Research & Treatment News
September 29, 2010
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Previously known as viramidine, taribavirin is less able to enter red blood cells than ribavirin. When substituted for ribavirin during Hepatitis C combination therapy, researchers found that appropriate dosing of taribavirin reduced the anemia rate while increasing the treatment's efficacy.
Taribavirin offers a safe, effective alternative for chronic hepatitis C
Public release date: 22-Sep-2010
Weight-based taribavirin reduces anemia, increases sustained virologic response
Researchers at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and 50 other centers found that weight-based dosing of taribavirin reduces rates of anemia while increasing sustained virologic response (SVR) in patients with chronic hepatitis C (HCV). Full details of this study are available in the October issue of Hepatology, a journal published by Wiley-Blackwell on behalf of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD).
Chronic HCV is typically treated with ribavirin (RBV). When used in combination with peginterferon alfa (peg-IFN), RBV significantly enhances on-treatment virologic response and reduces relapse. However, RBV, particularly the combination of interferon and RBV, is associated with hemolytic anemia, a significant toxicity resulting from the accumulation of RBV in red blood cells. Taribavirin (TBV), formerly known as viramidine, is a nucleoside analog and oral pro-drug of RBV that is less able to enter red blood cells, and should therefore be associated with significantly less anemia.
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http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2010-09/w-toa092210.php
Posted by Editors at 10:04 AM --- Printer-friendly version
September 27, 2010
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Liver-related side effects prompted the FDA to stop trials with two Idenix drugs in development for treating Hepatitis C.
FDA Suspends Trials of Experimental HCV Regimen IDX184 plus IDX320 Due to Liver Toxicity Concerns
Cambridge, Mass. -- September 7, 2010 -- Idenix Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: IDIX), a biopharmaceutical company engaged in the discovery and development of drugs for the treatment of human viral diseases, today announced that the company received verbal notice on Friday, September 3, 2010 from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that the IDX184 and IDX320 programs have been placed on clinical hold. A clinical hold is an order issued by the FDA to the sponsor to delay a proposed clinical investigation or to suspend an ongoing investigation. This decision was made after Idenix notified the FDA of three serious adverse events that occurred during a drug-drug interaction study of the combination of IDX184 and IDX320 in healthy volunteers.
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http://www.hivandhepatitis.com/hep_c/news/2010/0910_2010_b.html
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September 24, 2010
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With these suggestions for liver-friendly snacks, those with chronic hepatitis can confidently indulge in small, delicious, nutritious, miniature meals.
by Nicole Cutler, L.Ac.
As one of our body's most precious and important centers of activity, the first four letters of the word liver comes as no surprise to those familiar with this organ. Responsible for functions ranging from detoxification to the production of proteins and hormones, the liver is absolutely necessary for our survival. Healthcare practitioners know that conscientious, healthful eating can make a big impact on whether or not the liver is capable of fulfilling its responsibilities.
For those living with chronic hepatitis - a type of illness characterized by relentless inflammation of the liver - good nutrition is especially valuable. Purposefully planning three, daily, healthful meals will benefit those with chronic hepatitis. However, knowing how to choose smart snacks in between those meals provides additional fuel for maintaining a healthy liver.
Why Snacks?
Very few people subsist on breakfast, lunch and dinner without any in-between reinforcements. Whether craving something in particular, getting through a mid-afternoon slump or grabbing something quick to avoid crankiness, most of us partake in regular snacking. Despite its commonality, some adults underestimate their need and tendency to snack. In doing so, they miss the opportunity to provide their body with high quality snacking fodder. Besides satisfying in-between meal hunger, people with chronic hepatitis have four additional reasons to snack healthfully:
1. Nausea Relief - As a common symptom of chronic hepatitis, nausea can be relieved by eating frequent, smaller meals (or snacks) instead of fewer, larger meals.
2. Energy Boost - Fatigue is the most common symptom of chronic hepatitis. Thus, small, energy-boosting snacks can help those with liver inflammation overcome tiredness.
3. Limit Inflammation - Fat, sugar and salt are abundant in many convenient foods that most people snack on. Unfortunately, fat (the unhealthy kind), sugar and salt can also exacerbate all types of inflammation. Choosing healthful snacks can prevent resorting to junk foods when hunger strikes - and thus keep liver inflammation to a minimum.
4. Squeeze in Nutrients - Some with chronic hepatitis have advanced liver disease. Individuals with this condition must often work hard to achieve sufficient nutritional intake during the day.
