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Week Ending: December 18th, 2004
Alan Franciscus
Editor-in-Chief
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This Issue:
•Hepatitis B Vaccination to Become Universal
•The National Hepatitis C Advocacy Council Announces U.S. House Committee on Government Reform Will Hold Hearings on Hepatitis C
•Hepatitis B Virus DNA Levels May Predict Hepatocellular Carcinoma
•Australian Men's Experiences of Living with Hepatitis C Virus
•Russia Invents Vaccine for Two Types of Hepatitis
•Anadys and LG's Hepatitis Prodrug Up to 99.9% Effective
•About 2.8pc of Qatar Population Infected by Hepatitis C Virus, Says WHO
•Lobbying Where It Counts: Fairfax Students Take Hepatitis C Campaign to Capitol Hill
•Yamanouchi Adds 9 Million IU Version to Its Hepatitis C Treatment Advaferon Injection Series
•Aethlon Medical Discusses Potential to Treat Patients Co-Infected With Both HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis C
•Battle On against Hepatitis
•Clinical Trial: Pegylated Interferon Alfa-2b vs Standard Interferon Alfa-2b, plus Ribavirin, for Chronic Hepatitis C in HIV-Infected Patients
•3 People Infected with Hepatitis B through Donated Blood
December 12th, 2004
Hepatitis B Vaccination to Become Universal
SourceURL:http://www.hindustantimes.com/
Press Trust of India The Central Government is considering introduction of universal vaccination for children against Hepatitis B, Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss has said.
"The government had introduced Hepatitis B vaccination in 15 cities and 32 districts. The report of the project is likely to be available early next year," Ramadoss said here at the inauguration of a liver conference.
The five-day conference is being organised by the Asian Pacific Association for the Study of the Liver (APASL). After the results are available, the government may introduce universal immunisation against Hepatitis B, he said.
Ramadoss said government was also planning to make law on organ transplanation more donor and recipient friendly. Thousands of people were waiting for liver transplants, he said.
On the lines of the organ bank at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Government was considering setting up such organ banks all over the country to facilitate and simplify organ transplantation surgeries, he said.
In view of importance of stem cell research in organ repair, Government was following a policy of promoting stem cell research, he said.
Stating that so far the focus had been on curative health, he said now the government was following a policy of promoting preventive health care. For this, awareness programmes would be launched in a big way.
It was also important as there was no vaccine against Hepatitis C its cases were rising particularly in the North east and West Bengal.
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December 13th, 2004
The National Hepatitis C Advocacy Council Announces U.S. House Committee on Government Reform Will Hold Hearings on Hepatitis C
SourceURL:http://home.businesswire.com
WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 13, 2004--The United States House of Representatives' Committee on Government Reform will conduct a hearing on Tuesday, December 14, 2004, 2:00 PM, Rayburn Building, Room 2154, regarding the Hepatitis C epidemic. "Stalking a Furtive Killer: A Review of the Federal Government's Efforts to Combat Hepatitis C," and will be addressing the government response to hepatitis C (HCV), announced the National Hepatitis C Advocacy Council, representing twenty-three national hepatitis C organizations.
Hepatitis C, caused by the hepatitis C virus (HCV), is now the most common chronic blood-borne viral infection in the United States, affecting approximately four million people. An estimated 25,000 to 30,000 new cases are diagnosed each year. It is the leading cause of death among those with HIV/AIDS and is the reason for an estimated 50% of liver transplants in this country. Hepatitis C causes 40-60 percent of all chronic liver disease, which is now the tenth leading cause of death among adults in the United States.
In 1998, the Subcommittee on Human Resources of the House Government Reform Committee held a hearing entitled "Hepatitis C -- The Silent Epidemic." The hearing highlighted the significant public health threat posed by HCV and the immediate need to improve the nation's response to it.
