Hepatology News and Research

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Hepatology is the branch of medicine that incorporates study of liver, gallbladder, biliary tree and pancreas as well as management of their disorders.

Hyperion enrolls first patient in HPN-100 investigational compound clinical trial

Hyperion Therapeutics today announced that the first patient has been enrolled in a clinical trial of investigational compound HPN-100 (glycerol phenylbutyrate) in children ages 6-17 with urea cycle disorders (UCD). The study will evaluate the safety, tolerability, and ammonia control of glycerol phenylbutyrate compared to BUPHENYL® (sodium phenylbutyrate).

15 Sep 2009

Clinical studies reveal treatment with pirfenidone is safe and well-tolerated

InterMune, Inc. (Nasdaq: ITMN) today announced that the results of a comprehensive review of safety data from four clinical studies were presented at the 2009 European Respiratory Society Annual Congress in Vienna, Austria by Dr. Ulrich Costabel of the Ruhrlandklinik, Essen, Germany.

14 Sep 2009

Second-hand tobacco smoke exposure results in NAFLD

A team of scientists at the University of California, Riverside has found that even second-hand tobacco smoke exposure can result in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), a common disease and rising cause of chronic liver injury in which fat accumulates in the liver of people who drink little or no alcohol.

11 Sep 2009

Risk of NAFLD lowers with routine physical activities

Researchers from the University of Sydney, Australia determined that patients with a sedentary lifestyle who engage in routine physical activities lower their risk of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).

10 Sep 2009

Higher rate of motor vehicle crashes in MHE patients

A recent study by Jasmohan Bajaj, M.D., and colleagues from Virginia Commonwealth University and McGuire VA Medical Center found that patients with cirrhosis of the liver who developed minimal hepatic encephalopathy (MHE) had a 16% rate of motor vehicle crashes compared to only 4% of those without MHE over one year.

10 Sep 2009

Physicians to educate Congress on the importance of reducing viral hepatitis

The National Viral Hepatitis Roundtable (NVHR) is hosting a briefing, "The Experts' Perspective: Gaps and Strategies in the Hepatitis Crisis." "Leading hepatitis physicians, one of whom is a Congressman, will be on the hill today to educate Congress on the importance of developing a strategy to reduce the significant morbidity and mortality from end-stage liver disease and liver cancer caused by chronic hepatitis B and chronic hepatitis C in the United States," said Martha Saly, Director of NVHR.

9 Sep 2009

Government, medical and community experts to discuss about prevention and detection of viral hepatitis

To address this public health challenge, government, medical and community experts will meet September 10-11 in Washington, D.C. to plan an improved national response to viral hepatitis. The conference "The Dawn of a New Era: Transforming our Domestic Response to Hepatitis B & C" will feature keynote addresses, panel discussions and scientific poster sessions focused on enhancing the prevention and detection of viral hepatitis and improving care for people who are already living with the disease.

2 Sep 2009

Less-invasive, organ-sparing endoscopic therapy for treating early stages of esophageal cancer

Researchers have found that early stage cancers of the esophagus can be treated as effectively by less-invasive, organ-sparing endoscopic therapy as compared to more complex surgical removal of the esophagus, according to a Mayo Clinic study published in the September 2009 issue of Gastroenterology.

2 Sep 2009

NASDAQ Stock Market issues noncompliance letter to Encorium Group

Encorium Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: ENCO), a full service multinational clinical research organization (CRO) conducting studies in over 30 countries for many of the world's leading pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, today announced that on August 25, 2009, it received a letter from The NASDAQ Stock Market notifying the Company that, based on its Form 10-Q for the period ended June 30, 2009, NASDAQ has determined that the Company's stockholders' equity does not comply with the minimum $2.5 million stockholders' equity requirement for continued listing on The NASDAQ Capital Market as required by NASDAQ Marketplace Rule 5550(b)(1).

1 Sep 2009

Nighttime acid reflux symptoms impair sleep quality

There has been much debate about the relationship between gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and sleep. Three new studies in Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology explore GERD's effect on sleep quality and the health-care system as well as how a widely prescribed sleeping pill may mask the disease.

1 Sep 2009

High dosage of ursodeoxycholic acid does not help PSC patients

A national team of researchers led by scientists at Mayo Clinic has found that a common treatment for primary sclerosing cholangitis, a chronic liver disease, is not helpful for patients, according to a study published this month in the journal Hepatology.

29 Aug 2009

Studies suggest that serrated polyps can be precursors of colon cancers

Serrated colorectal polyps include the subgroups hyperplastic polyps, sessile serrated polyps (also called sessile serrated adenomas), and serrated adenomas. Recent studies have found that serrated polyps share molecular features with a subgroup of colon cancers, leading to the hypothesis that serrated polyps can be precursors of cancer through a hyperplastic polyp to serrated adenoma to cancer sequence.

