Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Hepatitis C Morning News Nov 17th

MIKI
From EurekAlert
Public Release: 17-Nov-2010

From Health Grades This Morning :
HealthGrades, the nation's leading independent ratings organization, today made available to organ transplant patients a list of those hospitals with the best track record for survival and chances of receiving a donor organ. HealthGrades annual evaluation of the nation's top-performing hospitals in organ transplantation includes clinical quality data, based on patient outcomes, for each of the 210 adult acute care hospitals that perform transplants.
Contact: Marsha Austin mailto:Austinmaustin@healthgrades.com

720-963-3848HealthGrades


Public Release: 16-Nov-2010 Advanced Functional Materials
Bioengineers provide adult stem cells with simultaneous chemical, electrical and mechanical cuesBioengineers from the University of California, San Diego achieved the "Triple Crown" of stem cell culture -- they created an artificial environment for stem cells that simultaneously provides the chemical, mechanical and electrical cues necessary for stem cell growth and differentiation. Building better microenvironments for nurturing stem cells is critical for realizing the promises of stem-cell-based regenerative medicine, including cartilage for joint repair, cardiac cells for damaged hearts, and healthy skeletal myoblasts for muscular dystrophy patients. NIH/National Center for Research Resources
Contact: Daniel Kanedbkane@ucsd.edu858-534-3262University of California - San Diego


Public Release: 16-Nov-2010

A computer algorithm developed at Carnegie Mellon University matched living kidney donors with medically compatible transplant candidates late last month as the national Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN), operated by the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS), began a national pilot program to increase the number of kidney paired-donation (KPD) transplants. National Science Foundation, Microsoft Research
Contact: Byron Spicebspice@cs.cmu.edu412-268-9068Carnegie Mellon University
Bembenek Reportedly Near Death; State Could Pardon Her
By Dan O'Donnell, Jay Olstad and Jay Sorgi
PORTLAND, OR - Sources tell TODAY'S TMJ4 that Lawrencia Bembenek is "near death."
Those sources say Bembenek, 52, is suffering from Hepatitis C and liver failure. They also believe that she has cancer, but is simply too ill to undergo testing.
"Her liver's failed," said Ira Robins, a friend. "Her kidneys are failing. She's filling up with fluid and she's in a hospice."


Yesterday this blog posted :

"The Hepatitis C Virus Drug Market Will Nearly Triple by 2014 but, Thereafter, the Market Will Decline Substantially Through 2019 Due to Decreasing Disease Prevalence and the High Efficacy of New Treatments"

CORRECTION.....................

Issued Nov. 16, 2010 by Decision Resources over PR Newswire, were advised by the company that the word "Nearly" in the headline should be replaced by the words "More Than". The complete, corrected release follows:

The Hepatitis C Virus Drug Market Will More Than Triple by 2014 but, Thereafter, the Market Will Decline Substantially Through 2019 Due to Decreasing Disease Prevalence and the High Efficacy of New Treatments Read more


Wow, thank goodness they made that correction *smile.

From Medical News Today, missed this yesterday.....
Pathfinder Initiates Minimally Invasive Surgical Navigation Study
16 November 2010

Pathfinder Therapeutics, Inc. has initiated a clinical study to assess the value of Explorer™, its image-guided surgical platform, in minimally invasive liver resections and ablations...
[read article]


Hepatitis B Screeners Target The Asian-American Community
Asian-Americans account for less than 10 percent of Boston’s population but are diagnosed with more than half of the city’s Hepatitis B cases.
In many carriers, the chronic viral infection of the liver ultimately causes liver cancer, and the mortality rate from that cancer among Asians is nearly triple the citywide average.
LISTEN NOW

Have you been following this story? This is inexcusable!
Dirty diabetes test kits blamed newsobserver.com

Aides at assisted living facility Glen Care of Mount Olive likely infected eight patients with hepatitis B because they did not properly clean equipment used to check diabetic residents' glucose levels.
For this and other violations, Glen Care could be fined up to $20,000, and state regulators will monitor the facility's efforts to correct its poor practices of caring for diabetic patients. Regulators will pay random visits until they believe the problems have been corrected.
Five of the eight elderly patients have died since August. Their deaths prompted local and state health officials to investigate the possibility that staff practices were to blame. While regulators can't be certain, they are convinced the poor cleaning practices led to the contamination

Aides at assisted living facility Glen Care of Mount Olive likely infected eight patients with hepatitis B because they did not properly clean equipment used to check diabetic residents' glucose levels.
For this and other violations, Glen Care could be fined up to $20,000, and state regulators will monitor the facility's efforts to correct its poor practices of caring for diabetic patients. Regulators will pay random visits until they believe the problems have been corrected.
Five of the eight elderly patients have died since August. Their deaths prompted local and state health officials to investigate the possibility that staff practices were to blame. While regulators can't be certain, they are convinced the poor cleaning practices led to the contamination.

