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 demonstrates accuracy of non-invasive test for NASH diagnosis

A Chinese study presented at the International Liver CongressTM 2013 has demonstrated the accuracy of a non-invasive test for non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) diagnosis.

26 Apr 2013

Mouse study shows regular exercise reduces the chance of developing liver cancer

Regular exercise has been proven to reduce the chance of developing liver cancer in a world-first mice study that carries hope for patients at risk from hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

26 Apr 2013

Calcipotriol drug offers a potential treatment option for fibrotic diseases

Liver fibrosis results from an excessive accumulation of tough, fibrous scar tissue and occurs in most types of chronic liver diseases. In industrialized countries, the main causes of liver injury leading to fibrosis include chronic hepatitis virus infection, excess alcohol consumption and, increasingly, nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH).

26 Apr 2013

NAFLD is an independent predictor of cardiovascular risk

A study presented today at the International Liver CongressTM 2013 - which evaluated the relationship between non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), early predictors of atherosclerosis and the 10-year Framingham risk score (FRS) - showed that NAFLD increases the risk of early atherosclerotic lesions independent of established cardiovascular (CV) risk factors.

26 Apr 2013

GI nematode infections combat obesity and improve related metabolic disorders

Researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, have shown in a mouse model that infection with nematodes (also known as roundworms) can not only combat obesity but ameliorate related metabolic disorders.

26 Apr 2013

Research shows probiotics reduce the development of hepatic encephalopathy

Probiotics could emerge as a treatment plan to manage hepatic encephalopathy (HE) therapy after a new study announced at the International Liver Congress- 2013 found they significantly reduced development of the notoriously difficult-to-treat disease.

26 Apr 2013

Urine tests could improve diagnosis of liver cancer

New data from two clinical trials presented today at the International Liver Congress- 2013 demonstrate substantial improvements in the detection of both hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and cholangiocarcinoma (CC) using diagnostic urine tests.

26 Apr 2013

New hope for patients with chronic HBV infection

Exciting new data presented today at the International Liver Congress- 2013 include rults from early in vitro and in vivo studies targeting covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA), which may form the basis of a cure for chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection.

25 Apr 2013

Research reveals deadly impact of alcohol and body weight on liver disease

Research announced today at the International Liver CongressTM 2013 has revealed the deadly impact that alcohol and body weight have on liver disease.

25 Apr 2013

Studies demonstrate encouraging results for new direct-acting antiviral agents

New data from a number of clinical trials presented for the first time at the International Liver Congress- 2013 demonstrate encouraging results in the use of new direct-acting antiviral agents (DAAs) for the treatment of hepatitis C.

25 Apr 2013

Schizophrenia cardiovascular risk under-recognized in primary care

UK researchers have found that despite being a major contributor to premature deaths among patients with schizophrenia, cardiovascular disease is less likely to be recorded on their primary care records than people without schizophrenia.

25 Apr 2013

Living liver donors at risk from life-threatening “near-miss” events?

A study published in Liver Transplantation, a journal of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases and the International Liver Transplantation Society, reports that donor mortality is about 1 in 500 donors with living donor liver transplantation (LDLT).

25 Apr 2013

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

Novel approach using Listeria bacteria shows promise against metastatic pancreatic cancer

Researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University have developed a therapy for pancreatic cancer that uses Listeria bacteria to selectively infect tumor cells and deliver radioisotopes into them.

25 Apr 2013

Janssen submits Marketing Authorization Application to EMA for simeprevir approval

Medivir AB today announces that Janssen-Cilag International NV today has submitted a Marketing Authorization Application to the European Medicines Agency seeking approval for simeprevir (TMC435).

25 Apr 2013

Dietary substitution of saturated fats enriched in MCT prevents liver disease

Scientists at the Arkansas Children's Nutrition Center, a U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service Human Nutrition Research Center at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, led by Dr. Martin Ronis have determined that dietary substitution of saturated fats enriched in medium chain triglycerides (MCT) for polyunsaturated fat prevents the development of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).

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

Study identifies gene variants associated with histological features of NAFLD

More patients could be diagnosed earlier with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease after a cohort study presented at the International Liver Congress 2013 identified variants within four genes significantly associated with the histological features of the disease.

24 Apr 2013

Data from MK-5172 Phase II study for treatment of HCV genotype 1 infection to be presented at EASL meeting

Merck (NYSE: MRK), known as MSD outside the United States and Canada, today announced the presentation of the latest interim data from a Phase II, multi-center, randomized, dose-ranging clinical trial evaluating the safety and antiviral activity of MK-5172, for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C virus genotype 1 infection.

24 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