver diseases including liver cirrhosis and liver cancer, the third most common cause of cancer-related deaths. Worldwide, more than 170 million people are infected with HCV, and the virus accounts for 30—70% of liver cancer cases. The recent identification of a genetic variant associated with increased susceptibility to hepatitis C virus-induced liver cancer could have major implications for global healthcare, as it may lead to tests that predict liver cancer susceptibility. |
| July 8, 2011 |
| Plea for 'swift action' on hepatitis B at Morriston |
| Health chiefs at a hospital where a woman who contracted hepatitis B died have been urged to act quickly to restore public confidence. |
| July 22, 2011 |
| Primary care providers treat hepatitis C patients effectively through Project ECHO model |
| University of New Mexico's Project ECHO poised to spread best practices, eliminate barriers to treatment and improve health care quality across the United States |
| June 4, 2011 |
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| Quest Diagnostics launches AccuType IL28B test for HCVQuest Diagnostics launches AccuType IL28B test for HCV |
| Quest Diagnostics Incorporated, the world's leading provider of diagnostic testing, information and services, today announced the availability of its AccuType® IL28B test for aiding in the prediction of patient response to peginterferon alpha-based therapy for hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. Quest Diagnostics is now offering the test to physicians and other healthcare providers in the U.S. and to pharmaceutical companies for use in clinical trials research. |
| April 18, 2011 |
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| Relationship Between Body Mass Index and Age at Hepatocellular Carcinoma Onset |
| The incidence and mortality associated with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) have been increasing worldwide, and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection plays an important role in the pathogenesis of HCC. Previous studies have suggested that host factors, such as sex, alcohol consumption, smoking, diabetes mellitus, and obesity, are important risk factors for HCC. Meanwhile, it has been reported that HCV infection causes insulin resistance and leads to oxidative stress, potentiating fibrosis and hepatic carcinogenesis. However, the factors that influence the development of HCC in HCV-infected patients remain largely unknown. |
| March 15, 2011 |
| Researchers indentify a cell-permeable peptide that inhibits hepatitis C |
| Researchers from UCLA's Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center have identified a cell-permeable peptide that inhibits a hepatitis C virus protein and blocks viral replication, which can lead to liver cancer and cirrhosis. |
| January 31, 2012 |
| Researchers Identify Cell-Permeable Peptide That Inhibits Hepatitis C |
| Researchers from UCLA's Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center have identified a cell-permeable peptide that inhibits a hepatitis C virus protein and blocks viral replication, which can lead to liver cancer and cirrhosis. |
| January 31, 2012 |
| Researchers pilot new acute hepatitis C screening strategy for HIV-infected patients |
| Researchers at The Miriam Hospital demonstrated a practical strategy for regularly screening HIV-infected patients for acute hepatitis C virus infection (HCV), a "silent epidemic" that is rising undetected in this population and can lead to serious health complications. |
| October 18, 2011 |
| Routine antenatal screening for hepatitis B in an urban NYC population |
| According to new research at Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center, high rates of chronic hepatitis B infection (HBV) are found in pregnant minority and immigrant women in the New York City area, and most of them do not receive education, appropriate follow-up testing or referral, which is considered the standard of care for all persons newly identified as HBV carriers. |
| May 10, 2011 |
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| Scarcity of resources calls for equitable distribution system for novel HCV treatment |
| For many patients with the hepatitis C virus (HCV), direct antiviral agents (DAA) offer a potential cure for the disease. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has recently approved two new DAAs, telaprevir and boceprevir, and with that clinicians must now decide who should be the first to receive this treatment. Discussion of this timely topic is now available in the June issue of Hepatology, a journal published by Wiley-Blackwell on behalf of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases. |
| May 25, 2011 |
| Scavenger cells accomplices to viruses |
