Hepatitis News:
January 2006
Missing
Patients' in Hep C Infection Risk
"NHS patients may be unaware they have contracted hepatitis C through
blood transfusions, Scottish health officials admitted yesterday."
Researchers
develop new vaccine candidate against Hepatitis C
"Researchers at the University of Saskatchewan's Vaccine and
Infectious Disease Organization (VIDO) say they have developed a vaccine
candidate for hepatitis C."
Intercell's
Hepatitis C vaccine meets success criteria for further development - route
and frequency of administration optimized
"Intercell today announced initial data from a clinical trial aiming
at the optimization of its therapeutic Hepatitis C vaccine IC41."
Hepatitis
C protease inhibitor does well in early clinical trial
"A hepatitis C virus protease inhibitor has done well in early
clinical trials. The oral drug, VX-950, which is being developed by Vertex
Pharmaceuticals, achieved significant reductions in hepatitis C viral load
when used in combination with pegylated interferon alfa-2a (Pegasys)."
Hepatitis
C treatment difficult in older patients
"Because of side effects, patients over the age of 60 with hepatitis
C find it more difficult to stick with standard treatments than do their
younger counterparts, according to a study in Japan."
Chiron
partners with Portland's AVI
"Chiron Corp. and AVI BioPharma Inc. announced an agreement Friday
granting AVI a nonexclusive license to Chiron's patents and patent
applications for the research, development and commercialization of drugs
that fight the hepatitis C virus (HCV)."
Tarvacin(TM)
Anti-Viral Hepatitis C Clinical Program in Acceleration Phase
"The initial success of our efforts to accelerate the HCV clinical
trial program for Tarvacin Anti-Viral is gratifying in view of Tarvacin's
promise as an important new treatment option for a number of viral
infections, including chronic hepatitis C infection."
Inovio
Biomedical to Develop Vaccine for Hepatitis C in Partnership with Tripep
AB
"Inovio Biomedical Corporation, a late stage developer of cancer and
other therapies using electroporation to deliver drugs and nucleic acids,
announced today that it has signed an agreement with Swedish-based Tripep
AB to develop a therapeutic vaccine for hepatitis C virus (HCV)."
HAART
reduces liver-related death risk, but hepatitis C infection increases
risk, Italian study finds
"Highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) reduces the risk of
liver-related death by 68%, although infection with both HIV and hepatitis
C virus (HCV) increases the risk of liver-related mortality more than
ten-fold compared with individuals infected with HIV alone, according to
data from the Brescia HIV Liver Cohort."
Transgene
Awarded EUR 1.3 M Grant for Hepatitis C Therapeutic Vaccine Programme
"Transgene S.A. announces today that it has been awarded funding by
the Lyon Biopole Competitiveness Cluster (Pole de competitivite) for the
development of its therapeutic vaccine candidate against hepatitis C
chronic infection (HCV)."
Biotech
Firms Report Advances in Hepatitis C Drugs
"Shares of two biotechnology companies jumped yesterday after they
reported some of the best results ever seen in treatment of a serious
liver virus, the latest indication that a cure for hepatitis C could be at
hand in a few years -- just in time to rescue millions of baby boomers
with the ailment."
Check
blood for Hepatitis C, transfusion patients urged
"KUALA LUMPUR: Patients who received blood transfusions before 1997
have been asked to check their blood to ensure they are not infected with
Hepatitis C."
Schering-Plough
Reports FDA Grants Fast Track Designation to Oral HCV Protease Inhibitor
SCH 503034
"Schering-Plough yesterday reported that the U.S. Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) has granted Fast Track designation to its
investigational oral hepatitis C protease inhibitor (SCH 503034),
currently in phase 2 clinical development for the treatment of chronic
hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection."
Cyclosporine
Inhibits Hepatitis C Virus In Vitro
"Liver transplant patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV) achieved
significantly better long-term viral response when taking the
immunosuppressive agent Cyclosporine along with interferon-ribavirin
combination therapy."
MedMira
Granted Hepatitis C Patent in Europe
"MedMira Inc.,the global market leader in premium rapid diagnostic
solutions, announced today that it has been granted a patent for the HCV
Mosaic Antigen by the European Patent Office."
Valeant
buys InterMune hepatitis C drug
"Valeant Pharmaceuticals International said Tuesday it closed its
purchase of the United States and Canadian rights to hepatitis C drug
Infergen from InterMune Inc. for $113.5 million in cash."
Biochemical
connection between hepatitis C virus and liver cancer identified
"Researchers at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston (UTMB
) have identified a key biochemical connection between the hepatitis C
virus and liver cancer."
Clinical Trials, Cohort Studies, Pilot Studies
Long-term
evolution of liver histopathology in patients with chronic hepatitis C and
sustained response. [Article in Spanish, English]. Moreno M,
Perez-Alvarez R, Rodrigo L, R Perez-Lopez, Gonzalez M. Rev Esp Enferm Dig.
2005 Dec;97(12):860-869.
Treatment
of chronic hepatitis C with interferon alone or combined with ribavirin in
Japan. Kumada T, et al. Intervirology. 2006;49(1-2):112-8.
Early
monotherapy with pegylated interferon alpha-2b for acute hepatitis C
infection: The HEP-NET acute-HCV-II study. Wiegand J, et al.
Hepatology. 2006 Feb;43(2):250-6.
Retreatment
with interferon of relapsed chronic hepatitis C patients. [Article in
Chinese] Li MH, et al. Zhonghua Gan Zang Bing Za Zhi. 2006 Jan;14(1):3-6.