Efforts to fight hepatitis C have been hindered by several significant factors. There is not a vaccine for HCV although a treatment is available if the virus is detected through early testing. The hepatitis C infection does not usually produce symptoms, meaning most people go undetected for many years, even decades, revealing itself only once serious liver damage has occurred and other health related illnesses are found.
Hepatitis is most efficiently transmitted by exposures that involve direct blood-to-blood contact. Risk groups include those who received a blood transfusion prior to 1992, blood-clotting agents prior to 1987, persons with any history of intravenous drug use (even once), people in health care and other employment settings with possible needle stick accidents and exposure to blood products. Children born to an HCV-infected mother are also at risk. About 10 percent of people with HCV infection have no recognized source of infection and roughly 15 percent of infection is attributed to sexual contact. It is estimated that approximately 2 percent of the nation is infected with the deadly virus.
Hepatitis C can be treated if found in the early stage of infection with current therapy options. The course of treatment lasts between six and twelve months, can have serious side effects, is expensive and is ineffective for many minorities. Current treatments are not an option for persons with certain physical illnesses or depression.
At this time, two bills have been filed in the U. S. Senate and House of Representatives. Senate Bill 1143, is cosponsored by Kay Bailey Hutchison, TX, and Edward Kennedy, MA; House Bill 3539, cosponsored by Heather Wilson, NM and Edolphus Towns of New York. Both would allocate funding for states to perform accurate surveillance, testing, counseling, referrals, vaccinate for hepatitis A and B, support research, and conduct education and prevention programs. These will be the first federal bills in response to the hepatitis C epidemic, if passed in 2005.
In 2003, a high school DECA club at Robinson Secondary School, Fairfax, Virginia contacted the National Hepatitis C Advocacy Council to lend their support. Concerned about family members living with HCV and the burden of this virus on their generation for years to come, they have conducted rallies at the U. S. Capitol, met with Congressional leaders and talked with their own member of Congress, Tom Davis, Chairman of the Committee on Government Reform last spring. Through their efforts, the Chairman called for the hearing to revisit the recommendations made in 1998 and to identify ways of addressing the epidemic currently and in the future. Erika Stein, a DECA student whose father is infected with HCV, will be testifying to the Committee on the day to day struggle her family faces with her father's illness.
Though this hearing, the Committee hopes to determine the success of current HCV prevention efforts within the federal government and identify areas for improvement. The Committee wants to learn the extent in which federal agencies share pertinent information between themselves and with state health departments and to determine what progress has been made in the quest for a vaccine and effective treatment options to address this nationwide epidemic.
CURRENT WITNESS LIST
Dr. Rima Khabbaz, M.D., Associate Director of Epidemiologic Science, National Center for Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Dr. Lawrence Deyton, MSPH, M.D., Chief Consultant, Public Health Strategic Healthcare Group, Department of Veterans Affairs
Dr. Jay Hoofnagle, M.D., Liver Disease Research Branch, Division of Digestive Diseases and Nutrition, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health
Michael Rudman, M.D., Founder, Frederick County Hepatitis Clinic, Inc.
Ann Jesse, Founding Executive Director, Hep C Connection, Denver, Member National Hepatitis C Advocacy Council
Erika Stein, Robinson Secondary School DECA student, father living with hepatitis C
Capt. John Niemiec, Health Programs Officer, Fire and Rescue Department, Fairfax County, Virginia, First Responder
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December 14th, 2004
Hepatitis B Virus DNA Levels May Predict Hepatocellular Carcinoma
SourceURL:http://www.gastrohep.com/news
A significant decrease or loss of serum hepatitis B virus-DNA prevents development of hepatocellular carcinoma, and sequential analysis of hepatitis B virus-DNA could be very useful in both the prediction and the early detection of small hepatocellular carcinomas.
The anti-carcinogenic effect and mechanism of interferon (IFN) in patients with hepatitis B virus (HBV)-related cirrhosis have not been elucidated.
Dr Ikeda and colleagues from Tokyo, Japan performed a quantitative analysis of HBV-DNA concentration sequentially.