According to Debra J. Johnston, RD, registered dietitian and director of nutrition services at Remuda Ranch, a treatment program for eating disorders in Wickenburg, AZ, "You should think of a quick snack as a mini-meal. A healthy snack is a great opportunity to add the fruit, vegetables, fiber, protein and dairy that you need in your diet. Mix your food groups and avoid unhealthy fats to snack smart."
Healthy Snack Suggestions
More than grabbing a quick bite, snacks are vital to nutrition - particularly for those battling chronic hepatitis. To help prevent unhealthful snacking, the following suggestions can help you snack wisely:
· Trail Mix - Make your own trail mix with raw almonds, chopped walnuts and pistachios without added salt or oil and combine with raisins, dried blueberries or cranberries without added sugar. This snack is packed with essential fatty acids, protein, fiber and antioxidants.
· Crudités and Blanched Vegetables - Keep a container full of raw and blanched, cut-up veggies in your refrigerator for instant snack gratification. Eat blanched green beans, cauliflower or broccoli and raw carrots, bell pepper or cucumber with non-fat, plain yogurt, hummus, guacamole or another tasty, healthful dip.
· Popcorn - Air pop your own and spray it with olive oil instead of butter and flavor with Brewer's yeast (an excellent source of B vitamins, protein and minerals) instead of salt. Popcorn is loaded with fiber and especially tasty and nutritious with the olive oil/Brewer's yeast combo described above.
· Smoothie - Particularly satisfying in hotter months, make a smoothie by pulverizing ice, fresh fruit, non-fat, plain yogurt and whey in a blender. This delicious drinkable snack is great for battling chronic hepatitis with an abundance of protein, fiber and antioxidants.
· Sandwich or Wrap - Construct this snack with a high-fiber bread, pita or tortilla, use lean meat such as turkey or chicken, a slice of low-fat cheese, mustard for flavor and lettuce, tomato, onion, sprouts, avocado or other veggies to finish it off. A well-constructed sandwich or wrap provides protein, fiber and antioxidants. In addition, mustard seeds are known to have anti-inflammatory properties.
Whether your snacking preferences lean toward savory or sweet, there are plenty of satisfying snack choices that favor your liver's health. Between relieving hepatitis symptoms to supporting the liver's well-being, there are very good reasons to use snacks as a major source of nutrition. Because anyone with chronic hepatitis has a lot to gain from a consistent, nutritionally fortified diet, keeping your refrigerator stocked with ingredients for the healthy snacks listed above should be part of every liver health plan.
References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liver, Liver, Retrieved September 17, 2010, Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., 2010.
http://stjohndoctors.org/documents/48/hepatitis.pdf, Hepatitis Nutrition Therapy, Retrieved September 17, 2010, St. John Health, 2010.
http://www.ehow.com/how_4758940_popcorn-seasoned-brewers-yeast.html#ixzz101amdBLt, How to Make Popcorn Seasoned with Brewer's Yeast, Retrieved September 17, 2010, eHow, Inc., 2010.
http://www.ehow.com/way_5627964_diet-chronic-hepatitis-patients.html, Diet for Chronic Hepatitis C Patients, China Zmuida, Retrieved September 17, 2010, eHow, Inc., 2010.
http://www.everydayhealth.com/health-report/nutrition/quick-and-healthy-snacks.aspx, 10 Quick and Healthy Snacks, Chris Iliades, MD, Retrieved September 17, 2010, Everyday Health, Inc., 2010.
http://www.hcvadvocate.org/hepatitis/factsheets_pdf/Nutrition_FS.pdf, Nutrition and Hepatitis C, Liz Highleyman, Alan Franciscus, Retrieved September 17, 2010, Hepatitis C Support Project, 2010.
http://www.hepcchallenge.org/choices/pdf/Chapter_15_OL.pdf, Nutrition and Hepatitis C, Lark Lands, PhD, Retrieved September 17, 2010, Caring Ambassador's Program, Inc., p 223-225.
http://www.myhealthyfoods.com/spices/health-benefits-of-mustard-seeds-and-mustard-oil/, Health Benefits of Mustard Seeds and Mustard Oil, Retrieved September 17, 2010.
Posted by Editors at 11:30 AM --- Printer-friendly version
September 23, 2010
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Besides reducing viral load, discover how a Hepatitis B medication also appears to reverse fibrosis.
by Nicole Cutler, L.Ac.
