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.

Vertex presents data of telaprevir Phase 3b CONCISE study in people with genotype 1 chronic HCV

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated today announced new data from an interim analysis of the exploratory global Phase 3b CONCISE study evaluating the potential to shorten total treatment with telaprevir combination therapy to 12 weeks in certain people with genotype 1 chronic hepatitis C virus infection who have the IL28B CC genotype.

25 Apr 2013

Sofosbuvir is safer than interferon for hepatitis C patients, say scientists

A new drug is offering dramatic cure rates for hepatitis C patients with two subtypes of the infection -- genotype 2 and 3, say a team of scientists led by Weill Cornell Medical College researchers.

25 Apr 2013

Janssen announces safety results from two Phase 3 studies of simeprevir in hepatitis C patients

Janssen R&D Ireland today announced primary efficacy and safety results from two global Phase 3 studies demonstrating that use of the investigational protease inhibitor simeprevir (TMC435) led to sustained virologic response 12 weeks after the end of treatment (SVR12) in 80 and 81 percent, respectively, of treatment-naive genotype 1 chronic hepatitis C adult patients with compensated liver disease, including all stages of liver fibrosis, when administered once daily with pegylated interferon and ribavirin.

24 Apr 2013

Gilead Sciences to present results from four Phase 3 clinical trials at International Liver Congress 2013

Gilead Sciences, Inc. today announced that detailed results from four Phase 3 clinical trials (NEUTRINO, FISSION, POSITRON and FUSION) evaluating sofosbuvir, the company's investigational once-daily nucleotide NS5B inhibitor for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C virus infection, will be presented this week in oral sessions at the 48th Annual Meeting of the European Association for the Study of the Liver in Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

23 Apr 2013

Research findings describe specific profile of patients with ACLF

In this prospective study, led by Dr Richard Moreau, INSERM Research Director (Mixed Research Unit 773 "Centre de Recherche biom-dicale Bichat-Beaujon"; INSERM/Universit- Paris Diderot) who is also a practitioner attached to the Hepatology Department of the Beaujon Hospital (AP-HP), researchers studied a cohort of 1343 patients from 12 European countries.

20 Apr 2013

Benitec to conduct phase I/II clinical trial of TT-034 in patients with HCV in UCSD site

RNAi-based therapeutics company Benitec Biopharma Limited today announced the selection of the University of California, San Diego, Health Sciences as the second site for its upcoming phase I/II first-in-man trial for TT-034 in Hepatitis C infections.

16 Apr 2013

Lipid Therapeutics to proceed with US LT-02 Phase III trial for mild-moderate ulcerative colitis

Lipid Therapeutics announces today that it has successfully filed its first US IND for its lead product LT-02 and is now in a position to proceed with a planned Phase III trial in the US in mild-moderate ulcerative colitis patients. The LT-02 IND was subject to the FDA's customary 30 day review period.

11 Apr 2013

Phase 3 study results of simeprevir in hepatitis C patients to be presented at EASL Congress

Janssen R&D Ireland announces that data will be presented on the investigational protease inhibitor simeprevir (TMC435) for the treatment of hepatitis C at The International Liver Congress 2013 of the European Association for the Study of the Liver, which will take place April 24 to 28 in Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

8 Apr 2013

Vertex to conduct two Phase 2 studies of VX-135 in combination with daclatasvir

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated today announced it has entered into a non-exclusive agreement with Bristol-Myers Squibb Company to conduct Phase 2 studies of once-daily all-oral treatment regimens containing Vertex's nucleotide analogue hepatitis C virus polymerase inhibitor VX-135 and Bristol-Myers Squibb's NS5A replication complex inhibitor daclatasvir for the treatment of hepatitis C.

6 Apr 2013

Patients’ eligibility for liver transplantation may be lowered by incarceration, marijuana use, and psychiatric diagnoses

Results from an anonymous survey of U.S. transplant providers report that incarceration, marijuana use, and psychiatric diagnoses, particularly suicide attempts, may lower patients’ eligibility for liver transplantation.

4 Apr 2013

Reformulated version of anti-HIV gel safe for HIV-negative men and women

A reformulated version of an anti-HIV gel developed for vaginal use was found safe and acceptable by HIV-negative men and women who used it rectally, according to a Phase I clinical trial published today in PLOS ONE.

4 Apr 2013

Blocked bile ducts can be effectively treated with metal stents

A multi-center analysis, led by Weill Cornell Medical College and published in the Journal of Clinical Gastroenterology, shows the use of temporary "fully covered self-expanding metal stents" (FCSEMS) can effectively fix a painful and potentially life-threatening benign biliary stricture -- a severely blocked or narrowed bile duct.

21 Mar 2013

Prevalence of acute hepatitis C virus infection is nearly 1% among newly incarcerated inmates

study published in the March issue of Hepatology, a journal of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases, estimates that the prevalence of acute hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is nearly one percent among newly incarcerated inmates with a history of recent drug use.

20 Mar 2013

HCV screening of IV drug users new to the prison system could identify thousands of new HCV cases annually

A study published in the March issue of Hepatology, a journal of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases, estimates that the prevalence of acute hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is nearly one percent among newly incarcerated inmates with a history of recent drug use. Findings suggest that systematic screening of intravenous (IV) drug users who are new to the prison system could identify more than 7,000 cases of HCV across the U.S. annually—even among asymptomatic inmates.

19 Mar 2013

Hepatitis C virus rarely transmitted through sex between monogamous heterosexuals

Individuals infected by the hepatitis C virus (HCV) have nothing to fear from sex in a monogamous, heterosexual relationship. Transmission of HCV from an infected partner during sex is rare according to new research published in the March issue of Hepatology, a journal published by Wiley on behalf of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD).

19 Mar 2013

EASL urges UK to press ahead with proposed implementation of minimum unit pricing of alcohol

According to WHO, liver cirrhosis accounts for 1.8% (i.e. 170,000) of all deaths in Europe. In recent years liver cirrhosis has become a serious health threat in some Western European countries such as Ireland and the United Kingdom, where over the last 10 years the associated mortality has increased.

15 Mar 2013

Urea cycle disorder patient successfully treated by Promethera(R) HepaStem in Phase I/II trial in France

Promethera Biosciences, a Belgian biotechnology company developing Promethera(R) HepaStem, a cell-based therapy for the treatment of liver-based metabolic diseases including Crigler-Najjar Syndrome and Urea Cycle Disorders, announced that it has successfully treated a patient with liver progenitor cells enrolled in its Phase I/II trial.

1 Mar 2013

Janssen submits simeprevir regulatory application in Japan to treat HCV

Medivir AB today announced that its partner Janssen now has submitted a regulatory application to the Japanese Ministry of Health & Welfare authorities seeking approval for simeprevir, administered with pegylated interferon (Peg-IFN) and ribavirin (RBV) for the treatment of genotype 1 chronic hepatitis C patients who are treatment naïve, prior non responders or relapsed following treatment with Peg-IFN with or without RBV.

22 Feb 2013

EASL unveils new publication - The burden of liver disease in Europe

Major progress has been made in the past 30 years in the knowledge and management of liver disease, yet approximately 29 million Europeans still suffer from a chronic liver condition. The European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL) today unveiled its new publication The burden of liver disease in Europe: a review of available epidemiological data.