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.

Study finds AKIN criteria effective in cirrhosis detection

The first clinical study investigating the use of the AKIN criteria in cirrhosis has shown significant benefits that have the potential to change future diagnosis, according to results from a Spanish study presented today at the International Liver Congress.

1 Apr 2011

Diseased human hepatocytes successfully reprogrammed into induced pluripotent stem cells

Study shows, for the first time, the successful reprogramming of diseased human hepatocytes into induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC).

1 Apr 2011

Obeticholic Acid safe and effective against Primary Biliary Cirrhosis

Results from an international study presented today at the International Liver Congress have shown Obeticholic Acid (OCA) is a safe and effective treatment in patients suffering from Primary Biliary Cirrhosis (PBC) as demonstrated by substantial decreases in the levels of alkaline phosphatase (AP) enzyme in the blood, a key marker for PBC.

1 Apr 2011

Tibotec presents TMC435 phase 2b study interim results against HCV at EASL meeting

Medivir AB, the emerging research-based specialty pharmaceutical company focused on infectious diseases, announces that their partner, Tibotec has presented the results of a planned Week 24 interim analysis of the phase 2b ASPIRE study for TMC435 in treatment experienced hepatitis C patients in a late-breaker session at the 46th Annual meeting of the European Association for the Study of the Liver, Berlin, Germany.

1 Apr 2011

Study confirms D-penicillamine and trientine effective against Wilson disease

Results from the first ever European-wide retrospective analysis presented today at the International Liver CongressTM have shown both D-penicillamine and trientine continue to be effective treatments, providing positive survival rates in patients with Wilson disease free from a liver transplant.

1 Apr 2011

New data confirms antiviral activity of fluvastatin in patients with HCV

New data presented today at the International Liver CongressTM confirm the antiviral activity of fluvastatin -- commonly used as a cholesterol-lowering treatment -- in patients with chronic hepatitis C.

1 Apr 2011

Merck's VICTRELIS phase III study results against HCV presented at EASL annual meeting

Merck, known as MSD outside of the United States and Canada, announced results from several new data analyses from the pivotal Phase III studies evaluating the addition of its investigational oral protease inhibitor VICTRELIS to peginterferon alfa-2b and ribavirin in adult patients with chronic hepatitis C virus genotype 1 infection.

1 Apr 2011

Vertex announces final results from Phase 3 REALIZE study against HCV

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated today announced final results from its pivotal Phase 3 REALIZE study that evaluated people with genotype 1 chronic hepatitis C whose prior treatment with pegylated-interferon and ribavirin was unsuccessful either because they relapsed, had a partial response or had a null response.

1 Apr 2011

Conatus CTS-1027 Phase 2 trial results against HCV presented at EASL meeting

Conatus Pharmaceuticals Inc. announced today 24-week interim results from a clinical trial with CTS-1027 in combination with Peginterferon Alpha-2a and ribavirin in a treatment experienced, hepatitis C virus null-responder patient population.

1 Apr 2011

Positive results from Intercept OCA Phase II trial in patients with PBC

Intercept Pharmaceuticals, Inc., today announced positive results from a 59 patient, placebo controlled, double-blind Phase II clinical trial of obeticholic acid given as monotherapy to patients with primary biliary cirrhosis.

1 Apr 2011

Sequential treatment with Entecavir and Lamivudine results in rebound of hepatitis B virus

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..

31 Mar 2011

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