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Most stage III melanoma patients do not benefit from interferon treatment

Final results for the Sunbelt Melanoma Trial, published online this month in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, show that thanks to current diagnostic techniques, most stage III melanoma patients do not benefit from treatment with interferon.

15 Feb 2016

EC approves expanded use of Daklinza (daclatasvir) for patients with chronic HCV and HIV co-infection

Bristol-Myers Squibb today announced that the European Commission has approved the expanded use of Daklinza, a first-in-class oral, once-a-day pill used in combination with other treatments as an option for adult patients with chronic hepatitis C virus infection who are co-infected with HIV or who have had a prior liver transplant.

30 Jan 2016

Zepatier receives FDA approval for treatment of chronic HCV genotypes 1 and 4 infections

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Zepatier (elbasvir and grazoprevir) with or without ribavirin for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotypes 1 and 4 infections in adult patients.

29 Jan 2016

Monitoring HBcrAg levels could help optimise PEG-IFN therapy

Serum hepatitis B core-related antigen could serve as a quantitative marker of response to pegylated interferon therapy in patients with chronic hepatitis B virus infection positive for hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg), findings indicate.

26 Jan 2016

STAT4 variant predicts HBV IFNα response

Variation in the STAT4 gene is associated with response to interferon (IFN)α therapy in patients with hepatitis B e antigen-positive chronic hepatitis B virus infection, suggests research published in Hepatology.

26 Jan 2016

Researchers use quick screening method to identify, test promising anti-Ebola drugs

A quick screening method has been used for the first time in a standard open laboratory to identify and test promising anti-Ebola drugs. This approach increases the possibility of finding new therapies faster.

12 Jan 2016

New study describes STING protein's role in potential suppression of colorectal cancer

A new study published today by researchers at Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine reports on a key finding about the immune system's response to tumor development following studies on colorectal cancer.

4 Jan 2016

New discovery could open door to potential treatment for West Nile virus and Dengue virus infections

A new discovery from the University of Alberta's Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry could open the door to one day treat or prevent diseases caused by West Nile virus and Dengue virus infections.

18 Dec 2015

Plasmacytoid dendritic cells may not contribute to late-stage lupus

For years, biomedical researchers have suspected that a specific set of immune cells are responsible for causing disease in lupus patients, but until now they haven't known for sure one way or the other.

8 Dec 2015

Lancet study compares prices of new cancer drugs in high-income countries

The price of new cancer drugs varies widely (from 28% to 388%) between high-income countries in Europe, Australia, and New Zealand, new research published in The Lancet Oncology has found.

8 Dec 2015

Combining medications may increase HBsAg loss in HBV patients

Combining tenofovir disoproxil fumarate with pegylated interferon alfa-2a may improve the chances of hepatitis B surface antigen loss in patients with hepatitis B virus infection, suggests a randomised trial.

3 Dec 2015

Second-line bosutinib offers ‘durable’ response for chronic phase CML patients

Four-year results for an ongoing study of second-line bosutinib indicate that the tyrosine kinase inhibitor offers long-term efficacy with manageable side effects for patients with chronic phase chronic myeloid leukaemia.

27 Nov 2015

Gamma interferon may have potential to prevent Ebola infection

The recent Ebola outbreak in West Africa has claimed more than 11,300 lives and starkly revealed the lack of effective options for treating or preventing the disease. Progress has been made on developing vaccines, but there is still a need for antiviral therapies to protect health care workers and local populations in the event of future outbreaks.

18 Nov 2015

Combatting viral and bacterial lung infections with volatile anesthetics: an interview with Dr Chakravarthy

Inhaled anesthetics are fairly common all over the world for minor and extensive surgical procedures in patients of all age groups. In the olden days when anesthesia was first developed, ether was the first inhaled anesthetic. That has been replaced, with the more recent discoveries of sevoflurane, isoflurane, and desflurane.

9 Nov 2015

New research may offer strategies for developing toxoplasma-inactivated vaccine

Toxoplasma gondii is a common parasite which causes the development of fatal encephalosis or pneumonia in immunodeficient patients under treatment of AIDS or cancer.

31 Oct 2015

Basic research for developing toxoplasma vaccine underway

Toxoplasma gondii is a common parasite which causes the development of fatal encephalosis or pneumonia in immunodeficient patients under treatment of AIDS or cancer. Pregnant women who are infected may suffer a miscarriage or the newborn child may suffer from a congenital disease. Currently, a toxoplasma vaccine for humans is not available. Using experimental animals such as mice, basic research for developing an inactivated vaccine is underway.

30 Oct 2015

Hiroshima University researchers demonstrate how Sendai virus escapes host immune system

A research group at Hiroshima University demonstrated the mechanism by which the Sendai virus (SeV) escapes the host immune system. The researchers examined the crystal structure of the complex of SeV C protein and transcription factor STAT1, and found that SeV C protein inhibits the signal transduction pathway of interferon gamma.

16 Oct 2015

Phase III studies show Roche's ocrelizumab reduces relapse rate, delays disability progression in MS patients

Three phase III studies being presented at the European Committee for Treatment Research in Multiple Sclerosis congress demonstrate that treating MS with ocrelizumab reduces relapse rate and delay onset of disability progression compared to interferon beta-1a in relapsing forms of MS and disability progression in primary progressive MS compared to placebo.

12 Oct 2015

Gene therapy prevents neuronal death, disease effects in experimental model of PD

An estimated seven to ten million people worldwide are living with Parkinson's disease (PD), which is an incurable and progressive disease of the nervous system affecting movement and cognitive function. More than half of PD patients develop progressive disease showing signs of dementia similar to Alzheimer's disease.

9 Oct 2015

Daclizumab HYP superior to interferon in relapsing–remitting MS

The DECIDE study shows that 4-weekly daclizumab high-yield process reduces disease activity in patients with relapsing–remitting multiple sclerosis more effectively than weekly interferon beta-1a, albeit at the cost of more adverse effects.

8 Oct 2015