Making Headway Against Hepatitis C: New Drug Combo Effective in Non-Responders

[Guest guest]

Making Headway Against Hepatitis C: New Drug Combo Effective in

Non-Responders

Posted on: 10/31/2006

Saint Louis University Liver Center scientists are presenting research on a

more effective way to treat hepatitis C patients who have been unresponsive

to current drug therapies.

They have shown that a cocktail of ribavirin and Infergen, a highly potent

Interferon, is nearly twice as effective at controlling hepatitis C than

standard treatments. They are sharing their findings at the annual American

Association for the Study of Liver Diseases meeting in Boston.

“The results are promising,” says Bruce R. Bacon, MD, principal investigator

and director of the division of gastroenterology and hepatology at Saint

Louis University School of Medicine. “This group of non-responders is a very

challenging population to treat, and we found that patients who followed

through with the therapy had a response nearly twice that of previous trials

looking at this population.”

Saint Louis University Liver Center researchers led a study of more than 500

patients with hepatitis C at 40 sites, 77 percent of whom had advanced

fibrosis. Fourteen percent of patients taking 9mcg of Infergen daily and 20

percent taking 15 mcg were virus negative after six months.

A quarter of the non-cirrhotic patients receiving Infergen were also virus

negative after 24 weeks. The optimal response to antiviral therapy is for

the hepatitis C viral RNA to become undetectable on treatment and to remain

undetectable for at least another six months off therapy; this is referred

to as a sustained virologic response, essentially a cure of the disease.

Rates of sustained virologic response are still to be determined in this

ongoing study.

Infergen is a highly potent type of interferon currently used for adult

patients with chronic hepatitis C three times a week, Bacon says. This trial

is expected to be completed in 2007.

An estimated 3.9 million Americans have hepatitis C. About 250,000 who have

been offered therapy are unresponsive to current drug therapies, and the

number is growing by 50,000 annually, according to the CDC.

In another study being presented at the AASLD conference, SLU researchers

found that liver damage may be able to be reversed in patients with chronic

hepatitis C who have undergone successful therapy.

“They are not only at a very low risk for relapse but may also see

improvements to their liver,” says lead author Di Bisceglie, MD,

professor in the division of gastroenterology and hepatology at Saint Louis

University School of Medicine.

Researchers studied the long-term effects in 150 patients with chronic

hepatitis C following therapy. The level of liver damage in 79 percent of

patients with stage 2 or worse fibrosis greatly improved and was unchanged

in the rest of the patients.

“Little is known about how these patients fare after their treatment,” says

Di Bisceglie, MD, also acting chair of the department of internal medicine

at SLU. “This is the largest study of its kind to examine just how much

improvement patients with hepatitis C have five years after a sustained

virologic response, and the results are very encouraging.”

Source: Saint LouisUniversityMedicalCenter

http://www.infectioncontroltoday.com/hotnews/6ah311523552775.html

_________________________________________________________________

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[Guest guest]

Making Headway Against Hepatitis C: New Drug Combo Effective in

Non-Responders

Posted on: 10/31/2006

Saint Louis University Liver Center scientists are presenting research on a

more effective way to treat hepatitis C patients who have been unresponsive

to current drug therapies.

They have shown that a cocktail of ribavirin and Infergen, a highly potent

Interferon, is nearly twice as effective at controlling hepatitis C than

standard treatments. They are sharing their findings at the annual American

Association for the Study of Liver Diseases meeting in Boston.

“The results are promising,” says Bruce R. Bacon, MD, principal investigator

and director of the division of gastroenterology and hepatology at Saint

Louis University School of Medicine. “This group of non-responders is a very

challenging population to treat, and we found that patients who followed

through with the therapy had a response nearly twice that of previous trials

looking at this population.”

Saint Louis University Liver Center researchers led a study of more than 500

patients with hepatitis C at 40 sites, 77 percent of whom had advanced

fibrosis. Fourteen percent of patients taking 9mcg of Infergen daily and 20

percent taking 15 mcg were virus negative after six months.