The researchers observed 57 patients out of 60 consecutive patients with cirrhosis who began IFN therapy between 1986 and 1990, for the appearance of hepatocellular carcinoma.
All patients underwent intermittent administration of IFN for a median period of 18 months.
The research team quantified HBV-DNA using transcription mediated amplification and hybridization protection assay.
The researchers took an HBV-DNA count <3.7 log-genome equivalent (LGE)/mL (equivalent to 103.7 or 5000 copies/mL) to be a negative value.
The research team noted that out of 25 patients who had HBV-DNA loss after IFN therapy, 9 lost HBV-DNA during the therapy and 16 lost HBV-DNA after cessation of the therapy.
“Carcinogenesis was found in 35% of 32 patients without HBV-DNA loss” — Journal of Hepatology and Gastroenterology
The other 9 patients showed a transient loss of HBV-DNA.
The remaining 23 retained persistently positive HBV-DNA during and after therapy.
Although the researchers found that hepatocellular carcinoma developed in 8.0% of the 25 patients with HBV-DNA loss, carcinogenesis was found in 35% of 32 patients without HBV-DNA loss.
In the 2 exceptional patients, hepatocellular carcinoma was detected at 1.2 and 3.6 years after loss of HBV-DNA, respectively.
Dr Ikeda concluded, "When the HBV-DNA concentration decreased by 2 LGE/mL at 6 months after initiation of interferon, HBV-DNA became negative eventually in 15 of 25 patients."
He added, "A significant decrease or loss of serum HBV-DNA prevents development of hepatocellular carcinoma, and sequential analysis of HBV-DNA could be very useful in both the prediction and the early detection of small hepatocellular carcinoma."
Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology; 2005: 20 (1): 95
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Australian Men's Experiences of Living with Hepatitis C Virus
SourceURL:http://www.gastrohep.com
The social, physical and mental health needs of men living with hepatitis C virus are considerable, and few men have access to specialist treatment, reports a study in the most recent issue of Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology.
Of the estimated 160 000 Australians currently infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV), two-thirds are men.
Little is known about their social and health needs.
Professor Gifford and colleagues from Victoria, Australia undertook a comprehensive survey of Australian men living with HCV.
In 2002, the researchers designed a questionnaire that could be self-administered.
The survey was completed by a largely non-clinical sample of men living in the State of Victoria who had tested positive for HCV antibodies (n = 308).
The return rate was 54%.
The mean age was 38 years, and 86% were 'current' or 'past' injecting drug users.
The researchers noted that the mean number of years since diagnosis was 6.6 years and the mean self-
reported number of years since infection was 12.6 years.
“40% of men believed they received less favorable treatment from health care professionals than those without HCV.”— Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology
In total, the research team found that 50% of men reported experiencing HCV-related symptoms, most commonly tiredness (61%) and nausea (30%).
Of the sample, the researchers reported that 43% currently saw a doctor for HCV and although 30% had ever been referred to a specialist, few had received treatment (6% interferon; 14% combination therapy).
The researchers found that 40% of men believed they received less favorable treatment from health care professionals than those without HCV.
In addition, the team noted that self-assessed health status was significantly lower than Australian norms, as were SF-12 physical and mental health scores.
Scores were moderately correlated, indicating an association between the physical and mental health burden of HCV.
Prof Gifford concluded, "The social, physical and mental health needs of men living with HCV are considerable."
"Few men in the present study had accessed specialist treatment; those who were current injecting drug users were particularly disadvantaged."
"Reduction of barriers to primary and specialist health care is essential to improve treatment, support and care for men with HCV."
Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology; 2005: 20 (1): 79
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Russia Invents Vaccine for Two Types of Hepatitis
SourceURL:http://en.rian.ru/
MOSCOW, December 14 (RIA Novosti) - Hepatitis A and B vaccines have existed for a long time, but now Russian scientists have invented a vaccine for both viruses. Experts at the Vektor State Scientific Center of Virology and Biotechnology began working on the vaccine in 1995. Now they are ready to produce it, Gazeta reports.
