Hepatitis Weekly articles from June 2002

Hepatitis Weekly archives from June 2002

Lamivudine beneficial to only a few on waiting lists for liver transplants.
June 3, 2002... 2002 JUN 3 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, senior medical writer - The leaders of a major hepatitis B virus (HBV) liver transplantation study group team argue that only in limited circumstances will lamivudine therapy be...

Pegylated interferon - ribavirin combination limits HCV-related fibrosis.
June 3, 2002... 2002 JUN 3 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, senior medical writer - Liver fibrosis, indicative of liver disease progression in individuals with chronic hepatitis C, can be reduced with a combination of pegylated interferon (PEG)...

Embolization procedure extends survival in hepatocellular carcinoma.
June 3, 2002... 2002 JUN 3 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, senior medical writer - Doctors may be able to offer some chance for extended survival in some patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma, a primary form of liver cancer, by...

Use of high dose hepatitis A, hepatitis B vaccine in India needs evaluation.
June 3, 2002... 2002 JUN 3 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, senior medical writer - Given the emerging number of hepatitis A virus (HAV) infections in India, medical personnel are urging greater use of vaccine prevention strategies, especially...

Iron depletion can reverse cirrhosis in some patients given marrow transplants.
June 3, 2002... 2002 JUN 3 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, senior medical writer - Cirrhosis reversal may be possible for patients with thalassemia major who are cured after receiving bone marrow transplantations. Thalassemia, a condition...

Medizone names Steve Hanni chief financial officer.
June 3, 2002... 2002 JUN 3 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Medizone International, Inc., (MZEI) has named Steve Hanni as the company's chief financial officer. Hanni is a partner in Stayner & Associates, LLC, CPA. He was previously a partner with HJ &...

Company provides update of progress.
June 3, 2002... 2002 JUN 3 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Human Genome Sciences, Inc., (HGSI) recently told financial analysts in New York that the company expects to file four investigational new drug (IND) applications in 2002, seeking clearance from the...

Company reports 1Q record revenues.
June 3, 2002... 2002 JUN 3 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- ICN Pharmaceuticals, Inc., (ICN) reported that first quarter revenues were a record $245.7 million compared with $199.0 million in 2001, an increase of 23%. Operating income in the first quarter was...

Maxygen reports first quarter 2002 results.
June 3, 2002... 2002 JUN 3 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Maxygen, Inc., (MAXY) reported that for the first quarter of 2002, Maxygen reported a pro forma net loss of $6.5 million, or $0.20 per share, compared with a pro forma net loss of $5.3 million, or $0.17...

AcroMetrix introduces hepatitis C genotyping panel.
June 3, 2002... 2002 JUN 3 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- AcroMetrix Corporation announced at the 18th Clinical Virology Symposium the introduction of a new quality control product for laboratories conducting genotypic analyses to identify genetic variants of...

Foundation presses Capitol Hill on health education in elementary school.
June 3, 2002... 2002 JUN 3 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Hepatitis C has hit the headlines identifying the devastating impact on the lives of celebrities, healthcare workers, and especially prisoners and injection drug users. An estimated 2.7 million...

Florida outbreak linked to drug use.
June 3, 2002... 2002 JUN 3 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- For more than 6 decades, John's Restaurant was a popular place to eat in this rural town, drawing generations of steady customers with its homestyle food and friendly atmosphere. Then in February,...

Foundation presents award to Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Children's Vaccine Program.
June 3, 2002... 2002 JUN 3 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The Hepatitis B Foundation presented its prestigious Founders' Award to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Mark Kane, director, the Children's Vaccine Program, at its annual Crystal Ball on April...

Studies: CellCept benefits patients reinfected with after liver transplant.
June 3, 2002... 2002 JUN 3 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The immunosuppressive drug CellCept (mycophenolate mofetil) positively altered the course of hepatitis C reinfection after liver transplantations in three investigational studies reported at the...