Affecting nearly one-third of the world's total population, Hepatitis B is our planet's most common serious liver infection. While some people can fully recover from an acute infection, those who can't get rid of this virus develop chronic Hepatitis B - a disease capable of progressively harming the liver. The FDA has approved seven drugs for adults with chronic Hepatitis B, but they rarely provide a complete cure. Instead, these drugs significantly decrease the risk of liver damage from the virus by slowing down or stopping Hepatitis B from reproducing. However, new research demonstrates that one common Hepatitis B drug may actually reverse damage previously done by the virus.
About Hepatitis B
Caused by the Hepatitis B virus, Hepatitis B is a potentially life-threatening liver infection. In those who develop the chronic version of this illness, Hepatitis B can lead to liver failure, liver cancer, or cirrhosis - a condition that causes permanent scarring of the liver. Found in blood and infected bodily fluids, Hepatitis B is most commonly spread from a mother to her baby at birth, through unprotected sex, the sharing of unsterile needles and sharing of personal care items such as toothbrushes or razors. Besides heeding fastidious infection control practices, our best defense against Hepatitis B is the vaccine designed to prevent it.
Available since 1982, the Hepatitis B vaccine is 95 percent effective in preventing Hepatitis B infection and its chronic consequences. Thanks to widespread vaccination and Hepatitis B screening, this illness is much less common among people born in the U.S. than it was a generation ago. Nonetheless, the World Health Organization estimates that two billion people have been infected with the Hepatitis B virus worldwide.
Hepatitis B Drugs
Many people infected with the Hepatitis B virus are able to fight off the virus on their own. Though, those who develop chronic Hepatitis B may need to treat it with medications. As of September 2010, there are seven drugs approved in the U.S. to treat Hepatitis B:
1. Interferon Alpha - Injections given several times a week for six months to a year or longer, interferon alpha can cause severe side effects.
2. Pegylated Interferon - Injections given once a week for six months to a year or longer, pegylated interferon can also cause severe side effects.
3. Lamivudine - A once a day pill, lamivudine is usually taken for a year or longer but has few side effects.
4. Adefovir Dipivoxil - A once a day pill, adefovir dipivoxil is usually taken for a year or longer but has few side effects.
5. Entecavir - A once a day pill, entecavir is usually taken for a year or longer but has few side effects.
6. Telbivudine - A once a day pill, telbivudine is usually taken for a year or longer but has few side effects.
7. Tenofovir - A once a day pill, tenofovir is usually taken for a year or longer but has few side effects.
The seven drugs listed above rarely cure someone of this illness, but they are reasonably effective at hampering the Hepatitis B virus' lifecycle. Similar to HIV treatment, combining two or more of these medications is thought to be the most effective route for treating chronic Hepatitis B.
The Study Claiming an Additional Benefit
As published in the September 2010 edition of Hepatology, researchers from Taiwan found that long-term therapy with one of the Hepatitis B drugs has an additional benefit to those with this chronic liver disease. Despite being funded by Bristol-Myers Squib, the drug's manufacturer, the study on entecavir demonstrates reasonable evidence that entecavir helps reduce liver injury in those with chronic Hepatitis B. Important details of this study include:
· The study assessed long-term outcomes among patients with chronic Hepatitis B who took entecavir (trade name Baraclude) for a period of three to seven years.
· Ninety-six percent of participants showed reductions in liver inflammation that leads to liver fibrosis or cirrhosis.
· About 90 percent of participants showed improvements in liver fibrosis scores - meaning that the scarring in their liver lessened.
According to study researcher Ting-Tsung Chang of Taiwan's National Cheng Kung University Hospital, the fact that most patients continued to improve while taking the drug confirms the value of long-term Hepatitis B treatment.
Long-term administration of entecavir not only reduces the amount of Hepatitis B virus in the blood, but also appears to help reverse the damage that this virus had caused. There is currently no successful anti-fibrotic treatment for patients with liver disease. Thus, the implications of this study are extremely important to those with Hepatitis B - and anyone interested in finding new ways to improve liver health.
References:
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/hep.23785/abstract, Long-term entecavir therapy results in the reversal of fibrosis/cirrhosis and continued histological improvement in patients with chronic hepatitis B, Ting-Tsung Chang, et al, Retrieved September 12, 2010, Hepatology, September 2010.
http://www.baraclude.com/hbv.aspx, About Hepatitis B, Retrieved September 12, 2010, Bristol-Myers Squibb, 2010.
http://www.drugs.com/clinical_trials/pro-pharmaceuticals-novel-carbohydrate-compounds-reverse-liver-fibrosis-pre-clinical-studies-2285.html, Pro-Pharmaceuticals Novel Carbohydrate Compounds Reverse Liver Fibrosis in Pre-clinical Studies, Retrieved September 12, 2010, Drugs.com, 2010.
http://www.hepb.org/patients/hepatitis_b_treatment.htm, Approved Drugs for Adults, Retrieved September 12, 2010, Hepatitis B Foundation, 2010.