Today, only one similar vaccine exists. It is produced in Belgium but not supplied to Russia. The Russian medication is to be much cheaper than its European analogue.
Doctors have long warned that hepatitis A and B pose a genuine threat to the health of the Russian nation. Recently, an increasing number of experts have been talking about a hepatitis epidemic in Russia.
At the same time, there are almost no effective treatments for the disease, so the only way to fight it is vaccination. However, there is no vaccine against hepatitis C, which is the worst form of the disease.
The new combined vaccine has several advantages, its developers say. The body increases its immunity to two types of hepatitis after just one injection. Doctors believe this means the body accepts the vaccine easier, saves budget funds and simplifies the vaccination procedure. The new vaccine has passed serious tests and has proved very effective. Industrial production is to begin in 2006.
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Anadys and LG's Hepatitis Prodrug Up to 99.9% Effective
SourceURL:http://uk.biz.yahoo.com
Anadys Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: ANDS - news) and LG Life Sciences have reported positive interim data from a phase II clinical trial of a hepatitis prodrug in lamivudine-resistant hepatitis B virus patients, including a viral load reduction of 99.9%.
Anadys Pharmaceuticals and LG Life Sciences have reported positive interim data from a phase II clinical trial of a hepatitis prodrug in lamivudine-resistant hepatitis B virus patients, including a viral load reduction of 99.9%.
The ongoing clinical trial is an open label, multi-center, sequential group dose escalation study designed to assess the safety and antiviral activity of ANA380 in chronically infected hepatitis B virus (HBV) patients who are resistant to lamivudine.
Dr Ching-Lung Lai, professor in the department of medicine at the University of Hong Kong and co-investigator of the study, reported that oral administration of ANA380 over 12 weeks reduced viral load by an average of 3.0 log10units, or 99.9%, in lamivudine-resistant patients receiving either 30mg or 60mg doses in the study.
Interim data also showed a viral load reduction of 2.7 log10units in the 90mg cohort after four weeks.
"The interim results from this study provide clinical evidence confirming the activity of ANA380 against lamivudine-resistant strains," said professor Lai. "Combined with its excellent potency against wild type virus and favorable tolerability, ANA380 has the potential to overcome the limitations of currently approved therapies and become an important treatment for hepatitis B patients."
Lamivudine is the most frequently used treatment for patients infected with HBV. Genetically altered strains of HBV that are resistant to lamivudine can be detected in 14% to 32% of all patients after one year of lamivudine treatment. This proportion rises with the duration of treatment, increasing to approximately 66% after four years.
The data from this ongoing phase II clinical trial combined with the results from the completed phase I/II clinical trial reported recently demonstrate the potential of ANA380 as a promising HBV product candidate.
Furthermore, the data from the phase I/II trial showed that oral administration of ANA380 over four weeks was well tolerated and reduced HBV viral load by an average of 3.4 log10units, or more than 99.9%, in the chronic wild-type HBV infected patients receiving doses of 60mg or more in the study.
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December 15th, 2004
About 2.8pc of Qatar Population Infected by Hepatitis C Virus, Says WHO
SourceURL:http://www.thepeninsulaqatar.com/
Doha: About 2.8 per cent of Qatar's population is infected by Hepatitis C virus, a press release, quoting the World Health Organisation (WHO), said here yesterday. An Internet website for people seeking information about Hepatitis, www.hep-links.com, has been launched by a medical firm, it added.
"Every year the number of people newly infected with the hepatitis C virus (HCV) increases by three to four million worldwide, adding to the 170 million people already infected. For people who have been newly diagnosed with the virus or for anyone who is interested in seeking information about hepatitis C, there is now a new website resource, www.hep-links.com, which was launched recently. The portal is a result of a cooperative initiative among hepatitis C and liver disease patient associations in countries from across Europe and the Middle East. According to the WHO, 2.8 per cent of Qatar's population is infected with HCV.