Diagnostic co Exalenz signs deal with Pfizer
CEO Steven Eitan: Some of the tests that the BreathID system makes possible will replace current invasive tests.
17 November 10 12:16, Hillel Koren
Exalenz Bioscience Ltd. (TASE:EXEN) has signed a cooperation agreement with Pfizer Inc. (NYSE: PFE; LSE: PFZ) to use Exalenz's BreathID diagnostic device in a Phase II clinical trial of an experimental drug for the treatment of hepatitis C.


OraSure Technologies Receives Popular Science "Best of What's New" Award for OraQuick(R) HCV Rapid Antibody Test
OraQuick(R) HCV Rapid Antibody Test Named One of the Top 100 Technical Innovations of the Year
BETHLEHEM, Pa., Nov 17, 2010 (GlobeNewswire via COMTEX) -- OraSure Technologies, Inc. /quotes/comstock/15*!osur/quotes/nls/osur (OSUR 4.49, -0.04, -0.88%) , the market leader in oral fluid diagnostics, today announced that the editors of Popular Science have named the OraQuick(R) HCV Rapid Antibody Test one of the top technology innovations of 2010. As a winner of a "Best of What's New" Award, the OraQuick HCV Rapid Antibody Test was recognized for its technology and being the first ever rapid, point-of-care test approved by the FDA for the detection of antibodies to the HCV (hepatitis C) virus.
A photo accompanying this release is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=8335


Roche announces implementation plans for its Operational Excellence Program
As a result of cost structure adjustments and improvements in efficiency and productivity, Roche is planning to reduce its workforce by 4,800 positions worldwide, or about 6% of the Group’s current workforce of approximately 82,000 employees. Some reductions will be handled through normal attrition. In addition to the planned reductions, the company anticipates transfers of roughly 800 jobs internally and approximately 700 positions to third parties. The combination of planned job reductions and transfers is expected to affect about 6,300 jobs overall

Over at NATAP

Telaprevir: Phase 3 ADVANCE Study Data Presented at AASLD - (11/15/10)

AASLD: Coadministration of BMS-790052 and BMS-650032 Does Not Result in a Clinically Meaningful Pharmacokinetic Interaction in Healthy Subjects

- (11/15/10)
AASLD: Gilead's New HCV Drugs Studies & HBV at AASLD -

(11/15/10)

HCV Advocate
HCV Drug Pipeline Updated October 25, 2010

HIV and Hepatitis By Liz Highleyman

Directing-acting Drug Combos Suppress HCV without Interferon, but Resistance Remains a Concern
SUMMARY: Combinations of directing-acting oral drugs are effective against hepatitis C virus (HCV) and may enable patients to avoid interferon and its side effects -- or at least shorten the length of standard treatment -- according to studies presented at the recent American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases "Liver Meeting" (AASLD 2010) in Boston. Researchers reported that 3 HCV protease/polymerase combinations -- Bristol-Myers Squibb's BMS-650032 + BMS-790052, Gilead's GS-9256 + GS-9190, and Boerhinger Ingelheim's BI 201335 + BI 207127 -- showed potent early anti-HCV activity, but more than 2 drugs will likely be needed to hold off resistance. Ribavirin without pegylated interferon may fulfill this role.

Antiviral Therapy for Chronic Hepatitis B Patients with Decompensated Liver Cirrhosis
SUMMARY: Chronic hepatitis B patients with decompensated liver cirrhosis can be treated safely and effectively with antiviral agents, according to a systematic review presented at the recent American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases "Liver Meeting" (AASLD 2010) in Boston. Entecavir (Baraclude) has demonstrated good potency, matching that of lamivudine, but without resistance; newer agents such as tenofovir (Viread) require further study in this population.

Bristol-Myers Squibb Enhances Co-pay Assistance Program for Entecavir (Baraclude) for Hepatitis B
SUMMARY: Bristol-Myers Squibb this summer expanded its co-pay benefit program for individuals receiving or wishing to use entecavir (Baraclude) who have private insurance policies with out-of-pocket costs. The enhanced program will save eligible patients up to $200 per month for 4 years. Eligible participants may request a Co-Pay Benefit Card from their healthcare providers.

AASLD 2010 - Talking Slides™ Update

From Science daily Reducing Blood Transfusions Improves Patient Safety and Cuts Costs, Study Finds A Loyola University Hospital study has demonstrated how the hospital has improved patient safety and cut costs by reducing the number of blood transfusions



Smoking and its consequences: studies probe quitting, relapse and lung disease
Two adjacent posters at the Glasgow AIDS Conference last week looked at smoking in people with HIV and at its most common consequence – not heart attacks or lung cancer but Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), a spectrum of respiratory disorders that can start off with persistent ‘smoker’s cough’ but end as emphysema, a frequently lethal degeneration of lung tissue.

No comments:

Post a Comment