Hepatitis A News and Research

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Hepatitis A (formerly known as ''infectious hepatitis'') is an acute infectious disease of the liver caused by the hepatitis A virus (HAV), which is most commonly transmitted by the fecal-oral route via contaminated food or drinking water.

UK's Hepatitis C ex-gratia payment scheme to launch

The Skipton Fund, the body set up to administer the UK-wide ex gratia payment scheme for people infected with Hepatitis C from NHS blood or blood products, will launch and begin processing applications on July 5 2004.

3 Jun 2004

Breakthrough in gene therapy

Despite a roller-coaster ride of ups and downs during the past 15 years, gene therapy has continued to attract many of the world's brightest scientists. They are tantalized by the enormous potential that replacing missing genes or disabling defective ones offers for curing diseases of many kinds.

3 Jun 2004

Tuberculosis test kits order

Medical Services International Inc.has announced that it has received its first order for the VScan Tuberculosis (TB) rapid test kit from a prominent pharmaceutical company that produces Tuberculosis vaccines.

2 Jun 2004

Myth of disease threat posed by dead bodies after natural disasters unfounded

Fears that dead bodies will spread infection and disease following natural disasters are largely baseless, and simply serve to prolong the suffering of surviving friends and family members, according a scientific article published today.

1 Jun 2004

Marijuana use does not appear to be associated with an increased risk of developing oral cancer

Contrary to previous research findings that have suggested a link, marijuana use does not appear to be associated with an increased risk of developing oral cancer, according to a large, population-based study led by researchers at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center.

1 Jun 2004

Treatment helps 26% of black Americans with chronic hepatitis C

Twenty-six percent (26%) of black Americans (BA) with chronic hepatitis C who received treatment with Pegasys plus Copegus (peginterferon alfa-2a plus ribavirin) achieved a sustained virological response (SVR), according to study results published in the June 2004 issue of Hepatology.

1 Jun 2004

Blueprint for rational design of vaccines that induce desired T-cell responses

Investigators from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health, have conducted studies in mice to gain a new picture of how the immune system’s “killer” T cells are prompted to destroy infected cells. Their insights provide a blueprint for rational design of vaccines that induce desired T-cell responses.

27 May 2004

New study challenges current thinking about varied response to hepatitis C treatment in different racial groups

Results of a new study published in the current issue of the New England Journal of Medicine show that in patients who have chronic hepatitis C, genotype 1 -- the most common form of the disease and difficult to treat successfully -- non-Hispanic whites achieved one of the highest response rates reported to date, but response rates in African Americans were significantly lower.

27 May 2004

Human Genome Sciences has begun dosing patients with chronic hep C drug

Human Genome Sciences, Inc. announced today that it has begun dosing patients in a Phase 2 clinical trial of Albuferon™ (albumin-interferon alpha) in patients with chronic hepatitis C who are naïve to interferon-alpha treatments.

27 May 2004

Health-care providers can now review and update immunization records for patients online

Health-care providers can now review and update immunization records for patients online using the new and improved Web-based CHILD Profile Immunization Registry. The system is operated by the Department of Health and makes it easier for health-care professionals to keep track of immunization records.

25 May 2004

Canadian healthcare policy under the microscope

Healthcare policies and programs come and go. Yet the professionals who design the medical services we use are rarely mentioned in the general healthcare debates. That's about to change.

23 May 2004

Suspension of the initial dose of hepatitis B vaccine appears to have contributed to fewer newborns being vaccinated in 2000

A temporary suspension of the initial dose of hepatitis B vaccine appears to have contributed to fewer newborns being vaccinated for hepatitis B in 2000 than in 1998, according to a study published in the May 19 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).

22 May 2004

Positive Chinese results for HIV test kit

Medical Services International Inc. has announced that it has received additional test results from the People's Republic of China related to its VScan HIV test kit. The results of an additional 1200 tests show that the test kit had a sensitivity of 99.4% and a specificity of 99.9%.

21 May 2004

FDA finalizes new rule on donor eligibility for human tissues and cells

FDA today published a final rule establishing donor eligibility criteria for donors of human cells, tissues, and cellular and tissue-based products (HCT/Ps) to help prevent the transmission of communicable disease when these products are transplanted.

20 May 2004

Causes of hepatitis and potential therapies that may improve care presented in study

Hepatitis, a potentially serious disease caused by a virus that attacks the liver, is a major problem worldwide. Hepatitis A is generally food-borne, while hepatitis B and C spread primarily through parenteral or sexual routes. Hepatitis B and C can be life-long, potentially deadly chronic infections.

19 May 2004

Caffeinated beverages may benefit some people who are at high-risk for liver disease

According to new research presented today at Digestive Disease Week, drinking caffeinated beverages may benefit some people who are at high-risk for liver disease. Conversely, a study by researchers from India found that soda drinkers, who represent a huge percentage of the American population, may actually have an increased risk of developing esophageal cancer.

19 May 2004

Benitec acquires Avocel to focus on rapid development of hepatitis C therapeutics

Benitec Ltd. today announced the acquisition of Avocel, Inc. of Sunnyvale, CA, a leading RNAi therapeutics company, and the establishment of its wholly-owned US subsidiary, Benitec, Inc. Through the acquisition, Benitec gains its first in-house advanced therapeutic development program using DNA-directed RNAi (ddRNAi) to target the Hepatitis C virus.

18 May 2004

Screening for liver diseases benefits outweigh costs for some, but not all, conditions

Screening programs for liver diseases can detect asymptomatic conditions which might have better outcomes if diagnosed and treated earlier.

14 May 2004

Largest study comparing leading hepatitis C treatments

Medical centers, hospitals, clinics and other treatment sites across the country are actively enrolling Americans with the hepatitis C virus (HCV) in a nationwide study that will for the first time determine which of the two FDA-approved pegylated interferon therapy regimens offers patients the best chance to eliminate the virus.

14 May 2004

Despite spending more for health care, Americans do not have the best medical care in the world

Despite spending more for health care, Americans do not have the best medical care in the world, according to researchers from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and other institutions.

6 May 2004

Hepatitis A News and Research

Further Reading

UK's Hepatitis C ex-gratia payment scheme to launch

Breakthrough in gene therapy

Tuberculosis test kits order

Myth of disease threat posed by dead bodies after natural disasters unfounded

Marijuana use does not appear to be associated with an increased risk of developing oral cancer

Treatment helps 26% of black Americans with chronic hepatitis C

Blueprint for rational design of vaccines that induce desired T-cell responses

New study challenges current thinking about varied response to hepatitis C treatment in different racial groups

Human Genome Sciences has begun dosing patients with chronic hep C drug

Health-care providers can now review and update immunization records for patients online

Canadian healthcare policy under the microscope

Suspension of the initial dose of hepatitis B vaccine appears to have contributed to fewer newborns being vaccinated in 2000

Positive Chinese results for HIV test kit

FDA finalizes new rule on donor eligibility for human tissues and cells

Causes of hepatitis and potential therapies that may improve care presented in study

Caffeinated beverages may benefit some people who are at high-risk for liver disease

Benitec acquires Avocel to focus on rapid development of hepatitis C therapeutics

Screening for liver diseases benefits outweigh costs for some, but not all, conditions

Largest study comparing leading hepatitis C treatments

Despite spending more for health care, Americans do not have the best medical care in the world

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

Examining how pain could play a direct protective role in the gut

From Puberty to Menopause: Clue’s CEO, Audrey Tsang on the Power of Femtech

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