Cirrhosis News and Research

Latest Cirrhosis News and Research

Gene variation linked to liver cirrhosis in alcoholic caucasians

A new study by German researchers found that a variation in the PNPLA3 (adiponutrin) gene was associated with cirrhosis of the liver and elevated transaminase (liver enzyme) levels in alcoholic Caucasians. The risk of cirrhosis in alcoholics in the genetic high risk group might be as high as 25 to 50%.

16 Dec 2010

Ocera completes two studies of OCR-002 in patients with hyperammonemia, hepatic encephalopathy

Ocera Therapeutics, Inc. announced today that it has completed two studies evaluating the safety and pharmacokinetics of OCR-002 (ornithine phenylacetate) which includes healthy volunteers and patients with liver cirrhosis. OCR-002 recently received Orphan Drug status and Fast Track designation by the United States Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of hyperammonemia (excessive ammonia levels) and resultant Hepatic encephalopathy.

16 Dec 2010

Researchers introduce new class of drugs for HCV patients

To improve the care for individuals infected with the hepatitis C virus, a major health problem and a leading cause of chronic liver disease around the world, nearly 200 international hepatitis experts have taken an important step in escalating the introduction of a new class of targeted therapies for HCV – direct-acting antivirals.

15 Dec 2010

Boceprevir drug may cure hepatitis C

The outlook for patients with hepatitis C continues to improve as results from a clinical trial led by a Saint Louis University researcher found that the drug boceprevir helped cure hard-to-treat patients. The findings were reported at the 61st annual meeting of the American Association for the Study of Liver Disease's earlier in November.

7 Dec 2010

FDA Advisory Committee votes in favor of expanded use of LAP-BAND gastric band

Allergan, Inc. (NYSE: AGN) today announced the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Gastroenterology and Urology Devices Panel of the Medical Devices Advisory Committee has recommended with an 8-2 vote that the FDA extend the currently approved use of the LAP-BAND® System, Allergan's gastric band, on the basis of a favorable benefit-risk profile for weight reduction in obese adults who have failed more conservative weight reduction alternatives and have a Body Mass Index (BMI) of at least 35 or a BMI ≥30 and at least one comorbid condition.

4 Dec 2010

Penicillamine challenge ineffective for detecting Wilson's disease in asymptomatic children

An Italian research team confirmed that the scoring system for Wilson's disease (WD) provides good diagnostic accuracy with 93% positive and 92% negative predictive values, respectively in children with mild liver disease. In asymptomatic children, a urinary copper excretion above 40 μg/24 hours was suggestive of WD, however the penicillamine challenge test (PCT) did not provide an accurate diagnosis in this patient subset.

1 Dec 2010

IBD patients with hospital-acquired infections experience increased risk of inpatient mortality

Death and length of stay are increased among hospitalized inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients who develop hospital-acquired infections, according to a study in Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology, the official journal of the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) Institute.

1 Dec 2010

Ikaria initiates enrollment in LUCASSIN Phase III trial for HRS Type 1

Ikaria, Inc. announced that it has enrolled the first patients in its pivotal Phase III trial for LUCASSIN® (terlipressin). The multi-center, randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind trial is known as the REVERSE Trial.

30 Nov 2010

Celulas Genetica licenses new organ regeneration treatment from Chinese BBFITCL

Emerging Healthcare Solutions, Inc. announced today that its affiliate, Celulas Genetica, purchased a license to develop and market a revolutionary new medical treatment known as the Rutherford Procedure.

30 Nov 2010

FDA approves Merit's phase 3 clinical trial protocol to treat primary liver cancer with QuadraSphere Microspheres

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Merit Medical Systems, Inc.'s phase 3 clinical trial protocol to treat primary liver cancer with QuadraSphere™ Microspheres (hqTACE) for delivery of doxorubicin. The clinical trial will involve U.S. and international interventional radiologists who treat patients with localized, unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the most common form of liver cancer.

29 Nov 2010

Vertex submits NDA for telaprevir for treating hepatitis C

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated announced that it has completed the submission of a New Drug Application (NDA) to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) seeking approval for telaprevir, Vertex's investigational treatment for people with hepatitis C.

23 Nov 2010

Wrong diagnosis makes comedian spend his life savings

A British comedian ended up spending his life savings after he was wrongly told by doctors he only had three months to live.

21 Nov 2010

Study finds Hispanic children are susceptible to develop fatty liver disease

Two studies from the Childhood Obesity Research Center at the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California (USC) have found evidence that Hispanic children and adolescents are genetically predisposed to developing fatty liver disease a condition that can lead to cirrhosis, cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

18 Nov 2010

Pro-Pharmaceuticals third quarter net loss decreases to $1,899,000

Pro-Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a developer of therapeutics that target Galectin receptors to treat cancer and fibrosis, today reported its financial results for the third quarter and the nine months ended September 30, 2010. These results are included in the Company's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, which has been filed with the SEC.

12 Nov 2010

Scientists unveil mechanism of liver regeneration

The liver's unique ability among organs to regenerate itself has been little understood. Now Weill Cornell Medical College scientists have shed light on how the liver restores itself by demonstrating that endothelial cells the cells that form the lining of blood vessels play a key role.

12 Nov 2010

Vertex to enroll additional treatment arm in telaprevir/VX-222 Phase 2 clinical trial for HCV

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated today announced plans to enroll an additional treatment arm as part of its ongoing Phase 2 clinical trial evaluating 12-week regimens of Vertex's lead investigational hepatitis C virus (HCV) protease inhibitor, telaprevir, in combination with its lead investigational HCV polymerase inhibitor, VX-222.

10 Nov 2010

Combining telaprevir regimen with standard therapy improves SVR rate in hepatitis C

For patients with the most common form of hepatitis C being treated for the first time, the addition of an investigational hepatitis C-specific protease inhibitor called telaprevir to the current standard therapy markedly improved their sustained viral response (SVR or viral cure) rate.

3 Nov 2010

Pro-Pharmaceuticals awarded $489,000 in federal grants under Qualifying Therapeutic Discovery Project

Pro-Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a developer of therapeutics that target Galectin receptors to treat cancer and fibrosis, today announced it has been notified that it has been awarded approximately $489,000 total in two federal grants under the Qualifying Therapeutic Discovery Project ("QTDP") Program.

2 Nov 2010

Liver-related mortality ranks #4 for people between ages of 45 and 64

Statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) rank mortality related to chronic liver disease and cirrhosis as the 12th most common cause of death in adults in the U.S. Using a modified definition that includes diseases such as viral hepatitis, liver cancer and obesity-related fatty liver disease, Mayo Clinic-led researchers have found that liver-related mortality is as high as fourth for some age groups, and eighth overall.

2 Nov 2010

Gore announces new Early TIPS for Ascites Study

W.L. Gore & Associates (Gore) today announced a new prospective, randomized, multi-center study at the Annual Meeting of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases. The hypothesis of the study is that early intervention with the GORE® VIATORR® TIPS Endoprosthesis improves transplant-free survival when compared to large volume paracentesis in patients with cirrhosis and difficult to treat ascites.

1 Nov 2010