Hepatitis B News and Research

Latest Hepatitis B News and Research

Pegylated interferon alfa-2b offers the best treatment option for people with chronic hepatitis B infection

Harry Janssen (Erasmus University Medical Centre, Rotterdam, Netherlands) and colleagues assessed whether combination treatment with pegylated interferon alfa-2b and the antiviral agent lamivudine was more efficacious in treating chronic hepatitis B infection than pegylated interferon alfa-2b therapy alone.

7 Jan 2005

Peginterferon alfa-2b produced sustained responses in patients with chronic hepatitis B

Results from a large international clinical study reported in this week's issue of The Lancet showed that peginterferon alfa-2b produced sustained responses in patients with chronic hepatitis B. The investigator-initiated study is the largest clinical trial to date with peginterferon alfa-2b therapy for chronic hepatitis B.

7 Jan 2005

PAHO dispels myths about the handling and the effects of mass casualties

The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) has published a new manual that dispels myths about the handling and the effects of mass casualties following a natural disaster, such as the December 26 earthquake and tsunami in South Asia.

5 Jan 2005

Researchers discover clues to cirrhosis

Researchers at the University of Essex have found new biochemical indicators of cirrhosis in blood plasma which could help detect the disease in its early stages.

20 Dec 2004

Instead of chemotherapy, drugs that influence the X protein's behavior might become an alternative cancer therapy

Identifying the link between chronic hepatitis B infection and liver cancer may one day help cancer patients sidestep the poison of chemotherapy, a Purdue University study suggests.

13 Dec 2004

A new study has found fatty liver disease in nearly one third of American adults in a large urban population sample

The prevalence of the disease varied significantly among ethnic groups. Hispanics had a higher prevalence than whites, while blacks had a lower prevalence than whites.

8 Dec 2004

Electrochemical DNA chip that is able to detect DNA at very low concentrations

Toshiba Corporation has announced the development of a highly sensitive electrochemical DNA chip that is able to detect DNA at very low concentrations, a capability that will support advances in gene detection and analysis for individual treatment regimes, and the monitoring of healthy individuals for any predisposition to certain diseases.

6 Dec 2004

New technologies boost immunisation rates, safety

As global health leaders struggle to meet the United Nations goal of reducing mortality among the world's poorest children, vaccines are attracting more and more attention. The purchase of the vaccine is just the beginning, however, as the effectiveness of a vaccine is only as good as its delivery system.

6 Dec 2004

53,000 adults living with HIV/AIDS in the UK

There are now 53,000 adults living with HIV/AIDS in the UK, over a quarter of whom (14,300) remain unaware of their infection according to the Health Protection Agency's annual report on HIV.

29 Nov 2004

Breakthrough HIV research wins prestigious industry award

Research that could lead to a breakthrough in the treatment of HIV has scooped a University of Manchester scientist a prestigious industry award.

From The University of Manchester 23 Nov 2004

Biotoxin from puffer fish may provide treatment for opioid withdrawal

On November 10, 2004 investigators involved in a Phase IIa clinical trial of the novel biotoxin Tetrodotoxin (TTX) for the treatment of opioid withdrawal enrolled their first participants.

18 Nov 2004

Eisai In-licenses Anti-hepatitis B Agent clevudine From Bukwang Pharm

Eisai Co., Ltd. announced today that the Company has in-licensed an anti-hepatitis B agent (generic name: clevudine) from Bukwang Pharm (Headquarters, Seoul, South Korea, President: Sung-Koo Lee).

16 Nov 2004

Hep C and HIV among injecting drug users in London are higher than expected

Levels of hepatitis C virus and HIV among injecting drug users in London are higher than expected, according to a study published online by the BMJ.

14 Nov 2004

Caspase levels associated with liver injury

Caspase activity in the sera of patients with chronic hepatitis C infection (HCV) may be a more sensitive measure of liver injury than conventional surrogate markers like aminotransferases, according to a new study published in the November 2004 issue of Hepatology.

8 Nov 2004

Prevalence of occult HBV in hemodialysis patients is 4 to 5 times higher than standard HBsAg testing would suggest

Some kidney dialysis patients contract hepatitis B virus (HBV) during the course of their treatment, possibly from other members of the dialysis population with occult HBV.

8 Nov 2004

Britain should adopt universal hepatitis B immunisation

The United Kingdom is one of the few developed countries that have not implemented universal immunisation. Because the burden of hepatitis B was low and individual rights were considered paramount, a policy of selective immunisation of high-risk groups, such as health care workers, homosexual men, and drug addicts, has been followed.

5 Nov 2004

Researchers identify biomarkers that could lead to more accurate diagnosis of systemic lupus erythematosus

University of Pittsburgh researchers have identified biomarkers that could result in earlier and more accurate diagnosis of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), a devastating disease that affects as many as 1.5 million Americans, and occurs 10 to 15 times more frequently in women.

4 Nov 2004

Health professionals fall short for Hepatitis C patients

People living with Hepatitis C are highly critical of the treatment they have received from health professionals, particularly doctors, according to a new study by a University of Auckland sociology researcher.

3 Nov 2004

Analysis of safety syringe market

One of the biggest challenges facing manufacturers of safety syringes in Europe is the lack of legislation on the use of these products in health care settings.

2 Nov 2004

Program triples hepatitis B vaccination rates in targeted regions of rural China

The Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation and the China Foundation for Hepatitis Prevention and Control (CFHPC) announced the results of a collaborative grassroots education and vaccination program designed to fight the spread of one of China's most pressing health problems -- hepatitis B.

1 Nov 2004