Interferon News and Research

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Antipodean Pharma commences phase 2 trial in hepatitis C

Antipodean Pharmaceuticals has announced it has initiated a Phase 2 clinical trial of its lead compound MitoQ (mitoquinone) to investigate the drug's efficacy to reduce liver damage in patients with raised liver enzymes associated with the Hepatitis C virus (HCV).

5 Feb 2007

Hepatitis C virus replication in transfected and serum-infected cultured human fetal hepatocytes

Researchers open the way for improved study of hepatitis C virus by devising a novel virus culture system that allows replication of patient-isolated virus in nontransformed hepatocytes, instead of culture-adapted virus strains in transformed cell lines.

23 Jan 2007

Rapid and label-free nanomechanical detection of biomarker transcripts in human RNA

Researchers from the Swiss Nanoscience Institute in Basel have developed a rapid method to detect the activity of a gene involved in controlling tumor growth.

18 Dec 2006

Liver damage can be reversed

Saint Louis University Liver Center scientists are presenting research today on a more effective way to treat hepatitis C patients who have been unresponsive to current drug therapies.

30 Oct 2006

Study reveals white blood cells can both hurt and help transplanted kidneys

In an example of biological irony, the same white blood cell chemistry known to damage kidneys used for transplants may also help prevent such damage, according to a federally funded study in genetically engineered mice at Johns Hopkins.

21 Sep 2006

Researchers discover how cyclophosphamide chemotherapy drug helps a cancer-killing virus

Researchers here have discovered how a specific chemotherapy drug helps a cancer-killing virus. The virus is being tested in animals for the treatment of incurable human brain tumors.

31 Aug 2006

Racial differences in hepatitis C viral responses

African American patients with hepatitis C (HCV) infections experience a lower response rate to the peginterferon alfa-2a and ribavirin combination treatment than Caucasian Americans, according to a study published in the August issue of Gastroenterology.

16 Aug 2006

Trying to improve on the activity of Interferon-Alpha in metastatic renal cell carcinoma

Interferon-alpha (IFN) has been a mainstay in the systemic treatment of metastatic renal cell carcinoma (RCC) for decades, with response rates ranging from 3-15%.

16 Aug 2006

Scientific breakthrough could mean greater protection for asthmatics

Colds are known to be a major trigger of asthma attacks and asthmatics are far more likely to suffer a severe attack during a cold and even end up being hospitalised.

From Asthma + Lung UK 14 Aug 2006

Discovery of mechanism that may explain post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder

A serious form of cancer that occurs in some transplant patients may arise because cells that normally serve as scouts for the immune system become weakened, a new study suggests.

8 Aug 2006

Scientists find new lead in hunt for a SARS vaccine

SARS coronavirus protein called "nsp1" causes the breakdown of biochemical messages that normally prompt the production of a protein critical to defending the body against viruses.

8 Aug 2006

Interleukin 21 may enhance the effectiveness of Herceptin

Preliminary research suggests that a drug that targets a particular type of breast cancer might be more effective if patients are also given a substance made by the body that stimulates certain immune cells.

6 Aug 2006

Turning the immune system against cancer

Medicine can now prevent a host of diseases with a mere shot of vaccine. Polio and smallpox are almost non-existent, and mumps and chicken pox are rarely seen nowadays.

4 Aug 2006

Research findings may speed the development of vaccines for Chlamydia and other STDs

Using a novel mouse model that allows scientists to study how the immune system’s fighter cells respond to invaders in the genital tract during the initial stage of infection, researchers have found a way to track immunity against Chlamydia trachomatis.

26 Jul 2006

Nexavar approved in Europe for treatment of advanced kidney cancer

Bayer Pharmaceuticals Corporation and Onyx Pharmaceuticals, Inc have announced that the European Commission has granted marketing authorization to Nexavar (sorafenib) tablets for the treatment of patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma.

24 Jul 2006

New hope for patients with aggressive multiple sclerosis

A new combination treatment regime, for patients with aggressive forms of multiple sclerosis (MS), is offering new hope to a group of patients who would otherwise be at high risk of early disability.

18 Jul 2006

Statins stop the replication of the hepatitis C virus

A new study shows that statins, which are typically used as anti-cholesterol medications, can inhibit the replication of the hepatitis C virus (HCV).

9 Jul 2006

Nventa granted European patent covering heat shock protein fusion to treat influenza

Nventa Biopharmaceuticals Corporation announced that the European Patent Office has granted Patent Number EP 941,315 to Nventa.

8 Jun 2006

Sunitinib shows promise in treating metastatic renal cell cancer

A new study suggests that sunitinib is a promising agent for treatment of metastatic renal cell cancer, currently a disease without highly effective treatment options, according to an article in the June 7 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.

7 Jun 2006

Glivec the best news yet for cancer victims

In what is great news for those suffering from chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML), the drug Glivec looks like being one of the biggest breakthroughs in cancer therapy for a years.

7 Jun 2006