Hepatitis C and Fibromyalgia: The Possible Link

January 05, 2009

Learn about the potential connection between Hepatitis C and fibromyalgia and find out why, due to similarities in manifestation and physiology, it is possible that Hepatitis C infection may act as one of fibromyalgia syndrome’s triggers. If you suspect having both conditions, awareness of this link can lead you to seek the expert evaluation and care that may help reduce your most exasperating symptoms of pain and fatigue.

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Posted by Editors at 04:18 PM

Hepatitis C Genotype Guides Health Plans

December 31, 2008

Because the suggested treatment length and success rates vary between genotypes, this is typically one of the first distinctions made after a Hepatitis C diagnosis. In order to assure the correct course of therapy is approved, health insurance companies are demanding to know their members' Hepatitis C genotype.

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Posted by Editors at 09:26 AM

Math May Foretell Hepatitis C Drug Success

December 30, 2008

By doing a math formula calculation on the specific genetics of an individual's Hepatitis C infection, doctors may be able to predict whether or not treatment will be successful.

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Posted by Editors at 03:16 PM

Treatment Approved for Kids With Hepatitis C

December 18, 2008

Instead of prescribing the drugs for "off-label use," pediatricians can now feel more confident when treating children with Hepatitis C. Schering-Plough's Rebetol and PEG-Intron have been officially approved by the FDA for treating Hepatitis C in kids aged 3 to 17.

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Posted by Editors at 11:33 AM

Improving Chronic Hepatitis Outlook: Umbilical Cord Blood

December 16, 2008

A potential alternative to liver transplant surgery, stem cells from umbilical cord blood may be the solution that those living with chronic hepatitis have been looking for.

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Posted by Editors at 04:43 PM

Who Is Susceptible to Alcoholic Hepatitis?

December 15, 2008

The relationship between drinking alcohol and developing alcoholic hepatitis is not necessarily linear. Aside from consuming alcohol, learn which other factors – such as obesity and malnutrition – can play a role in developing this potentially life-threatening liver disease.

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Posted by Editors at 11:46 AM

Europe Approves Hepatitis C Re-Treatment Protocol

December 11, 2008

In response to a large, Roche-sponsored study, the European Commission approved Pegasys and Copegus for re-treating Hepatitis C non-responders.

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Posted by Editors at 10:14 AM

Interferon Inappropriate for Long-Term Hepatitis C Treatment

December 08, 2008

The results are in from a 3-1/2 year study of long-term interferon treatment against the Hepatitis C virus. By examining clinical outcomes, researchers evaluated whether or not long-term use of interferon would be helpful or even appropriate for HCV patients.

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Posted by Editors at 04:52 PM

Hep C Study Reveals Taribavirin a Good Alternative to Ribavirin

December 04, 2008

At the end of a 48-week, Phase IIb study, taribavirin shows similar effectiveness as ribavirin in reducing Hepatitis C viral load. However, participants taking taribavirin had a significantly lower rate of anemia.

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Posted by Editors at 09:53 AM

Schering-Plough Developing Potent Protease Inhibitor for Hepatitis C

An ongoing Phase IIa study on Schering-Plough's next generation Hepatitis C protease inhibitor is encouraging. According to the company, SCH 900518 is 10 times more potent than other medications in this class and is active against highly resistant Hepatitis C strains.

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Posted by Editors at 09:47 AM

New Drug Finds Viral Hiding Spots

November 28, 2008

A new, experimental drug helps the immune system locate a virus by flagging cells that have turned inside out. Hepatitis C is among the viruses that could benefit from bavituximab's unique strategy of exposing a virus in hiding.

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Posted by Editors at 10:36 AM

ChronVac-C Reducing HCV Viral Load Up to 99%

November 24, 2008

Although it is early in the process and only involves a few subjects, interim trial results for ChronVac-C show extremely high percentages of Hepatitis C viral load reduction.

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Posted by Editors at 11:25 AM

Hepatitis C Patients: Drink More Coffee for a Healthier Liver

November 21, 2008

Demonstrating a hepatoprotective effect against Hepatitis C, the world's number one morning beverage lands a victory in the debate over its healthfulness.

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Posted by Editors at 03:08 PM

Who Will Respond to Hepatitis C Treatment

November 14, 2008

The relatively new field of proteomics may be able to predict who will respond to Hepatitis C therapy - before treatment even begins.

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Posted by Editors at 11:48 AM

Antivirals Combined Without Interferon: New Trial

November 12, 2008

Three companies unite to begin an innovative Hepatitis C trial, where two oral antiviral drugs will be combined in the absence of interferon.

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Posted by Editors at 04:21 PM

HCV May Be Able to Be Cleared from Both Blood and Liver

Viral clearance doubled in a Hepatitis C Phase II trial during standard therapy when coupled with GlobeImmune's GI-5005. Because Hepatitis C must be eradicated not just from the blood, but also the liver, GI-5005's ability to speed the clearance rate of infected cells from the liver shows great therapeutic promise.

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Posted by Editors at 04:15 PM

How to Afford HCV Treatment

November 10, 2008

Some Hepatitis C patients may choose not to attempt antiviral therapy for many different reasons. However, with the resources available today, financial reasons can be excluded from deciding whether or not to receive treatment.