HLA compatibility impacts outcomes in hepatitis B related liver transplantation.
June 10, 2002... 2002 JUN 10 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, senior medical writer - A German review of outcomes after liver transplantation for hepatitis B virus (HBV)-related liver cirrhosis suggests human leucocyte antigen (HLA)...

Protease inhibitors may reduce hepatitis C load in people coinfected with HIV.
June 10, 2002... 2002 JUN 10 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, senior medical writer - People coinfected with hepatitis C virus (HCV) and human immunodeficiency virus may see reductions in HCV loads in the liver as a result of taking HIV...

Combination of vaccine and antiviral fractures immune tolerance in virus model.
June 10, 2002... 2002 JUN 10 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, senior medical writer - Woodchuck hepatitis virus (WHV) infects woodchucks in a manner similar to the way hepatitis B virus (HBV) infects humans. Using woodchucks infected with WHV,...

RNA levels at 12 weeks best indicator for sustained response in hepatitis C.
June 10, 2002... 2002 JUN 10 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, senior medical writer - According to a new report, the best predictor for whether or not a person infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV) will developed a sustained response to...

Vitamin K-2 prevents bone loss in women with cirrhosis.
June 10, 2002... 2002 JUN 10 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, senior medical writer - Women diagnosed with cirrhosis may be able to avoid bone loss by taking vitamin K-2 supplements, doctors say. A report issued by physicians at Osaka City...

Potential therapy reported for children, adults.
June 10, 2002... 2002 JUN 10 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A Johns Hopkins Children's Center scientist reports success in animal studies in preventing a cascade of brain pathology that appears to both cause and signal the final and fatal stages of acute and...

First quarter net loss: $0.09 per share.
June 10, 2002... 2002 JUN 10 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Epimmune, Inc., (EPMN), a biotechnology company focused on the development of pharmaceutical products using multiple, specific epitopes to activate the body's immune system, announced its financial...

Company reveals new aspects of mechanism of action for HspE7.
June 10, 2002... 2002 JUN 10 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Stressgen Biotechnologies Corporation (SSB) presented new research results, which further validate the company's mechanism of action for its patented heat shock protein (Hsp) fusion platform technology...

Data on peginterferon alfa-2a presented at digestive disease conference.
June 10, 2002... 2002 JUN 10 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Data was presented at the Digestive Disease Week (DDW) meeting 2002 in San Francisco on Pegasys (peginterferon alfa-2a) - a once-weekly, pegylated form of interferon that is being investigated for the...

New treatment reduces tumors and improves quality of life for patients.
June 10, 2002... 2002 JUN 10 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A new treatment option for inoperable primary liver cancer called TheraSphere appears to be safe and effective for liver cancer patients, according to results presented by a University of Pittsburgh...

Dimethaid Research completes purchase agreement for Oxo Chemie AG.
June 10, 2002... 2002 JUN 10 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Dimethaid Research, Inc., announced that it has completed the agreement to acquire Oxo Chemie AG of Switzerland. This US$36.96 million acquisition will expand its existing product pipeline to...

Induction dosing not as valuable as believed for treating chronic hepatitis C.
June 17, 2002... 2002 JUN 17 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, senior medical writer - Interferon induction therapy may not be as valuable to chronic hepatitis C patients as is commonly believed, U.S. government physicians argue. Doctors at...

Fibrosis apparent in untreated hepatitis C patients who drink moderately.
June 17, 2002... 2002 JUN 17 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, senior medical writer - Even moderate drinking can be detrimental to the livers of hepatitis C virus (HCV)-infected individuals who are not receiving treatment. As a result,...

Hepatitis B seroconversion yields good outlook for most patients.
June 17, 2002... 2002 JUN 17 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, senior medical writer - Patients infected with hepatitis B virus (HBV) who experience seroconversion can expect to have a good outlook for the future in most instances. However, a...