Hepatitis C is a viral disease carried by blood which can cause serious liver damage that can lead to cirrhosis, liver cancer or even death if left untreated. No symptoms appear until the disease is advanced which easily allows for the disease to go undetected unless one is tested. A simple blood test will show if an individual is infected by the virus or not," it said.
First identified in 1989, the treatment for HCV has come a long way in just 15 years. In the past, doctors started treating the disease with conventional interferons but could only help control or get rid of the virus in only 10 to 20 per cent. Currently, with the new generation of pegylated interferon PEGASYS (peginterferon alfa-2a) doctors are able to successfully treat up to 80 per cent of patients.
In Western Europe alone, it is estimated that five million people have chronic hepatitis C. Hepatitis C is also the leading cause of liver transplantation worldwide.
Early this year, Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd launched the PEGASSIST Patient Support programme, the first initiative in the Middle East to raise awareness for HCV. It is an educational programme developed to help increase consciousness and provide information for patients, healthcare providers and the general public about the disease, its treatment and support options available to them. For more information on Hepatitis C, one can call the toll-free number 0800 - 971- 001 or visit www.roche-arabia.com.
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Lobbying Where It Counts: Fairfax Students Take Hepatitis C Campaign to Capitol Hill
SourceURL:http://www.washingtonpost.com
By Maria Glod
Washington Post Staff Writer
For much of her life, 18-year-old Erika Stein has watched her father struggle with hepatitis C, as traditional treatments left him tired and moody and failed to fight off the virus attacking his liver.
So when Stein's classmates at Fairfax County's Robinson Secondary School were searching for a community service project last year, she told them about the disease -- and her dad. Her story prompted the launch of a campaign that has taken them from their high school marketing class to Capitol Hill. Two weeks ago, they stood with Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.) as he vowed to fight for a bill that would dedicate $90 million to hepatitis C research and education.
Yesterday, Stein, who works part time at Fair Oaks mall and used to get nervous calling to order a pizza, sat alongside an epidemiologist from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, an official from the Department of Veterans Affairs and a physician from the National Institutes of Health and, without hesitation, told her story again to members of the House Government Reform Committee.
"When we began this project a year ago, no one wanted to talk about hepatitis C," Stein said. "We believe you care about Americans like my father, Gene Stein. If we don't provide some funding for research and education for hepatitis C, it will impact each and every one of our lives."
Stein's five-minute testimony was the latest milestone for Robinson Secondary marketing students, who have turned Washington into a second classroom. In the past decade, the school's marketing club has rallied support for federal funds for hemophiliacs who contracted the virus that causes AIDS and has asked senators to endorse efforts to stop sexual predators. They also worked with Amnesty International for the regulation of so-called "conflict diamonds."
Jay Walker, a Robinson marketing teacher, said knocking on a legislator's door to push an agenda is the ultimate lesson in selling, with the added benefit of providing a close-up look at the inner workings of the federal government. His students are coached by real-life lobbyists before their trips and work with veteran activists. But in the end, the teenagers are on their own when they approach lawmakers or their staff members.
"This is marketing at the highest level," Walker said. "You want to talk about the hardest sell ever, sit down with an aide from a legislative office. If you can do this, you can sell anything."
Walker said he watches some students who are too shy to speak up in class grow into polished public speakers. The teenagers call newspaper reporters and radio and television stations to push for coverage of their rallies. Robinson marketing students will tell you that hepatitis C -- the most common blood-borne disease in the United States, contracted from blood products, shared needles, tattooing and body piercing and, rarely, through sex -- affects more than 4 million Americans.
But are the budding lobbyists persuasive?
Rep. Thomas M. Davis III (R-Va.) thinks so. He said his young constituents "had a lot to do" with his decision to schedule yesterday's hearing.
"They called attention to the problem," Davis said. "You need people who don't get discouraged easily, and that's what these kids provide."
About 500 Robinson students are involved in the lobbying, all members of the Distributive Education Clubs of America, a marketing club. Students from chapters nationwide research and create marketing strategies for products and businesses and present their ideas at competitive conferences.