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Posted by Editors at 03:22 PM

FDA Approves Roche's Hep C Viral Load Measurements Test

November 06, 2008

Roche's COBAS® AmpliPrep / COBAS® TaqMan® Test brings improved ease, speed and accuracy to Hepatitis C viral load measurements, and was just approved by the FDA.

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Posted by Editors at 02:45 PM

Vertex Treatment May Also Help Non-Responders

November 03, 2008

Here's some news to be announced at next week's meeting of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases. Vertex Pharmaceuticals will release mid-stage study results indicating the effectiveness of its experimental drug, telaprevir. This recent study, known as Prove 3, focused on 453 patients who had failed previous treatment with pegylated-interferon and ribavirin. The exciting news is that 52 percent of them saw the virus fall to undetectable levels for a 12-week period following treatment. In this article you'll learn how telaprevir might shorten treatment time by half, whether reducing dosage frequency could affect its safety, and how sustained viral response rate is determined.

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Posted by Editors at 09:16 AM

HCV Treatment for U.S. Prisoners

October 28, 2008

Despite the prevalence of Hepatitis C infection in the U.S. prison population, some inmates are denied treatment due to the medications' high cost. However, a UCLA study insists that treating all infected U.S. prisoners with the standard therapy would actually be cost-effective.

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Posted by Editors at 10:55 AM

Safer Than Liver Biopsy: A Simple Breath Test for HCV

October 27, 2008

A specially designed breath test has been found to be a safe and accurate alternative to liver biopsy for determining the degree of inflammation and fibrosis in patients with chronic Hepatitis C infection and normal ALT, according to researchers from Jerusalem.

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Posted by Editors at 04:12 PM

Caution: Hepatitis C and Vitamin D Deficiency

Although new research demonstrates vitamin D deficiency in those with Hepatitis C, make sure you don’t overreact by taking a toxic amount of this supplement.

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Posted by Editors at 03:36 PM

Why Meditation May Help Hepatitis C

Evidence indicates that incorporating meditation into your daily routine could prevent a Hepatitis C flare up. This article tells you how it works and what you can do.

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Posted by Editors at 03:23 PM

Combined Hepatitis Vaccine for Extra Protection

October 09, 2008

People with chronic Hepatitis C are more vulnerable to worsening of liver disease when burdened by an additional form of viral hepatitis. HCV patients will learn more about the Hepatitis A/B combination vaccine and possible side effects in this article.

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Posted by Editors at 03:25 PM

Hepatitis C Transmission from Botox and Other Spa Treatments

Since medical spas are offering more treatments involving the use of needles, sometimes without the supervision of a medical physician or properly sterilized equipment, the potential for Hepatitis C transmission is rising. Learn about some of the spa treatment techniques that pose hepatitis transmission dangers, as well as five ways to increase your safety in a medical spa.

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Posted by Editors at 03:20 PM

Hepatitis B Treatment May Reduce Pancreatic Cancer Risk

October 08, 2008

While several theories are attempting to explain the connection, scientists are unsure why those with Hepatitis B appear to have 2 ½ times increased risk for developing pancreatic cancer. In this article you will learn more about the link and why treatment for viral Hepatitis B may reduce the occurrence of pancreatic cancer.

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Posted by Editors at 09:42 AM

How Fatty Acid Metabolism May Stop the Hepatitis C Virus

October 07, 2008

On September 28, 2008, researchers announced study results showing a new way to reduce viral replication (the progression of viral infection). The liver disease Hepatitis C may be chosen as a candidate for further exploration in this new technique to inhibit viral replication. For their study, the scientists had experimented with the herpes virus and fatty acid metabolism, and believe they can use existing drugs to inhibit viral replication in a number of diseases, including Hepatitis C. To learn why scientists are considering Hepatitis C as one of the candidates for further exploration of this unique way of metabolically blocking viral replication, read this article.

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Posted by Editors at 11:01 AM

Medical Device Boasts Encouraging Data for Hepatitis C Treatment

September 26, 2008

A medical device designed to clear viruses and immunosuppressive proteins from the blood reduced Hepatitis C viral load for several people on dialysis. Further case studies will determine if the Aethlon Hemopurifier® can induce a rapid virological response against Hepatitis C.

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Posted by Editors at 02:54 PM

Hepatitis C Study Increases Interest in SCV-07

Trial results show SciClone's SCV-07 effectively reduces Hepatitis C viral load in previous non-responders with genotype 1. Based on these encouraging results, a follow-up study to evaluate SCV-07's potential to replace or improve the current Hepatitis C standard treatment will unfold next year.

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Posted by Editors at 02:50 PM

New Hope for HCV

September 22, 2008

Funded by Pfizer, Tacere's licensed RNAi technology could change the way Hepatitis C is treated. A mechanism that inhibits genes from transferring information and creating new genetic material, RNAi-based drugs may be able to silence the genes that cause disease.

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Posted by Editors at 11:01 AM

Hepatitis B Viral Load Measurement Improves

September 15, 2008

Roche’s new Hepatitis B test brings a higher level of specificity to viral load detection. For those with chronic Hepatitis B, this improvement in patient monitoring favorably impacts their therapeutic outcome.

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Posted by Editors at 02:56 PM