A
phase I trial of an antisense inhibitor of hepatitis C virus (ISIS 14803),
administered to chronic hepatitis C patients. McHutchison JG, et al. J
Hepatol. 2006 Jan;44(1):88-96. Epub 2005 Oct 25.
Dose-dependent
and genotype-independent sustained virological response of a 12 week
pegylated interferon alpha-2b treatment for acute hepatitis C. De Rosa
FG, et al. J Antimicrob Chemother. 2006 Feb;57(2):360-3. Epub 2006 Jan 5.
Basic And Applied Science, Pre-Clinical Studies
Hepatitis
C virus induces toll-like receptor 4 expression, leading to enhanced
production of beta interferon and interleukin-6. Machida K, et al. J
Virol. 2006 Jan;80(2):866-74.
A
link between translation of the hepatitis C virus polyprotein and
polymerase function; possible consequences for hyperphosphorylation of
NS5A.
McCormick CJ, et al. J Gen Virol. 2006 Jan;87(Pt 1):93-102.
Characterization
of T-cell responses against immunodominant epitopes from hepatitis C virus
E2 and NS4a proteins. Sarobe P, et al. J Viral Hepat. 2006
Jan;13(1):47-55.
Vigorous
Hepatitis C Virus-Specific CD4+ and CD8+ T Cell Responses Induced by
Protein Immunization in the Presence of Montanide ISA720 plus Synthetic
Oligodeoxynucleotides Containing Immunostimulatory Cytosine-Guanine
Dinucleotide Motifs. Sugauchi F, et al. J Infect Dis. 2006 Feb
15;193(4):563-72. Epub 2006 Jan 11.
HLA
class I allelic diversity and progression of fibrosis in patients with
chronic hepatitis C. Patel K, et al. Hepatology. 2006 Feb;43(2):241-9.
Liver
endothelial cells promote LDL-R expression and the uptake of HCV-like
particles in primary rat and human hepatocytes. Nahmias Y, et al.
Hepatology. 2006 Feb;43(2):257-65.
Increased
liver pathology in hepatitis C virus transgenic mice expressing the
hepatitis B virus X protein. Keasler VV, et al. Virology. 2006 Jan 19;
[Epub ahead of print]
Selective
transmission of hepatitis C virus genotypes and quasispecies in humans and
experimentally infected chimpanzees. Nainan OV, et al. J Gen Virol.
2006 Jan;87(Pt 1):83-91.
HIV/HCV Coinfection
Survival
and prognostic factors of HIV-infected patients with HCV-related end-stage
liver disease.
Merchante N, et al. AIDS. 2006 Jan 2;20(1):49-57.
Coinfection
With HIV-1 and Human T-Cell Lymphotropic Virus Type II in Intravenous Drug
Users Is Associated With Delayed Progression to AIDS. Turci M, et al.
J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr. 2006 Jan 1;41(1):100-106.
Liver
Fibrosis in HIV-Positive Patients With Hepatitis C Virus: Role of
Persistently Normal Alanine Aminotransferase Levels. Uberti-Foppa C,
et al. J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr. 2006 Jan 1;41(1):63-7.
Immunologic
Response to Antiretroviral Therapy in Hepatitis C Virus-Coinfected Adults
in a Population-Based HIV/AIDS Treatment Program. Braitstein P, J
Infect Dis. 2006 Jan 15;193(2):259-68. Epub 2005 Dec 7.
Influence
of HCV or HBV coinfection on adverse drug reactions to antiretroviral
drugs in HIV patients. Guitton E, et al. Eur J Clin Pharmacol. 2006
Jan 17;:1-7 [Epub ahead of print]
Impact
of hepatitis C infection on long-term mortality of injecting drug users
from 1990 to 2002: differences before and after HAART. Lumbreras B, et
al. AIDS. 2006 Jan 2;20(1):111-6
Complementary And Alternative Therapies
Vitamin
E and C supplementation prevents decrease of eicosapentaenoic acid in
mononuclear cells in chronic hepatitis C patients during combination
therapy of interferon alpha-2b and ribavirin. Murakami Y, et al.
Nutrition. 2006 Feb;22(2):114-22.
Effects
of L-carnitine in patients with hepatic encephalopathy. Malaguarnera
M, et al. World J Gastroenterol. 2005 Dec 7;11(45):7197-202.
Exploratory
study on the effects of treatment with two mistletoe preparations on
chronic hepatitis C. Tusenius KJ, Spoek AM, van Hattum J.
Arzneimittelforschung. 2005;55(12):749-53.
Miscellaneous Works
Surveillance
programs for chronic viral hepatitis in three health departments.
Fleming DT, et al. Public Health Rep. 2006 Jan-Feb;121(1):23-35.
Hepatitis
vaccination among drug users. Quaglio G, et al. Vaccine. 2006 Jan 6; [Epub
ahead of print]
Higher
clearance of HCV infection in females compared to males. Bakr I, et
al. Gut. 2006 Jan 24; [Epub ahead of print]
Viral
hepatitis C in Hong Kong. Leung N, Chu C, Tam JS. Intervirology.
2006;49(1-2):23-7. Digestive
endoscopy and HCV transmission. Bronowicki JP. J Hepatol. 2006
Jan;44(1):246-7. Epub 2005 Nov 16.
Development
and validation of two models for early prediction of response to therapy
in genotype 1 chronic hepatitis C. Martinez-Bauer E, et al. Hepatology.
2006 Jan;43(1):72-80.
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