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/hepatitis-b/DS00398, Hepatitis B, Retrieved September 12, 2010, Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 2010.
http://www.webmd.com/hepatitis/news/20100818/hepatitis-b-drug-fights-liver-fibrosis-cirrhosis, Hepatitis B Drug Fights Liver Fibrosis, Cirrhosis, Salynn Boyles, Retrieved September 12, 2010, WebMD, LLC, 2010.
http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs204/en/, Hepatitis B, Retrieved September 12, 2010, World Health Organization, 2010.
Posted by Editors at 10:32 AM --- Printer-friendly version
September 22, 2010
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A Spanish study finds that even if a sustained viral response is not achieved with combination therapy, those who had a partial response to Hepatitis C treatment fared better than those with no response at all.
Partial Hep C Treatment Response Offers Health Benefits
September 17, 2010
Even a partial response to hepatitis C virus (HCV) therapy confers significant health benefits to people coinfected with both HIV and HCV, though not as much as a full response. These data were presented September 14 at the 50th Annual Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy (ICAAC) in Boston.
The goal of HCV therapy is total eradication of the virus. This outcome, called a sustained virological response (SVR), means that a person achieves and maintains undetectable HCV levels for at least six months after completing a course of pegylated interferon and ribavirin treatment, which is the standard of care for hepatitis C. People who achieve an SVR are generally considered to be "cured" of their HCV infection.
Continue reading this entire article:
http://www.aidsmeds.com/articles/hiv_hcv_hepatitis_1667_19116.shtml
Posted by Editors at 9:54 AM --- Printer-friendly version
September 15, 2010
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An international, Phase III study reports that 65 percent of previous non-responders with the most common Hepatitis C genotype achieved a sustained viral response with a telaprevir-based regimen. These results are dramatic, compared to the mere 17 percent of sustained viral response by those who received pegylated-interferon and ribavirin alone.
Vertex reports positive results from Phase III hepatitis trial
Sep 09, 2010
Vertex Pharmaceuticals, a biotechnology company, has announced that 65% of people overall achieved a sustained viral response, or SVR/viral cure, with a telaprevir-based regimen in the pivotal Phase III Realize study, as compared to 17% of people in the control arm who received pegylated-interferon and ribavirin alone.
Realize was a pivotal Phase III, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study conducted in 662 people at more than 100 international clinical trial sites with the majority in Europe and North America.
Continue reading this entire article:
http://www.tradingmarkets.com/news/stock-alert/vrtx_vertex-reports-positive-results-from-phase-iii-hepatitis-trial-1158872.html
Posted by Editors at 9:23 AM --- Printer-friendly version
September 9, 2010
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Researchers from England have been able to transform skin cells into liver cells - a feat that could have major implications for those fighting Hepatitis C.
by Nicole Cutler, L.Ac.
While much political controversy has surrounded stem cell therapy in the past, many fail to recognize that the ethical issues surrounding this field typically apply only to embryonic stem cells. However, embryonic stem cells are not the only kind of therapeutic stem cell. A breakthrough in stem cell technology occurred in 2006, when scientists created a new category of stem cells called induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). By conducting iPSC research, investigators from England have identified a potentially new method of studying the Hepatitis C virus, testing Hepatitis C medications and repairing a liver ravaged by Hepatitis C.
Stem cells have the potential to cure many human diseases because they are:
· Blank - they can become any cell in the human body
· Regenerative - they can be used as a live source of self-repair
About iPSCs
Induced pluripotent stem cells are adult cells that have been genetically reprogrammed to be in an embryonic stem cell-like state. Although more research is needed, iPSCs are proving to be useful tools for drug development and modeling of diseases. In the near future, scientists hope to use induced pluripotent stem cells in transplantation medicine.
When it comes to the future of this technology for liver transplantation, iPSCs have an advantage over traditional liver transplants. This advantage is due to the stem cells being harvested from the same person they are reintroduced to, thus avoiding rejection by the immune system. The main strength of iPSCs is that they can help scientists learn how to reprogram cells to repair damaged tissues in the human body.