26 Aug 2009

Duodenal obstruction observed after selective transcatheter arterial embolization for a duodenal diverticular hemorrhage

Ho Jeong and his colleague from Korea presented a case of duodenal obstruction after successful selective transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE) for a duodenal diverticular hemorrhage. Their study will be published on August 14, 2009 in the World Journal of Gastroenterology.

26 Aug 2009

Research indicates that acute hepatocellular injury in cholelithiasis and cholecystitis without choledocholithiasis is mild and transient

Acute hepatocellular injury is a commonly encountered phenomenon in patients with cholelithiasis and concomitant common bile duct (CBD) stones. However, in clinical practice, it seemed to occur also in cholelithiasis patients without evidence of CBD stones. Its incidence and final outcome necessitated clarification.

26 Aug 2009

Study suggests that connective tissue growth factor plays a vital role in liver fibrosis progression

Accumulating evidence suggests that connective tissue growth factor (CCN2) plays a central role in fibrotic conditions in many organ systems. Fibrosis is a scarring condition that is characterized by excessive collagen production that impedes normal cell function and can cause organ dysfunction and failure.

25 Aug 2009

Encorium releases second-quarter 2009 results

Encorium Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: ENCO), a full service multinational contract research organization (CRO) that provides design, development, and management capabilities for clinical trials and patient registries to many of the world's leading pharmaceutical companies, today announced its financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2009.

24 Aug 2009

Research reveals effectiveness of carvedilol in preventing variceal hemorrhage

Patients with cirrhosis are at risk for developing portal hypertension that can lead to the formation, dilation, and rupture of esophageal varices. The annual incidence of esophageal varices is approximately 5% and one third of those will bleed.

20 Aug 2009

Study unveils detrimental effects of high-dose ursodeoxycholic acid on patients with PSC

Primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) is an uncommon chronic liver disease characterized by progressive inflammation and destruction of the bile ducts. The disease progresses slowly, usually leading to biliary cirrhosis, portal hypertension and liver failure over a 10-15 year period. PSC is a common cause of adult cholestatic liver diseases and a primary source behind many of the liver transplantations in U.S. adults. At least 70% of PSC cases are associated with chronic inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), usually ulcerative colitis. Currently, there is no cure for PSC and prospective treatments remain ineffective.

20 Aug 2009

InterMune receives $20 million event payment from Roche for initiating the Phase 2b trial of RG7227/ ITMN-191

Roche (SIX: ROG.VX; RO.S, OTCQX: RHHBY) and InterMune, Inc. (Nasdaq: ITMN) today announced that the first patient has been dosed in a Phase 2b study evaluating the hepatitis C virus (HCV) protease inhibitor, RG7227/ ITMN-191, in combination with PEGASYS(R) (pegylated interferon alfa-2a) and COPEGUS(R) (ribavirin). The study, to be conducted at 45 sites globally, will further define the safety and efficacy profile of RG7227/ ITMN-191, for a treatment duration of up to 24 weeks. Approximately 300 treatment-naive patients chronically infected with HCV genotype 1 - the most difficult to treat form of the virus - will participate.

20 Aug 2009

Predictors of disease behavior change in patients with Crohn's disease

Using the Vienna classification system, it has been shown in clinic-based cohorts that there can be a significant change in disease behavior over time, whereas disease location remains relatively stable. Clinical and environmental factors as well as medical therapy might be relevant in predicting disease behavior change in patients with CD.

11 Aug 2009

Hepatology News and Research

Further Reading

Hyperion enrolls first patient in HPN-100 investigational compound clinical trial

Clinical studies reveal treatment with pirfenidone is safe and well-tolerated

Second-hand tobacco smoke exposure results in NAFLD

Risk of NAFLD lowers with routine physical activities

Higher rate of motor vehicle crashes in MHE patients

Physicians to educate Congress on the importance of reducing viral hepatitis

Government, medical and community experts to discuss about prevention and detection of viral hepatitis

Less-invasive, organ-sparing endoscopic therapy for treating early stages of esophageal cancer

NASDAQ Stock Market issues noncompliance letter to Encorium Group

Nighttime acid reflux symptoms impair sleep quality

High dosage of ursodeoxycholic acid does not help PSC patients

Studies suggest that serrated polyps can be precursors of colon cancers

Duodenal obstruction observed after selective transcatheter arterial embolization for a duodenal diverticular hemorrhage

Research indicates that acute hepatocellular injury in cholelithiasis and cholecystitis without choledocholithiasis is mild and transient

Study suggests that connective tissue growth factor plays a vital role in liver fibrosis progression

Encorium releases second-quarter 2009 results

Research reveals effectiveness of carvedilol in preventing variceal hemorrhage

Study unveils detrimental effects of high-dose ursodeoxycholic acid on patients with PSC

InterMune receives $20 million event payment from Roche for initiating the Phase 2b trial of RG7227/ ITMN-191

Predictors of disease behavior change in patients with Crohn's disease

Improving healthcare sustainability through carbon data

A New Approach to Preventing Bladder Cancer Recurrence

Bringing real-time analytics to downstream bioprocess monitoring

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