VietNamNet Bridge - Switzerland’s La Roche AG has demanded a Vietnamese firm to stop making Pegnano on allegations the hepatitis drug uses a compound patented in Vietnam. Roche has sent a letter to Ho Chi Minh City-based Nanogen Biopharmaceutical Ltd Company, requesting the latter to stop producing, circulating and advertising its Pegnano from December 30. Pegnano is sourced from Peginterferon alfa 2a that the Swiss firm says is patented in Vietnam...... Continue Reading.....
December 22, 2010 by
In the run up to Christmas the Evening News Campaign Positive Care for Kids is highlighting what it is like for young people who are living with, or affected by HIV.
The following two quotes are from articles run this week, you can click the “read more” button to be taken to the full article.
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Blacks With Liver Cancer More Likely To Die
22 December 2010Black people with early stage liver cancer were more likely than white patients to die from their disease, according to a new study from the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center...
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Hepitits C Drug: Halted Part Of Telaprevir/VX-222 Study
Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc. discontinued one part of a clinical study evaluating its hepatitis C treatments.Vertex is halting a test of its medicine telaprevir in combination with its other experimental therapy called VX-222, the Cambridge, Massachusetts-based company said in a statement.Vertex will continue testing telaprevir and VX-222 in groups of patients who will receive it with one or two drugs given as a combination treatment. The study is the second of three phases of clinical tests typically required for U.S. approval...
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AIDS Group Sues J&J For Overcharging
For the second time this month, the AIDS Healthcare Foundation, which runs free AIDS clinics in the US and other countries, has filed a lawsuit against a drugmaker for overcharging the organization for drugs purchased under the federal 340B Drug Pricing Program. The 340B program provides access to discounted prescription drugs to various healthcare entities certified by the US Department of Health and Human Services. Continue reading.....
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Pharmacist fined, jailed for mail fraud
A Hazleton man will not appeal a 21-month prison sentence and a half-million-dollar fine for a prescription reimbursement scheme at his Jim Thorpe pharmacy, his attorney said Tuesday.
John Roman, 36, must forfeit the property that housed the Community Pharmacy on River Street in Jim Thorpe. Roman also agreed to give up his Chevrolet Corvette and repay $546,543.85 to three pharmaceutical drug manufacturers he bilked through fraudulent reimbursements.
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Anadys Pharmaceuticals Reports 1Q 2010 Financial Results
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Antibody Efficacious in Psoriasis of the Hands and Feet
A biological agent is safe and efficacious in treating severe chronic plaque psoriasis involving the hands and feet, researchers reported.
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ABSTRACT CORNER
Hepatol. 2010 Nov 23. [Epub ahead of print]
Rapid Virological Response Is the Most Important Predictor of Sustained Virological Response Across Genotypes in Patients with Chronic Hepatitis C Virus Infection.
Fried MW, Hadziyannis SJ, Shiffman ML, Messinger D, Zeuzem S.
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, USA.
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Abstract
The probability of response to peginterferon and ribavirin is associated with numerous host and virological factors. Attainment of a rapid virological response (RVR), defined as undetectable HCV RNA at week 4 during treatment with peginterferon and ribavirin, is highly predictive of sustained virological response (SVR). The aim of the present study was to determine the relative importance of the kinetics of antiviral response compared to baseline host and virological factors for predicting SVR.
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. METHODS:
A retrospective analysis of 1,383 patients, encompassing genotypes 1-4, treated with peginterferon alfa-2a and ribavirin was performed. Baseline characteristics were compared across HCV genotypes and pretreatment factors associated with RVR were identified. The relative significance of RVR compared to other baseline factors for predicting SVR was analyzed by multiple logistic regression analysis.
RESULTS:
RVR was achieved by 16% of patients with genotype 1 and 71% and 60% of those with genotype 2 and 3, respectively. Among patients who achieved RVR, the rate of SVR was high across all genotypes and ranged from 88% to 100% (genotypes 1-4). Baseline factors predictive of RVR included genotype, younger age, lower initial viral load, higher ALT ratio, absence of advanced fibrosis, and younger age. Notably, the presence of RVR generated the highest odds ratio (5.47, 95% confidence interval 3.97-7.52) for predicting SVR in multiple logistic regression analysis of these factors.
CONCLUSIONS:
Attainment of RVR varies by genotype and is associated with several baseline factors. Patients who achieve RVR have the highest rates of SVR, regardless of genotype. These findings have important implications for predicting and managing response-guided combination antiviral therapies.
Copyright © 2010. Published by Elsevier B.V.
PMID: 21145856 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
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Vitamin D deficiency and a CYP27B1-1260 promoter polymorphism are associated with chronic hepatitis C and poor response to interferon-alfa based therapy
J Hepatol. 2010 Dec 8. [Epub ahead of print]Lange CM, Bojunga J, Ramos-Lopez E, Wagner MV, Hassler A, Vermehren J, Herrmann E, Badenhoop K, Zeuzem S, Sarrazin C.Klinikum der J. W. Goethe-Universität Frankfurt am Main, Medizinische Klinik 1, Theodor-Stern-Kai 7, 60590 Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
Abstract
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AIMS:
Vitamin D is an important immune modulator and preliminary data indicated an association between vitamin D deficiency and sustained virologic response (SVR) rates in hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype 1 patients. We therefore performed a comprehensive analysis on the impact of vitamin D serum levels and of genetic polymorphisms with functional relevance within the vitamin D cascade on chronic hepatitis C and its treatment
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METHODS:
Vitamin D serum levels, genetic polymorphisms within the vitamin D receptor and 1α-hydroxylase were determined in a cohort of 468 HCV genotype 1, 2 and 3 infected patients who were treated with interferon-alfa based regimensRESULTS: Chronic hepatitis C was associated with a high incidence of severe vitamin D deficiency compared to controls (25(OH)D(3) less then 10 ng/ml in 25% versus 12%, p less then0.00001). 25(OH)D(3) deficiency correlated with SVR in HCV genotype 2 and 3 patients (50% and 81% SVR for patients with and without severe vitamin D deficiency, respectively, p less then 0.0001).
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In addition, the CYPB27-1260 promoter polymorphism rs10877012 had substantial impact on 1-25-dihydroxyvitamin D serum levels (72, 61, and 60 pmol/ml for rs10877012 AA, AC, and CC, respectively, p=0.04) and on SVR rates in HCV genotype 1, 2 and 3 infected patients (77% and 65% versus 42% for rs10877012 AA, AC, and CC, respectively, p=0.02)
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CONCLUSIONS:
Chronic hepatitis C virus infection is associated with vitamin D deficiency. Reduced 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels and CYPB27-1260 promotor polymorphism leading to reduced 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D levels are associated with failure to achieve SVR in HCV genotype 1, 2, 3 infected patients.
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Copyright © 2010. Published by Elsevier B.V.PMID: 21145801 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
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Eating healthier means living longer
The leading causes of death have shifted from infectious diseases to chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease and cancer. In a study published in the January 2011 issue of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, researchers investigated empirical data regarding the associations of dietary patterns with mortality through analysis of the eating patterns of over 2500 adults between the ages of 70 and 79 over a ten-year period. They found that diets favoring certain foods were associated with reduced mortality.
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