A quarter of the non-cirrhotic patients receiving Infergen were also virus

negative after 24 weeks. The optimal response to antiviral therapy is for

the hepatitis C viral RNA to become undetectable on treatment and to remain

undetectable for at least another six months off therapy; this is referred

to as a sustained virologic response, essentially a cure of the disease.

Rates of sustained virologic response are still to be determined in this

ongoing study.

Infergen is a highly potent type of interferon currently used for adult

patients with chronic hepatitis C three times a week, Bacon says. This trial

is expected to be completed in 2007.

An estimated 3.9 million Americans have hepatitis C. About 250,000 who have

been offered therapy are unresponsive to current drug therapies, and the

number is growing by 50,000 annually, according to the CDC.

In another study being presented at the AASLD conference, SLU researchers

found that liver damage may be able to be reversed in patients with chronic

hepatitis C who have undergone successful therapy.

“They are not only at a very low risk for relapse but may also see

improvements to their liver,” says lead author Di Bisceglie, MD,

professor in the division of gastroenterology and hepatology at Saint Louis

University School of Medicine.

Researchers studied the long-term effects in 150 patients with chronic

hepatitis C following therapy. The level of liver damage in 79 percent of

patients with stage 2 or worse fibrosis greatly improved and was unchanged

in the rest of the patients.

“Little is known about how these patients fare after their treatment,” says

Di Bisceglie, MD, also acting chair of the department of internal medicine

at SLU. “This is the largest study of its kind to examine just how much

improvement patients with hepatitis C have five years after a sustained

virologic response, and the results are very encouraging.”

Source: Saint LouisUniversityMedicalCenter

http://www.infectioncontroltoday.com/hotnews/6ah311523552775.html

_________________________________________________________________

Try Search Survival Kits: Fix up your home and better handle your cash with

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& source=hmtagline

[Guest guest]

Making Headway Against Hepatitis C: New Drug Combo Effective in

Non-Responders

Posted on: 10/31/2006

Saint Louis University Liver Center scientists are presenting research on a

more effective way to treat hepatitis C patients who have been unresponsive

to current drug therapies.

They have shown that a cocktail of ribavirin and Infergen, a highly potent

Interferon, is nearly twice as effective at controlling hepatitis C than

standard treatments. They are sharing their findings at the annual American

Association for the Study of Liver Diseases meeting in Boston.

“The results are promising,” says Bruce R. Bacon, MD, principal investigator

and director of the division of gastroenterology and hepatology at Saint

Louis University School of Medicine. “This group of non-responders is a very

challenging population to treat, and we found that patients who followed

through with the therapy had a response nearly twice that of previous trials

looking at this population.”

Saint Louis University Liver Center researchers led a study of more than 500

patients with hepatitis C at 40 sites, 77 percent of whom had advanced

fibrosis. Fourteen percent of patients taking 9mcg of Infergen daily and 20

percent taking 15 mcg were virus negative after six months.

A quarter of the non-cirrhotic patients receiving Infergen were also virus

negative after 24 weeks. The optimal response to antiviral therapy is for

the hepatitis C viral RNA to become undetectable on treatment and to remain

undetectable for at least another six months off therapy; this is referred

to as a sustained virologic response, essentially a cure of the disease.

Rates of sustained virologic response are still to be determined in this

ongoing study.

Infergen is a highly potent type of interferon currently used for adult

patients with chronic hepatitis C three times a week, Bacon says. This trial

is expected to be completed in 2007.

An estimated 3.9 million Americans have hepatitis C. About 250,000 who have

been offered therapy are unresponsive to current drug therapies, and the

number is growing by 50,000 annually, according to the CDC.

In another study being presented at the AASLD conference, SLU researchers

found that liver damage may be able to be reversed in patients with chronic

hepatitis C who have undergone successful therapy.

