Liver Disease News and Research

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The liver is one of the largest solid organs of the body. It is located in the upper right part of the abdomen. Most of the organ lies under cover of the rib cage.

Vertex announces interim results from VX-222 ongoing Phase 2 study against hepatitis C

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated today announced interim results from an ongoing Phase 2 study designed to assess the safety and tolerability of 12-week response-guided treatment regimens with its polymerase inhibitor, VX-222, and its protease inhibitor, telaprevir, in combination with pegylated-interferon and ribavirin in people with genotype 1 chronic hepatitis C who were new to treatment.

31 Mar 2011

Positive top-line data from Inhibitex INX-189 Phase 1b trial against HCV

Inhibitex, Inc. today reported positive top-line safety and antiviral data from its multiple ascending dose Phase 1b clinical trial of INX-189, an oral nucleotide polymerase inhibitor being developed to treat chronic infections caused by hepatitis C virus.

31 Mar 2011

Master regulators of cholesterol and fat play key role in liver fibrosis development

UCLA researchers have demonstrated that a key regulator of cholesterol and fat metabolism in the liver also plays an important role in the development of liver fibrosis - the build-up of collagen scar tissue that can develop into cirrhosis. Cirrhosis, in turn, is a major cause of premature death and is incurable without a liver transplant.

31 Mar 2011

Boceprevir drug can help cure hard-to-treat hepatitis C

The drug boceprevir helps cure hard-to-treat hepatitis C, says Saint Louis University investigator Bruce R. Bacon, M.D., author of the March 31 New England Journal of Medicine article detailing the study's findings.

31 Mar 2011

Three-drug cocktail more effective against hepatitis C virus

A three-drug cocktail can eliminate the hepatitis C virus in patients far more effectively than the current two-drug regimen, according to researchers at Henry Ford Hospital.

31 Mar 2011

DSP, Intercept enter license agreement for OCA

Dainippon Sumitomo Pharma Co, Ltd. and Intercept Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced that they have entered into an exclusive licensing agreement for the development and commercialization of Intercept's first-in-class FXR agonist obeticholic acid.

30 Mar 2011

Positive preliminary results from Presidio's PPI-461 Phase 1b trial against HCV

Presidio Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced today positive preliminary results from a Phase 1b clinical trial of PPI-461, a novel HCV NS5A inhibitor for the treatment of patients with chronic hepatitis C.

30 Mar 2011

Intercept initiates OCA FLINT trial in patients with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis

Intercept Pharmaceuticals, Inc., has been informed by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases of the National Institutes of Health that patient enrollment has started in a new clinical trial in patients with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, which will evaluate Intercept's first-in-class farnesoid X receptor agonist obeticholic acid as a novel therapy for NASH.

30 Mar 2011

Smoking cessation after liver transplantation reduces incidence of malignancy

Spanish researchers have found that liver transplant recipients who quit smoking have a lower incidence of smoking-related malignancies (SRM) than patients who keep smoking. In fact, SRMs were identified in 13.5% of deceased patients and smoking was associated with a higher risk of malignancy in this study. Full findings are published in the April issue of Liver Transplantation, a journal of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases.

29 Mar 2011

MicroRNAs may play a key role in future medicine

Since their discovery in the 1990s, microRNAs have proven to play a complex role in normal and abnormal functioning of many organ systems. In the April issue of Translational Research, entitled "MicroRNAs: A Potential New Frontier for Medicine," an international group of medical experts explores several themes related to our current understanding of microRNAs and the role they may play in the future of medicine.

24 Mar 2011

NasVax reports positive results from Phase 2a trial of oral immunotherapy for non-alcoholic steatohepatitis

NasVax announces the success of a Phase 2a clinical trial of a new oral immunotherapy for non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), an inflammatory disease associated with fatty liver disease and the metabolic syndrome.

21 Mar 2011

Research roundup: Successful medical homes; shortage of HIV doctors; boosting use of $4 generic drugs

Every Friday, Jennifer Evans compiles this selection of recently-released health policy studies and briefs.

19 Mar 2011

Cognitive impairment may not be fully reversible in patients with liver disease: Study

There are potential legal ramifications for physicians of patients who drive with cognitive impairment, according to a study in Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology, the official journal of the American Gastroenterological Association Institute.