| Mucosal epithelia do not have any receptors on the outer membrane for the absorption of viruses like hepatitis C, herpes, the adenovirus or polio, and are thus well-protected against pathogenic germs. However, certain viruses, such as the human immunodeficiency virus HIV, still manage to enter the body via the mucous membrane. Just how this infiltration occurs on a molecular level has been a mystery. Three hypotheses were discussed: firstly, that it's caused by mechanical damage to the mucous membrane; secondly, the presence of previously unknown receptors on the mucous membrane cells; and, thirdly, that the viruses are smuggled in via a kind of Trojan horse. Now, for the first time, cell biologists from the University of Zurich have succeeded in identifying the infection mechanism for adenoviruses. |
| July 21, 2011 |
| Scientists create first genetically humanized mouse model for hepatitis C |
| Scientists at Rockefeller University and The Scripps Research Institute have developed the first genetically humanized mouse model for hepatitis C, an achievement that will enable researchers to test molecules that block entry of the hepatitis C virus into cells as well as potential vaccine candidates. |
| June 8, 2011 |
| Scientists show brain vulnerable to Hepatitis C virus |
| Scientists at the University of Birmingham have demonstrated for the first time that human brain cells can become infected with the Hepatitis C virus (HCV), it is reported today. |
| January 18, 2012 |
| Screening for hepatitis B may be cost-effective for more of the population, analysis shows |
| Hepatitis B virus (HBV) continues to be a major health issue in the United States despite prevention strategies. |
| May 3, 2011 |
| Sequential Treatment With Entecavir and Lamivudine Results in Rebound of Hepatitis B Virus, Study SuggestsSequential Treatment With Entecavir and Lamivudine Results in Rebound of Hepatitis B Virus, Study Suggests |
| A two-year trial of entecavir followed by lamivudine (LAM) in patients with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection resulted in a virologic rebound rate of 24% and 12% drug-resistance rate. Patients who continued on entecavir therapy throughout the study period had undetectable HBV DNA at the two-year endpoint. Details of this trial are published in the April issue of Hepatology, a journal published by Wiley-Blackwell on behalf of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases. |
| March 31, 2011 |
| Series of new clinical trials confirm range of viable treatment options for HCV patients |
| Highly anticipated data from a number of clinical trials presented for the first time at the International Liver CongressTM confirmed that a range of new proteases inhibitors will help treat patients who have previously failed therapy for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C. |
| April 2, 2011 |
| Severity of hepatitis C and HIV co-infection in mothers contribute to HCV transmission to child |
| New research shows that high maternal viral load and co-infection with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) are the only risk factors associated with vertical transmission of the hepatitis C virus (HCV-VT). A variation in the infant's IL28B gene (CC) is associated independently with the spontaneous clearance of HCV genotype-1 among infected children. The status of IL28B in the mother or children did not increase risk of HCV-VT in this study. Findings are published in the May issue of Hepatology, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases. |
| April 27, 2011 |
| Shark Compound Proves Potential as Drug to Treat Human Viruses, Says Researcher |
| A compound initially isolated from sharks shows potential as a unique broad-spectrum human antiviral agent, according to a study led by a Georgetown University Medical Center investigator and reported in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Early Edition online Sept. 19. |
| September 19, 2011 |
| Stepped-up vaccine series for hepatitis B is effective during pregnancy |
| UT Southwestern Medical Center maternal-fetal specialists have confirmed a potential new protocol to protect pregnant women who are at risk for hepatitis B, a health problem that affects 2 billion people worldwide. |
| June 28, 2011 |
| Study demonstrates possibility of curing hepatitis C without use of interferon |
| Bristol-Myers Squibb Company today announced the full results, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, from a Phase II clinical trial in patients with hepatitis C virus genotype 1 who had not responded to prior therapy with PEG-interferon alfa and ribavirin. |
| January 19, 2012 |
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| Technology, expert training and real-time feedback improves Hepatitis C outcomes |
