Hepatitis B News and Research

Latest Hepatitis B News and Research

Hepatitis E vaccine successful in clinical trial: Study

In a Clinical trial in China, a vaccine has been found to protect against Hepatitis E. Hepatitis E virus, usually spread via contaminated food and faeces usually runs its course before the patient recovers. However it can cause severe illness in elderly people and has a mortality rate of 1 to 3 percent. It can also kill 5 to 25 percent of affected pregnant women and those who survive can suffer high rates of miscarriage. Around a third of the world's population have been infected by the virus say researchers.

22 Aug 2010

FDA extends review on Acetadote for non-acetaminophen acute liver failure

Cumberland Pharmaceuticals Inc. today announced the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has extended its review of the supplemental new drug application (sNDA) for the use of Acetadote® (acetylcysteine) Injection in patients with non-acetaminophen acute liver failure.

21 Aug 2010

Broadband could be boon for rural clinics

A federal broadband initiative may have implications for the health system, too, NPR reports. "Millions of Americans who live in rural areas travel long distances to get health care. Or they may go without it. But high-speed Internet connections now make it possible to bring a doctor's expertise to patients in far-off places, if those places are connected. As part of its National Broadband Plan, the Federal Communications Commission has pledged $400 million a year to connect nearly 12,000 rural health care providers."

19 Aug 2010

Achillion Pharmaceuticals enters agreement to raise $50.1 million from sale of common stock

Achillion Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a leader in the discovery and development of small molecule drugs to combat the most challenging infectious diseases, today announced that it has entered into definitive agreements for the purchase of $50.1 million of Achillion's common stock and warrants in a private placement financing with a select group of institutional and accredited investors, namely Domain Associates, Clarus Ventures, Quaker BioVentures and Pappas Ventures.

19 Aug 2010

BBC reports on efforts to broaden access to childhood vaccines

The BBC reports on discussions about childhood immunization at the International Pediatric Association (IPA) meeting last week in Johannesburg, South Africa. "Vaccines are a key plank in meeting Millennium Development Goal 4 - to reduce child mortality by two thirds by 2015 - and many sessions at the congress were devoted to them," the news service writes.

18 Aug 2010

World Bank to provide $900M in emergency funding for Pakistan floods, country's High Commissioner provides rough damage estimate

The World Bank on Monday "pledged to reroute money from other projects to provide $900 million in emergency funding to help Pakistan" with its flood recovery efforts, the New York Times reports (Ellick, 8/17).

18 Aug 2010

Pharmacists in all states authorized to administer influenza vaccines

The American Pharmacists Association (APhA) is encouraging consumers to get immunized against influenza and to consider their local pharmacy as the site to receive their vaccine. Pharmacists in all 50 states including the District of Columbia are authorized to administer influenza vaccines and, as of June 30, 2010, more than 120,000 U.S. pharmacists have been trained to administer immunizations.

18 Aug 2010

Long-term entecavir therapy suppresses HBV DNA, normalizes ALT and improves liver histology

Researchers from this international study found that patients with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection who received at least 3 years of cumulative entecavir (antiviral) therapy achieved substantial histologic improvement and regression of fibrosis or cirrhosis. Full details of the study appear in the September issue of Hepatology, a journal published by Wiley-Blackwell on behalf of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD).

18 Aug 2010

Long-term Entecavir therapy reverses fibrosis and cirrhosis in chronic hepatitis B patients

17 Aug 2010

Hepatitis C rather than Donor Risk Index is major contributor to poor graft survival in transplant patients

The Donor Risk Index, which assesses donor characteristics impacting liver transplantation outcomes, does not bear the same impact on outcomes on a small scale as is suggested from large-scale, national data.

17 Aug 2010

'Heart-wrenching' Pakistan floods need more aid from international community, U.N. Secretary-General says

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said Sunday that the flooding in Pakistan is the worst natural disaster he has seen and called on the international community to expedite the aid effort, the Los Angeles Times reports. Ban traveled to flooded areas of the country and surveyed damage on Sunday (Rodriguez, 8/16).

17 Aug 2010

Intercell reports significant increase in second quarter revenue

Today, Intercell AG announced its financial results for Q2 and H1 2010.IXIARO/JESPECT sales increased significantly from EUR 2.4m in Q2 2009 to EUR 5.2m in Q2 2010 Continued focus on growing marketing and sales of product in traveler and military markets

17 Aug 2010

August is National Immunization and Cataract Awareness Month

Childhood immunizations keep our children safe from a number of serious diseases. This is a good time of year to make sure your child is up-to-date on all of his/her immunizations. Continue reading to find out which vaccines the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommend for children 6 and under.

16 Aug 2010

China Biologic Products second-quarter revenues increase 23.3% to $40.9 million

China Biologic Products, Inc., one of the leading plasma-based biopharmaceutical companies in the People's Republic of China, operating through its indirect majority-owned subsidiaries, Shandong Taibang Biological Products Co. Ltd. and Guiyang Dalin Biologic Technologies Co., Ltd. and its equity investment in Xi'an Huitian Blood Products Co., Ltd., today reported financial results for its second quarter ended June 30, 2010.

16 Aug 2010

Sinovac Biotech second-quarter 2010 sales increase 131% to $10.3 million

Sinovac Biotech Ltd., a leading China-based vaccine manufacturer, announced today its unaudited financial results for the three-month and six-month periods ended June 30, 2010.

16 Aug 2010

Cangene to focus commercialization efforts on key markets

Cangene Corporation today reports that it will further focus its commercialization efforts on key markets for its products in the near term. Cangene acquired the U.S. commercialization rights to HepaGam B(R) (Hepatitis B Immune Globulin Intravenous (Human)) in October 2009 and soon after began building a U.S. sales force.

16 Aug 2010

Inovio Pharmaceuticals 2010 second quarter net loss decreases

Inovio Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today reported financial results for the quarter ended June 30, 2010.Total revenue was $1.1 million and $2.5 million for the three and six months ended June 30, 2010, compared to $2.5 million and $2.9 million for the three and six months ended June 30, 2009, respectively.

16 Aug 2010

Achillion second-quarter net loss increases to $6.4 million

Achillion Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a leader in the discovery and development of small molecule drugs to combat the most challenging infectious diseases, today reported financial results for the three and six months ended June 30, 2010. For the second quarter of 2010, the Company reported a net loss of $6.4 million, compared with a net loss of $6.1 million for the same period last year. Cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities as of June 30, 2010 were $19.5 million.

13 Aug 2010

HIV infected injection drug users likely to have kidney disease: Study

Poor kidney function is common among injection drug users, particularly those with HIV, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Clinical Journal of the American Society Nephrology (CJASN). The results suggest that clinicians should monitor the kidney function of HIV-infected injection drug users and consider them candidates for medical treatments to protect their kidneys when appropriate.

13 Aug 2010

Pharmasset receives fast track designation from FDA for PSI-7977

Pharmasset, Inc. has received fast track designation from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for PSI-7977 for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C virus infection. PSI-7977 is an oral uridine nucleotide analog polymerase inhibitor of HCV. Pharmasset recently completed dosing in a 28 day Phase 2a trial to evaluate PSI-7977 in combination with Pegasys (pegylated interferon) plus Copegus (ribavirin) in treatment-naive patients chronically infected with HCV genotype 1.

12 Aug 2010