About the English Research
Researchers from the University of Cambridge in England have managed to convert skin from individuals with metabolic diseases into liver cells using iPSC technology. According to an article published in the September 2010 edition of the Journal of Clinical Investigation, this research will allow scientists to determine precisely what is happening in a diseased liver cell, and then try out potential treatments. The scientists say that, eventually, properly functioning liver cells might be transplanted back into patients with liver diseases.
In this research, scientists took small skin samples from patients with liver disease and healthy individuals. The skin cells were then reprogrammed to become induced pluripotent stem cells. The iPSCs were then used to generate customized liver cells that mimicked that person's liver disease. The authors believe that this discovery will lead to tailored treatments for specific patients, and eventually cell-based therapy, where the patient's own cells are harvested, cured and then transplanted back.
About Hepatitis C
In the U.S. alone, an estimated four to five million people are currently living with chronic Hepatitis C infection. If unable to eliminate the virus, those infected can progress to advanced liver disease. In America, Hepatitis C is the leading cause for liver transplants - the only curative therapy for end stage liver disease. Unfortunately, there is a severe donor organ shortage. This shortage has fueled the search for alternatives to conventional liver transplants.
Even though iPSCs have a long way to go before they are ready to replace liver transplant surgery, molecular biologists believe stem cell technology is closing in on this reality. This research from England gives those hoping to cure Hepatitis C reason to believe in the not-so-futuristic evolution of regenerative medicine - where shedding a bit of skin could potentially be the source of their recovery.
References:
http://stemcells.nih.gov/info/basics/basics1.asp, Stem Cell Basics, Retrieved September 4, 2010, National Institutes of Health, 2010.
http://www.actionbioscience.org/biotech/pecorino2.html, Stem Cells for Cell-based Therapies, Lauren Pecorino, PhD, Retrieved September 4, 2010, actionbioscience.org, 2010.
http://www.jci.org/articles/view/43122?search[abstract_text]=&search[article_text]=&search[authors_text]=Rashid&search[fpage]=&search[issue]=&search[title_text]=&search[volume]=, ling inherited metabolic disorders of the liver using human induced pluripotent stem cells, S. Tamir Rashid, et al, Retrieved September 4, 2010, Journal of Clinical Investigation, September 2010.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/198967.php, Skin Converted Into Liver Cells - Potential Cell-based Therapy For Patients With Liver And Other Diseases, Retrieved September 4, 2010, MediLexicon International Ltd, 2010.
http://www.nhs.uk/news/2010/08August/Pages/grow-new-liver-cells-stem-cell-technology.aspx, Stem Cells Converted to Liver Cells, Retrieved September 4, 2010, NHS, 2010.
http://www.sage-hindawi.com/journals/sci/2010/259461.html, Stem Cell-Based Therapies for Liver Diseases: State of the Art and New Perspectives, Anna Chiara Piscaglia, et al, Retrieved September 4, 2010, Stem Cells International, July 2010.
Posted by Editors at 12:31 PM --- Printer-friendly version
September 8, 2010
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A recent television news piece helped boost awareness of Hepatitis C - but it also may have created false hope by alluding to the speedy arrival of a Hep C cure.
by Nicole Cutler, L.Ac.
As the number of people receiving a Hepatitis C diagnosis grows, media attention focusing on this virus has intensified. Education about the prevalence and potential severity of Hepatitis C is badly needed to raise awareness of this highly communicable and often asymptomatic (until it's too late) disease. A television program broadcast in June of 2010 is to be commended for spearheading such an awareness campaign; but it also has some people expecting a cure for Hepatitis C to arrive unrealistically soon.
As described in a recent TV presentation, scientists around the world are fervently working to find effective, safe drugs for treating and preventing Hepatitis C. However, those who are not familiar with the process of drug development could easily misinterpret the progress described on television with the notion that a vaccine for Hepatitis C will hit the market any day now.
Believed to currently infect between four and five million Americans, those infected with Hepatitis C far outnumber those with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. A leading cause of chronic liver disease that has no vaccine or reliable cure, Hepatitis C presents many challenges to the medical community. Among those challenges are:
· The current treatment in effect is only successful in about half of all cases.
· The virus demonstrates an ability to develop drug resistance.
· Chronic Hepatitis C can progress to severe or even fatal liver disease.