“They are not only at a very low risk for relapse but may also see

improvements to their liver,” says lead author Di Bisceglie, MD,

professor in the division of gastroenterology and hepatology at Saint Louis

University School of Medicine.

Researchers studied the long-term effects in 150 patients with chronic

hepatitis C following therapy. The level of liver damage in 79 percent of

patients with stage 2 or worse fibrosis greatly improved and was unchanged

in the rest of the patients.

“Little is known about how these patients fare after their treatment,” says

Di Bisceglie, MD, also acting chair of the department of internal medicine

at SLU. “This is the largest study of its kind to examine just how much

improvement patients with hepatitis C have five years after a sustained

virologic response, and the results are very encouraging.”

Source: Saint LouisUniversityMedicalCenter

http://www.infectioncontroltoday.com/hotnews/6ah311523552775.html

_________________________________________________________________

Try Search Survival Kits: Fix up your home and better handle your cash with

Live Search!

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& source=hmtagline

[Guest guest]

Making Headway Against Hepatitis C: New Drug Combo Effective in

Non-Responders

Posted on: 10/31/2006

Saint Louis University Liver Center scientists are presenting research on a

more effective way to treat hepatitis C patients who have been unresponsive

to current drug therapies.

They have shown that a cocktail of ribavirin and Infergen, a highly potent

Interferon, is nearly twice as effective at controlling hepatitis C than

standard treatments. They are sharing their findings at the annual American

Association for the Study of Liver Diseases meeting in Boston.

“The results are promising,” says Bruce R. Bacon, MD, principal investigator

and director of the division of gastroenterology and hepatology at Saint

Louis University School of Medicine. “This group of non-responders is a very

challenging population to treat, and we found that patients who followed

through with the therapy had a response nearly twice that of previous trials

looking at this population.”

Saint Louis University Liver Center researchers led a study of more than 500

patients with hepatitis C at 40 sites, 77 percent of whom had advanced

fibrosis. Fourteen percent of patients taking 9mcg of Infergen daily and 20

percent taking 15 mcg were virus negative after six months.

A quarter of the non-cirrhotic patients receiving Infergen were also virus

negative after 24 weeks. The optimal response to antiviral therapy is for

the hepatitis C viral RNA to become undetectable on treatment and to remain

undetectable for at least another six months off therapy; this is referred

to as a sustained virologic response, essentially a cure of the disease.

Rates of sustained virologic response are still to be determined in this

ongoing study.

Infergen is a highly potent type of interferon currently used for adult

patients with chronic hepatitis C three times a week, Bacon says. This trial

is expected to be completed in 2007.

An estimated 3.9 million Americans have hepatitis C. About 250,000 who have

been offered therapy are unresponsive to current drug therapies, and the

number is growing by 50,000 annually, according to the CDC.

In another study being presented at the AASLD conference, SLU researchers

found that liver damage may be able to be reversed in patients with chronic

hepatitis C who have undergone successful therapy.

“They are not only at a very low risk for relapse but may also see

improvements to their liver,” says lead author Di Bisceglie, MD,

professor in the division of gastroenterology and hepatology at Saint Louis

University School of Medicine.

Researchers studied the long-term effects in 150 patients with chronic

hepatitis C following therapy. The level of liver damage in 79 percent of

patients with stage 2 or worse fibrosis greatly improved and was unchanged

in the rest of the patients.

“Little is known about how these patients fare after their treatment,” says

Di Bisceglie, MD, also acting chair of the department of internal medicine

at SLU. “This is the largest study of its kind to examine just how much

improvement patients with hepatitis C have five years after a sustained

virologic response, and the results are very encouraging.”

Source: Saint LouisUniversityMedicalCenter

http://www.infectioncontroltoday.com/hotnews/6ah311523552775.html

_________________________________________________________________

Try Search Survival Kits: Fix up your home and better handle your cash with

Live Search!

http://imagine-windowslive.com/search/kits/default.aspx?kit=improve & locale=en-US\

& source=hmtagline