Edward L. Davis, 's the clubs' executive director, said each chapter runs annual community service projects. Most groups opt for projects such as building a house for Habitat for Humanity or fundraising for the Muscular Dystrophy Association, Davis said, but Robinson has taken a different approach.
Walker said Robinson's chapter first headed downtown in the mid-1990s when a former student who worked for a group supporting the General Agreement on Trades and Tariffs asked for help. The students did little more than drop off literature, but it was just the beginning.
Not long afterward, Ellis Sulser, a former staff member at the Distributive Education Clubs national office in Reston and a hemophiliac, came to talk to the students. With that visit, the students began a multi-year effort to support the Ricky Ray Hemophilia Relief Fund Act, which provided one-time payments to hemophiliacs infected with HIV through transfusions.
Sulser, who is HIV positive and has hepatitis C, said the students provided the manpower and enthusiasm he and other advocates needed to get the bill noticed. "They could visit every office on Capitol Hill in one day," Sulser said. "We're all cripples. We'd get maybe 30 people, and we can't walk."
The students say some lawmakers have been welcoming, others dismissive. Lauren Burgess, 18, said one legislative aide told her that his state had too few hepatitis C deaths to warrant more funding. "He had this sarcastic attitude, and he wanted to see if I knew all the facts," she said.
Burgess said she just moved on to the next office.
Walker said his students have hit a few snags. Once, he said, the students were in the middle of a rally before he realized one of the signs misspelled hemophiliac.
But yesterday, the lawmakers, physicians and other activists gave them a round of applause.
"Erika, I want you to know you touched me," Rep. Edolphus Towns (D-N.Y.) said. "Eventually if enough people hear you, somebody is going to get the message."
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Yamanouchi Adds 9 Million IU Version to Its Hepatitis C Treatment Advaferon Injection Series
SourceURL:http://www.medadnews.com/
TOKYO, December 15, 2004 - Yamanouchi Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. (president: Toichi Takenaka) launched Advaferon Injection 900, a 9 million IU version of its hepatitis C treatment Advaferon Injection series on December 15.
Advaferon is an interferon (IFN)- developed by combining different amino acids with high incidence based on the amino acid sequences of 13 IFN- subtypes. Since launching in December 2001, the 12 million and 18 million IU versions have been enjoying good reputation as a drug effective for not only genotype 2, low titer chronic hepatitis C but also genotype 1b, high titer chronic hepatitis C, which is refractory to existing therapies.
The new 9 million IU version is suitable for use in elderly patients or when the dosage level needs to be reduced to deal with adverse reactions associated with IFN preparations. The addition of this new version to the existing 12 million and 18 million IU versions is expected to broaden the range of selection in the treatment of chronic hepatitis C.
Product Profile
Brand name:
Advaferon Injection 900
Generic name:
interferon alfacon-1 (genetic recombinant)
Indication:
improvement of viremia associated with chronic hepatitis C
Dosage and administration:
Administer Advaferon Injection after confirming that the patient is HCV-RNA positive. In general, administer 12-18 million IU once a day, daily or 3 times a week, by subcutaneous injection to adults.
Package:
1 vial
NHI price:
9,653yen
Date of launch:
December 15,2004
Manufactured and marketed by:
Yamanouchi Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.
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December 16th, 2004
Aethlon Medical Discusses Potential to Treat Patients Co-Infected With Both HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis C
http://www.aegis.org/news
SAN DIEGO -- Aethlon Medical, Inc. (OTCBB:AEMD) announced today that its Hemopurifier(TM) treatment technology has demonstrated multi-pathogen clearance capabilities that could lead to a simultaneous treatment for persons infected with both HIV and the Hepatitis C virus (HCV). The Hemopurifier is a medical device that converges the use of hollow-fiber dialysis technology with affinity chromatography to separate and selectively capture viruses and toxins from the blood. Recent enhancements to the Hemopurifier include the immobilization of a single affinity agent that is able to attach to the surface of both HIV and HCV.