Prophylactic regimens change outcomes after hepatitis B-related transplants.
June 17, 2002... 2002 JUN 17 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, senior medical writer - While viral prophylaxis improves survival and prevents hepatitis B virus (HBV) recurrence following liver transplantation, several markers are beneficial for...

Molecular wedge could lead normal virus formation astray in hepatitis B.
June 17, 2002... 2002 JUN 17 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, senior medical writer - Small molecules that act like secret agents could be key to disrupting the formation of hepatitis B and other viruses, suggest researchers at the University of...

LifeSource Blood Services implements IDM's Surround 3.0.
June 17, 2002... 2002 JUN 17 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- LifeSource Blood Services announced that it has implemented Information Data Management, Inc.'s (IDM) "Surround Lite System" to manage and transmit donor serology test results to one of their testing...

BioErgonomics patents method for detection of binding pair complexes.
June 17, 2002... 2002 JUN 17 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- St. Paul, Minnesota-based BioErgonomics, Inc., (BioE) has received a patent for technology that makes detection and identification of diseases such as hepatitis C and HIV possible at a much earlier...

Los Angeles County officials issue raw oyster warning.
June 17, 2002... 2002 JUN 17 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- County health officials warned May 31, 2002 that people suffering from liver problems or who drink alcohol regularly should avoid eating raw oysters because of risk of infection by deadly bacteria. ...

Roche, Qiagen to develop diagnostic system for hepatitis and HIV PCR testing.
June 17, 2002... 2002 JUN 17 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Roche Molecular Systems, Inc., (RMS), a business area of Roche Diagnostics and Roche Diagnostics Corp. (RDC), the U.S. sales and marketing arm of Roche Diagnostics, and Qiagen GmbH, a wholly owned...

Alleged vaccine link to neurological disorders disputed.
June 17, 2002... 2002 JUN 17 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Use of the hepatitis B vaccine is not linked to the development of multiple sclerosis or other nerve diseases, the U.S. Institute of Medicine reported May 30, 2002. The finding is the latest study...

Study: 9 in 10 hepatitis C patients with cirrhosis are virus free on PEGASYS with ribavirin.
June 17, 2002... 2002 JUN 17 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Early results from an ongoing study by the Swiss Association for the Study of the Liver show that PEGASYS [peginterferon alfa-2a] used in combination with a standard dose of ribavirin (1000-1200 mg)...

VP22-mediated trafficking leads to heightened apoptosis in liver cancer.
June 17, 2002... 2002 JUN 17 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, senior medical writer - VP22-mediated trafficking can enhance p53 protein expression in primary liver cancer cells. The results of a study that was conducted in Germany has...

Therapies extend use of often-rejected livers for patient transplantation.
June 24, 2002... 2002 JUN 24 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, senior medical writer - Giving liver transplant recipients hepatitis B immune globulin and long-term antiviral therapy can allow them to receive transplanted livers from donors who...

Lack of normal cholesterol synthesis may reveal liver graft dysfunction.
June 24, 2002... 2002 JUN 24 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, senior medical writer - Serum cholesterol values can be used for assessing liver graft status in the recipients of liver transplantations from living donors. The need for liver...

Plasma treatment appears to be cause of hyperfibrinolysis in transplant recipients.
June 24, 2002... 2002 JUN 24 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, senior medical writer - Procedures used for ridding plasma of viral contaminants may be causing liver transplant recipients to develop hyperfibrinolysis after transplantation. ...

Preliminary trial suggests emtricitabine effective against hepatitis B.
June 24, 2002... 2002 JUN 24 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, senior medical writer - The agent emtricitabine has proven to be safe and effective for suppressing hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA levels in a preliminary clinical trial. In a dose...

Cigarette chemicals leave hepatitis B patients more prone to cancer.
June 24, 2002... 2002 JUN 24 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, senior medical writer - Bulky DNA, or adducts formed when polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) bind to DNA to create PAH-DNA adducts, can make patients infected with hepatitis B...