According to their website, KQED Public Television 9 is one of the nation's most-watched public television stations during primetime with more than 1.5 million households viewing per month. A KQED weekly program, This Week in Northern California with host Belva Davis follows a magazine format and is committed to news and public affairs. The June 25, 2010 episode of This Week in Northern California featured an informative piece entitled "Hepatitis C: The Silent Epidemic." Summing up this segment, KQED reports:
"A San Francisco Task Force on Hepatitis C is helping to find a cure for the disease, which is four times more prevalent in the Bay Area as AIDS. ...Dr. Jeffrey Glenn and his team of researchers at the Stanford University School Of Medicine are looking for compounds that will prevent the Hepatitis C virus from replicating. And at the Gladstone Institutes at UCSF, Dr. Melanie Ott and her staff are doing groundbreaking research on the relationship between the virus and fat droplets in the liver that could soon lead to a cure."
Watching the video segment delivers hope to those waiting for a reliable solution for Hepatitis C. The researcher interviewed appears excited to be a part of a Hepatitis C-soon-to-be-cure. While it is hard not to get caught up in the excitement, the research from Stanford and UCSF's Gladstone Institutes are still in the beginning stages of making progress against this virus.
A scientific discovery that further unravels the mystery behind Hepatitis C is definitely reason for celebration, but it is far from delivering a cure. After realizing the clinical impact of the discovery, scientists begin the process of identifying potential substances that could inhibit or fight the virus. Once a promising medication is apparent, the testing of that drug is a long process. Typically taking about 12 years to come to fruition, a new drug must persevere through pre-clinical testing, clinical trials and U.S. Food and Drug Association (FDA) approval before it finally reaches the marketplace. For more detailed information about this process, read "An Overview of the HCV Drug Development Process."
The research described in the KQED segment is encouraging. Scientists at the Gladstone Institute of Virology and Immunology found that an important viral protein, called the "core" protein, localizes to the mitochondria. Through examining liver fat droplets in the mitochondria, new mechanisms for treating Hepatitis C could follow. While drugs capitalizing on this information could be in the future, there are others that are closer to actualization. This television program focused solely on San Francisco Bay area developments. However, there are other medications, such as telaprevir, that have already endured years of development. Shown to drastically boost the Hepatitis C cure rate, telaprevir could be available to the public as early as 2011.
Good job to KQED for bringing the lack of Hepatitis C awareness and education to the forefront. The research focusing on fat droplets in the liver is invaluable to the eventual conquering of the Hepatitis C virus, but it has not yet produced a cure. As we see more education campaigns exposing the gravity of Hepatitis C infection, a greater level of comprehension will also be needed to understand the drug development process. In the meantime, rest assured that progress is being made - and even if it doesn't end the Hepatitis C epidemic this year - the scientific community is certainly headed in that direction.
References:
http://news.ucsf.edu/fyi/daily/2010/06/28/, UCSF Television Coverage, Retrieved August 26, 2010, The Regents of the University of California, 2010.
http://www.gladstone.ucsf.edu/wp/2010/02/hepcviralprotein/, Hepatitis C Viral Protein Associates with the Mitochondria, Retrieved August 25, 2010, J. David Gladstone Institutes, 2010.
http://www.hepatitis-central.com/mt/archives/general_hepatitis_c_newsupdates/, An Overview of the HCV Drug Development Process, Nicole Cutler, L.Ac., Retrieved August 28, 2010, Natural Wellness, 2010.
http://www.kqed.org/tv/programs/thisweek/watch/archive/226569/b, Hepatitis C: The Silent Epidemic, Retrieved August 26, 2010, KQED, 2010.
http://www.mdpi.com/1999-4915/2/5/1195/, Lipid Metabolism and HCV Infection, Paul Targett-Adams, et al, Retrieved August 25, 2010, Viruses, May 2010.
Posted by Editors at 10:15 AM --- Printer-friendly version
September 3, 2010
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INX-189, Inhibitex's nucleotide polymerase inhibitor in development to fight chronic Hepatitis C, passes the first stage of human testing by demonstrating its safety.
Inhibitex Successfully Completes Phase 1a Trial of INX-189
Proof-of-Concept Trial in Patients with Chronic Hepatitis C Planned for Q4 2010
ATLANTA, Sep 01, 2010 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Inhibitex, Inc. announced today that it has successfully completed a Phase1a, first-in-man, single ascending dose trial of INX-189, its nucleotide polymerase inhibitor in development for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C (HCV) infections. In this trial, 42 healthy volunteers received either a single oral dose of INX-189, ranging from 3 mg to 100 mg, or placebo.
Continue reading this entire article:
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/inhibitex-successfully-completes-phase-1a-trial-of-inx-189-2010-09-01?reflink=MW_news_stmp
Posted by Editors at 9:13 AM --- Printer-friendly version