Aethlon CEO James A. Joyce stated, "Our studies provide compelling evidence that the Hemopurifier is able to simultaneously capture both HIV and HCV from the blood of infected patients." Joyce continued, "To date, an effective method to concurrently treat both diseases has yet to evolve."
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about one quarter of HIV-infected persons in the United States are also infected with HCV. HCV is one of the most important causes of chronic liver disease in the United States and HCV infection progresses more rapidly to liver damage in HIV-infected persons. HCV infection also impacts the ability to manage HIV infection. As previously indicated, Aethlon is targeting the HIV-Hemopurifier to be a conjunction therapy to enhance and prolong established HIV drug regimens, and to serve as a treatment option for drug resistant HIV patients. An HCV-Hemopurifier is being developed for treatment resistant HCV patients.
About Aethlon Medical
Aethlon Medical is pioneering the development of viral filtration devices to treat HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis-C (HCV), and pathogens that are mass casualty biological warfare candidates. Each treatment application employs the use of a proprietary technology known as the Hemopurifier(TM), which is designed to rapidly reduce the presence of infectious disease and toxins in the body. The Hemopurifier converges the established scientific principals of affinity chromatography and hemodialysis as a means to augment the immune response of clearing viruses and toxins from the blood before cell and organ infection can occur. More information on Aethlon Medical and the Hemopurifier technology is available at www.aethlonmedical.com.
Certain of the statements herein may be forward-looking and involve risks and uncertainties. Such forward-looking statements involve assumptions, known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of Aethlon Medical, Inc. to be materially different from any future results, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Such potential risks and uncertainties include, without limitation, the Company's ability to raise capital when needed, the Company's ability to complete the development of its planned products, the ability of the Company to obtain FDA and other regulatory approvals permitting the sale of its products, the Company's ability to manufacture its products and provide its services, the impact of government regulations, patent protection on the Company's proprietary technology, product liability exposure, uncertainty of market acceptance, competition, technological change, and other risk factors. In such instances, actual results could differ materially as a result of a variety of factors, including the risks associated with the effect of changing economic conditions and other risk factors detailed in the Company's Securities and Exchange Commission filings.
CONTACT: Aethlon Medical, Inc.
James A. Joyce, 858.459.7800
jj@aethlonmedical.com
or
Investor Awareness, Inc.
Tony Schor/Kevin Dudley, 847-945-2222
info@investorawareness.com
SOURCE: Aethlon Medical, Inc.
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December 17th, 2004
Battle On against Hepatitis
SourceURL:http://www.hamhigh.co.uk
editorial@hamhigh.co.uk
ST Mary's hospital has launched a nationwide health campaign to raise awareness of a deadly virus.
The £2million government initiative called Face It will highlight how hepatitis C is spread. It will also give advice on how to avoid infection.
Thousands of people are being infected with hepatitis C each year. The virus spreads through blood-to-blood contact with a carrier. Although 40 per cent of people get better naturally, the disease can lead to liver disease and death.
Sir Liam Donaldson, Chief Medical Officer for England, said: "Hepatitis C has emerged as a significant public health challenge over recent years, which is why we need to intensify efforts to prevent new cases and to diagnose and treat those who are already infected.
"In England it is estimated that there are approximately 200,000 people chronically infected and the majority of these are unaware of their infection. That is why this new Face It campaign is so essential. It will be key in to raising awareness about the virus and reducing the number of people who are infected in the future.
"It will also encourage those who may be, or have been, at risk of contracting the virus to find out more about getting tested."
Hepatitis C is often spread through shared syringes. People who had a blood transfusion before screening for hepatitis C was introduced in 1991 are also at risk. The virus is less commonly spread through unprotected sex, tattoos and body piercing. Many people have no symptoms, while others may feel tired and have mild abdominal discomfort. Patients respond to treatment in about 55 per cent of cases. A hepatitis C telephone information line opened last week on 0800 451451.