Subclinical lung disease a possibility in those with hepatitis C virus.
June 24, 2002... 2002 JUN 24 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, senior medical writer - Researchers in Turkey believe that more often than not subclinical lung disease may be present in patients infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV). "Chronic...

Company reports 17.7% sales increase in the first quarter.
June 24, 2002... 2002 JUN 24 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Abbott Laboratories reported increases in both sales and earnings for the first quarter of 2002. The company also announced that it had submitted U.S. and European regulatory packages to the FDA...

Strong first quarter positions Baxter well to meet full year 2002 commitments.
June 24, 2002... 2002 JUN 24 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Baxter International, Inc., (BAX) reported strong growth in sales and earnings in the first quarter. Sales advanced 11% to $1.95 billion, up from the $1.76 billion reported for the same period...

Study shows digestive, liver woes cost nation $85.5 billion annually.
June 24, 2002... 2002 JUN 24 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Taken together, digestive diseases directly cost the United States an estimated $85.5 billion a year, according to a new study written by a University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill School of...

BioMedicines completes phase II enrollment with Omega interferon.
June 24, 2002... 2002 JUN 24 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- BioMedicines, Inc., announced that it has completed enrollment in its phase II clinical trial of omega interferon in patients with chronic hepatitis C. Omega interferon is a naturally occurring...

Foundation International presses Capitol Hill on health education.
June 24, 2002... 2002 JUN 24 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Hepatitis C has hit the headlines identifying the devastating impact on the lives of celebrities, healthcare workers, and especially prisoners and injection drug users. An estimated 2.7 million...

SciClone begins U.S. phase III clinical trials for Zadaxin.
June 24, 2002... 2002 JUN 24 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- SciClone Pharmaceuticals (SCLN) announced the first patients in its Zadaxin U.S. phase III hepatitis C clinical trials have been enrolled and are receiving treatment. "The injection of the first...

Study highlights need for vaccine.
June 24, 2002... 2002 JUN 24 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A U.S. study in the Lancet (2002;359(9316):1478) highlights a high rate of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection among injection-drug users, and that immunity against persistent HCV infection can be...

Consensus interferon may work when other regimens are ineffective.
June 24, 2002... 2002 JUN 24 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, senior medical writer - Genetically modified interferon (IFN), known as consensus interferon, may offer new hope to patients with chronic hepatitis C whose disease fails to respond to...

Protection against malaria, herpes, and cancer reported with new peptide.
June 24, 2002... 2002 JUN 24 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Cel-Sci Corp. (CVM) and the Naval Medical Research Center (NMRC) announced that a newly discovered peptide provided 100% protection against malaria infection in a mouse model. Dr. Yupin Charoenvit...

Horizon gets FDA clearance on new lifeguard safety needle.
June 24, 2002... 2002 JUN 24 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Horizon Medical Products, Inc., (HMP) announced that it has received clearance on its 510k submission from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the commercial sale and distribution of its new...

Annexin A10 gene could be target for gene therapy in hepatocellular carcinoma.
June 24, 2002... 2002 JUN 24 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, senior medical writer - Scientists have discovered a gene in the liver that when targeted with gene therapy could be useful for treating hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), a primary...

Parents' blood donations less safe than previously thought.
June 24, 2002... 2002 JUN 24 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Parents who donate blood for their children are actually more likely to have their blood rejected by blood donor centers because of higher incidences of infectious disease markers compared with...

Study links liver transplants for hepatitis C with onset of diabetes mellitus.
June 24, 2002... 2002 JUN 24 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, senior medical writer - More new evidence has linked liver transplantations performed because of chronic hepatitis C with the onset of post-transplantation diabetes mellitus. ...

Pneumonia a risk when splenectomy accompanies liver transplantation.
June 24, 2002... 2002 JUN 24 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, senior medical writer - Patients who undergo splenectomies at the same time they receive liver transplantations may be at greater risk for developing pneumonia. Those were the...