Liver Disease News and Research

RSS

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.

New drug combination more effective than the previous generation of hepatitis C/HIV therapy

A new study reveals the highest efficacy rates ever reported among patients co-infected with hepatitis C and HIV treated with pegylated interferon and ribavirin.

28 Jul 2004

Roche files for application with FDA to market hepatitis C medication Pegasys(R) for chronic hepatitis B treatment

Roche announced today the submission of a supplemental new biologics license application (sBLA) with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to market Pegasys(R) (peginterferon alfa-2a) for the treatment of chronic hepatitis B (CHB).

21 Jul 2004

Blacks receive transplants at disproportionately low rates

Black people in the United States have reduced access to many medical therapies and liver transplantation is one area where such disparity is suspected to exist.

15 Jul 2004

Rabies infections in organ donor and transplant recipients

On June 30, 2004, CDC confirmed diagnoses of rabies in three recipients of transplanted organs and in their common donor, who was found subsequently to have serologic evidence of rabies infection.

2 Jul 2004

The EU is contributing €9 million to the “Vigilance against Viral Resistance” (VIRGIL) project

Viruses’ growing resistance to drugs means diseases such as hepatitis B and C are increasingly difficult to treat. New pandemics may arise with unforeseeable consequences.

29 Jun 2004

Investigational drug Abraxane is active and well tolerated in women with metastatic breast cancer

Investigational drug Abraxane™ (albumin nanoparticle paclitaxel), administered weekly without steroid premedication, is active and well tolerated in women with metastatic breast cancer whose disease had progressed while they were treated with paclitaxel (Taxol®) and/or docetaxel (Taxotere®).

15 Jun 2004

New study to determine the effectiveness of a new pediatric screening method for Wilson's disease

Mayo Clinic seeks normal healthy children and young adults between the ages of 3 months and 18 years for a research study to determine the effectiveness of a new pediatric screening method for Wilson's disease.

7 Jun 2004

Combination treatment may help type 2 diabetes patients

New research presented by Peter Weissman, M.D., from the University of Miami, at the 64th Annual Scientific Sessions of the American Diabetes Association shows that combination treatment with rosiglitazone maleate and metformin significantly improves certain markers of cardiovascular disease risk in patients with type 2 diabetes compared to metformin alone.

6 Jun 2004

Students win awards for research into liver disease, cancer and insomnia

Targeting a range of diseases and disorders, three University of Houston students won awards at a recent symposium for research in liver disease, cancer and insomnia.

2 Jun 2004

Anemia is a major determinant of fatigue in patients with cirrhosis

Fatigue is a common complaint among patients with cirrhosis with many possible contributing factors, including severity of liver disease, anemia, and cardiopulmonary complications.

27 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

Fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in obese children has distinct characteristics different from those found in adults

Potentially life-threatening non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in obese children has distinct characteristics, often different from those found in adults, according to a University of California, San Diego (UCSD) School of Medicine study led by Jeffrey Schwimmer, M.D., assistant professor of pediatrics.

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

Regional review boards improve liver transplant allocation

The United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) currently utilizes scores based on the Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) or Pediatric End-Stage Liver Disease (PELD) to prioritize patients waiting for liver transplants.

17 May 2004

Signs of liver disease also improve in conjunction with alterations to gut flora

Some cirrhotic patients develop brain dysfunction, called hepatic encephalopathy, which causes deficits in behavior, intelligence, consciousness and neuromuscular function.

14 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

Compound found in the peels of citrus fruit can potentially lower cholesterol more effectively than prescription drugs

A compound found in the peels of citrus fruit has the potential to lower cholesterol more effectively than some prescription drugs, and without side effects, according to a study by U.S. and Canadian researchers.

11 May 2004

Schering-Plough submits Japanese application for hepatitis C drug

Schering-Plough Corporation has announced that Schering-Plough K.K., the company's subsidiary in Japan, has submitted a New Drug Application (J-NDA) to the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare (MHLW) seeking marketing approval for PEG-INTRON(R) (peginterferon alfa-2b) Powder for Injection for use in combination with REBETOL(R) (ribavirin) Capsules for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C.

22 Apr 2004

Study suggests that donor livers are not always distributed according to a patient's need

A new study suggests that donor livers are not always distributed according to a patient's need, but may be retained by some organ procurement organizations with smaller waiting lists and transplanted into less sick patients, according to a study in the April 21 issue of The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).

20 Apr 2004

Preclinical data on Histamine's ability to prevent liver damage

These new results demonstrate the ability of histamine to prevent LPS-induced liver injury in a rodent model by showing efficacy when delivered in a manner mimicking oral administration.

19 Apr 2004