19 Mar 2011

Scientists discover enzyme family that plays a crucial role in regulating cell motility

Researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University have discovered that members of an enzyme family found in humans and throughout the plant and animal kingdoms play a crucial role in regulating cell motility. Their findings suggest an entirely new strategy for treating conditions ranging from diabetic ulcers to metastatic cancer.

19 Mar 2011

Hospitals with higher diagnosis frequency for chronic conditions have lower case-fatality rate

An examination of data for more than 5 million Medicare beneficiaries finds that hospital regions that have a greater frequency of diagnoses have a lower case-fatality rate for chronic conditions such as coronary artery disease and kidney failure, according to a study in the March 16 issue of JAMA.

16 Mar 2011

Study underscores need for monitoring vitamin D levels in all cirrhosis patients

Vitamin D deficiency is a well reported complication in chronic cholestatic liver disease such as primary biliary cirrhosis. While the prevalence and treatment of this deficiency has been addressed in many articles over the last decades, little is known of the vitamin D status in alcoholic liver cirrhosis.

16 Mar 2011

iTherX commences ITX-5061 Phase 1b study in patients with HCV

iTherX, a pharmaceutical company dedicated to discovering and developing a new class of therapies for hepatitis C, today announced that it has commenced patient recruitment in an open-label, proof-of-concept Phase 1b study of its lead compound ITX-5061 in liver transplant patients with hepatitis C virus infection.

16 Mar 2011

Bariatric surgery can lead to long-term weight loss, reduce cardiac risk factors in obese adults

Bariatric surgery can result in long-term weight loss and significant reductions in cardiac and other risk factors for some severely obese adults, according to a scientific statement from the American Heart Association.

15 Mar 2011

EASL schedules press conference and news briefings during International Liver Congress 2011

The EASL International Liver Congress is an opportunity for over 6,000 clinicians and scientists from around the world to hear the latest research, perspectives and treatments for liver diseases from principal experts in the field. It features a high-calibre and multi-disciplinary scientific programme covering groundbreaking information and in-depth examination of the most essential topics.

14 Mar 2011

ChronTech initiates ChronVac-C DNA vaccine Phase IIb study against HCV

Inovio Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a leader in the development of therapeutic and preventive vaccines against cancers and infectious diseases, announced today that its partner, ChronTech Pharma AB, has initiated a Phase IIb clinical study of its ChronVac-C DNA vaccine for hepatitis C virus, delivered by Inovio's proprietary electroporation DNA vaccine delivery technology, in combination with standard of care.

14 Mar 2011

Liver Disease News and Research

Further Reading

Vertex announces interim results from VX-222 ongoing Phase 2 study against hepatitis C

Positive top-line data from Inhibitex INX-189 Phase 1b trial against HCV

Master regulators of cholesterol and fat play key role in liver fibrosis development

Boceprevir drug can help cure hard-to-treat hepatitis C

Three-drug cocktail more effective against hepatitis C virus

DSP, Intercept enter license agreement for OCA

Positive preliminary results from Presidio's PPI-461 Phase 1b trial against HCV

Intercept initiates OCA FLINT trial in patients with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis

Smoking cessation after liver transplantation reduces incidence of malignancy

MicroRNAs may play a key role in future medicine

NasVax reports positive results from Phase 2a trial of oral immunotherapy for non-alcoholic steatohepatitis

Research roundup: Successful medical homes; shortage of HIV doctors; boosting use of $4 generic drugs

Cognitive impairment may not be fully reversible in patients with liver disease: Study

Scientists discover enzyme family that plays a crucial role in regulating cell motility

Hospitals with higher diagnosis frequency for chronic conditions have lower case-fatality rate

Study underscores need for monitoring vitamin D levels in all cirrhosis patients

iTherX commences ITX-5061 Phase 1b study in patients with HCV

Bariatric surgery can lead to long-term weight loss, reduce cardiac risk factors in obese adults

EASL schedules press conference and news briefings during International Liver Congress 2011

ChronTech initiates ChronVac-C DNA vaccine Phase IIb study against HCV

Sensing a Healthier Future

Achieving and maintaining ISO/IEC 27001 and BS 10012 certifications

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

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