| Widely-available technology, expert training and real-time feedback helped ensure that patients treated for Hepatitis C in local communities did as well as patients treated at a university-based medical center, results of a new study funded by HHS' Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality show. The study is published in the June 2 online issue of the New England Journal of Medicine and in the June 9 print edition. |
| June 3, 2011 |
| The economic cost of advanced liver disease |
| Health care costs for hepatitis C patients with end-stage liver disease are nearly 2.5 times higher than those in the early stages, according to a Henry Ford Hospital study. |
| November 7, 2011 |
| Tibotec to present results of TMC435 phase 2b study on HCV at AASLD 2011 |
| Tibotec Pharmaceuticals, one of the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies, today will present results of the final analysis of PILLAR, a phase 2b study of the investigational hepatitis C virus NS3/4A protease inhibitor TMC435 in treatment-naïve patients with chronic genotype 1 HCV, as part of a late-breaker oral presentation at the 62nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases in San Francisco, CA, USA. |
| November 7, 2011 |
| Transgene, Inovio and ChronTech collaborate for novel vaccine phase I trial in HCV |
| Inovio Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a leader in the development of therapeutic and preventive vaccines against cancers and infectious diseases, announced today it has signed a collaboration agreement with Transgene S.A. and ChronTech Pharma AB (CTEC.ST) to evaluate a novel therapeutic vaccination strategy against genotype 1 hepatitis C virus (HCV) in a phase I clinical study. |
| April 18, 2011 |
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| University launches iphone app for hepatitis treatment |
| The University of Liverpool has launched an iphone app, HEP i-chart, that provides Hepatitis C patients with quick and easy access to the latest information about drug interactions. |
| November 22, 2011 |
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| Vaccines for Hepatitis A & B |
| You may have a family member who has viral hepatitis. Or perhaps you recently saw a news brief about a celebrity who contracted hepatitis A or B. Whatever the reason, you want information about a viral illness that you may not have thought much about. What is viral hepatitis? Are you at risk for it? Do you need viral hepatitis vaccines? |
| April 29, 2011 |
| Vertex announces availability of INCIVEK to treat hepatitis C in Canada |
| Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated announced today that INCIVEK™ (telaprevir) tablets are now available in Canada for people with genotype 1 chronic hepatitis C with compensated liver disease (some level of damage to the liver, but the liver still functions), including cirrhosis (scarring of the liver). INCIVEK (in-SEE-veck) was approved by Health Canada in August 2011 for use in combination with pegylated-interferon and ribavirin, two other medicines approved to treat hepatitis C, and is indicated for people who are new to treatment, and for all three major groups of people (relapsers, partial responders and null responders) who were treated previously but who did not achieve a sustained viral response (SVR, or viral cure). |
| October 11, 2011 |
| Vertex receives FDA approval for INCIVEK to treat hepatitis C |
| Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved INCIVEK™ (telaprevir) tablets for a broad group of people with genotype 1 chronic hepatitis C with compensated liver disease (some level of damage to the liver but the liver still functions), including cirrhosis (scarring of the liver). |
| May 23, 2011 |
| Veterinary researchers discover first US strains of hepatitis E virus from rabbits |
| Researchers in the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine at Virginia Tech have identified the first strains of hepatitis E virus from farmed rabbits in the United States. It is unknown whether the virus can spread from rabbits to humans. |
| October 25, 2011 |
| VGX International, Inovio partner to co-develop SynCon vaccines for hepatitis B and C infections |
| Inovio Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a leader in the development of synthetic vaccines against cancers and infectious diseases, announced today that it has entered into a product development collaboration agreement with its affiliate, VGX International Inc., to co-develop Inovio's SynCon® therapeutic vaccines for hepatitis B and C infections. |
| October 10, 2011 |
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| Will new drugs block hepatitis C virus in its tracks? |
| Targeted multi-drug treatments for hepatitis C patients that could stop the virus in its tracks have come a step closer, thanks to researchers at the University of Leeds, UK. |
| June 28, 2011 |