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Clinical Trial: Pegylated Interferon Alfa-2b vs Standard Interferon Alfa-2b, plus Ribavirin, for Chronic Hepatitis C in HIV-Infected Patients
SourceURL:http://www.gastrohep.com
In combination with ribavirin, treatment with peginterferon alfa-2b is more effective than standard interferon alfa-2b for HCV infection in HIV-infected patients, reports December's issue of JAMA.
Treatment of chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients is a growing concern.Most data on the virologic efficacy and safety of the combination of peginterferon alfa-2b and ribavirin in coinfected patients come from uncontrolled studies.
Researchers from France undertook a study in order to examine the safety and efficacy of peginterferon alfa-2b plus ribavirin vs standard interferon alfa-2b plus ribavirin in HIV-HCV coinfected patients.The trial was a multicenter, randomized, parallel-group, open-label trial.
Patients were enrolled from February 2000 to February 2002 and followed up for 72 weeks. 412 HIV-HCV coinfected patients with detectable serum HCV-RNA, abnormal liver histology, a CD4 cell count of at least 200 x 106/L, and stable plasma HIV-RNA.Participants were treated with ribavirin 400 mg twice a day, orally, plus either peginterferon alfa-2b (1.5 µg/kg subcutaneous injection once a week) or standard interferon alfa-2b (3, 000, 000 units of subcutaneous injection 3 times a week) for 48 weeks.
Patients with sustained virologic responses in the peginterferon group - 27%; Standard interferon group - 20%— JAMA.
Researchers observed the sustained virologic response, defined by undetectable serum HCV-RNA at week 72.
More patients had sustained virologic responses in the peginterferon group than in the standard interferon group (27% vs 20%). This difference between the treatments was found in patients with HCV genotype 1 or 4 infection (17% for peginterferon vs 6% for standard interferon).
However, the difference was not found in patients with HCV genotype 2, 3, or 5 (44% for peginterferon vs 43% for standard interferon).Together, a decline in HCV-RNA of less than 2 log10 from baseline and detectable serum HCV-RNA at week 12 predicted 99% of treatment failures.Histologic activity diminished and fibrosis stabilized in virologic responders.
The 2 regimens showed similar tolerability although dose modifications for clinical and biological events were more frequent with peginterferon. 11 cases of pancreatitis or symptomatic hyperlactatemia were observed, all in patients receiving didanosine-containing antiretroviral regimens.In combination with ribavirin, treatment with peginterferon alfa-2b is more effective than standard interferon alfa-2b for HCV infection in HIV-infected patients.
JAMA; 2004: 292: 2839-2848
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3 People Infected with Hepatitis B through Donated Blood
SourceURL:http://asia.news.yahoo.com/
(Kyodo) _ Three people have been infected with hepatitis B through infusions from donated blood containing low concentrations of the hepatitis B virus (HBV) which cannot be detected even by the Japanese Red Cross Society's highly-sensitive blood tests, the health ministry said Friday.
The blood was donated by a man in his 50s, who had donated his blood 10 times from September last year to April this year to the Red Cross and more than 60 times before that, according to the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry.
The Red Cross, which administers blood donations, said it will check the health of those donating blood.
The incidents were reported at a meeting Friday at the health ministry's research panel on safety techniques for blood donations.
The Red Cross received a report in October from a medical institution that said one of its patients, who had transfusions of blood donated by the man in January, was infected with hepatitis B.
The Red Cross checked the remainder of the blood it had kept and detected HBV.
It found the three people were infected from infusions of the blood the man donated in 10 occasions through April this year.
The HBV of the man and the three people were identical, the Red Cross said.
Three other people who received the tainted blood showed signs they were previously exposed to the virus. But the Red Cross could not prove if the infection was caused by the blood infusion.
The Red Cross had received in the past a report of HBV infection caused by the blood donated by the man, it said, adding it has also started an investigation into the case
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