Category: Liver Disease / Hepatitis

Urging every American to maintain a healthy liver, the American Liver Foundation (ALF) today observed Liver Awareness Month by releasing 12 tips to combat liver disease, which affects 30 million Americans. Liver disease, a serious and largely unrecognized problem in the United States, is the 7th leading cause of death among adults between the ages of 25 and 64, taking approximately 27,000 American lives every year, according to ALF.

Patients who undergo liver transplantation at age 60 or above have 1-year and 5-year survival rates similar to those of younger patients and they experience fewer episodes of rejection. These findings are published in a new study in the October issue of Liver Transplantation, a journal published by John Wiley & Sons. The article is also available online via

One in four people who are chronically infected with hepatitis B will die from its impact if untreated, but a team of researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine has identified the most cost-effective way of fighting this treacherous infection.Those infected with hepatitis B often don’t know it, because they can go without symptoms for years. Looking at adults in the U.S.

A combined treatment with rapamycin and Gleevec might reverse the effects of portal hypertension in patients with chronic liver disease, according to the results of a new study on rats. The study is in the October issue of Hepatology, a journal published by John Wiley & Sons on behalf of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD). The article is also available online at

Patients with hepatitis C treated with combination therapy of pegylated interferon and ribavirin had better outcomes when taking a weight-based dosage of ribavirin compared to a flat dosage. This treatment technique also improved the response rates of African American patients, whose outcomes have lagged behind those of Caucasian patients.

The oral multikinase inhibitor inhibitor sorafenib (Nexavar) significantly improves survival compared to placebo in patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma, according to phase III results reported at the 14th European Cancer Conference (ECCO).

InterMune, Inc. (Nasdaq: ITMN) announced that the company has begun dosing the first patients in their Phase 1b multiple ascending dose (MAD) clinical trial evaluating ITMN-191 (also called R7227) in patients with chronic hepatitis C. ITMN-191 is a hepatitis C virus (HCV) protease inhibitor in development by InterMune and its partner, Roche. InterMune also reported additional information from its recently completed Phase 1a clinical trial of ITMN-191.

Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) researchers have a developed a totally new approach to treating liver failure - manipulating the immune response. If the results of the animal study can be applied in human patients, the approach may be able to keep patients alive until donor organs become available or to support liver function until the organ can regenerate itself, eliminating the need for a transplant.

If you consume caffeine with acetaminophen (paracetamol) you could be at a higher risk of liver damage, according to researchers from the University of Washington, USA. The report, which appears in Chemical Research in Toxicology, explains that the consumption of large quantities of both caffeine and acetaminophen combined raises the risk of liver damage.

Arbios Systems, Inc. (OTC Bulletin Board: ABOS), provided its clinical trial strategy for the SEPET(TM) Liver Assist Device including information regarding a pre-pivotal phase meeting with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).