2007

December 2007

A drug used to treat diarrhea just might be able to cure hep C ... no shit!

Hepatitis C drug garners big attention for small Tampa company

Bizjournals.com - Charlotte,NC,USA

TAMPA -- An antidiarrheal drug with surprising success treating hepatitis C patients is helping to put a small drug development company on the medical ...

Whadda you ... on crack?  Well – a study shows that you could get hep C that way.  But one Ottowa, Canada mayor could care less ...

Ottawa mayor against crack pipe program despite hep C study

CBC Ottawa - Ontario, Canada

Research that found traces of the hepatitis C virus on a used crack pipe has not changed Ottawa Mayor Larry O'Brien's opposition to the city's former crack ...

Crack program

Ottawa Citizen - Ontario, Canada

The goal of the crack pipe program is to reduce the sharing of used crack pipes in order to curb the spread of diseases such as hepatitis C and HIV. ...

Looks like the FDA’s trying to play catchup with the tattoo industry, who’s been regulating themselves – and being regulated by counties – for years now ...

Tattoo Health Concerns Spark FDA Warning

Newsinferno.com - New York,NY,USA

Twelve of Finkelstein's patients have tested positive for either hepatitis C or B since the investigation into his practice began last month. ...

Some people with hep C try the treatment, and you couldn’t pay some people to take it – except maybe Three Rivers Pharmaceutical - aka, the little pharma that could: they’re buying Infergen.

Valeant Pharmaceuticals to sell hepatitis C drug rights for $91M

San Antonio Business Journal - San Antonio,TX,USA

Valeant Pharmaceuticals agreed to sell the United States and Canadian rights to its hepatitis C drug Infergen to Three Rivers Pharmaceuticals LLC, ...

November 2007

Not exactly edge-of-your-seat news, but the part we found interesting is, the part that says, “the treatment did not slow or prevent the progress of serious liver disease.”   ... o.k., so ... what’s the point of doing treatment then?

Daily News: Hepatitis C Treatment Has Mixed Results

Nurse.com - Falls Church,VA,USA

5 in Boston revealed that patients with chronic hepatitis C and advanced liver disease experience significant decrease in their liver enzymes, viral levels ...

So ... whaddo we care?  This is a hard-hitting drug marketing guy.  Let’s hope he doesn’t run over all kinds of people’s lives in the process.  Just something to be aware of.  

Pharmasset Appoints Patrick T. Higgins as Executive Vice President ...

CNNMoney.com – USA

Pharmasset's primary focus is on the development of oral therapeutics for the treatment of hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV) and human ...

This year's Liver Meeting came to a close which, for us, basically means ... 

 ... back to the drawing board, folks. 

Well, the news ain’t all that good coming out of this year’s AASLD, but it’s news nonetheless.  ... and as promised, we deliver – even when it ain't pretty, it’s the Straightup.

Hepatitis C Treatment Reduces The Virus But Serious Liver Problems ...

Science Daily (press release) – USA

November 7, 2007) — Patients with chronic hepatitis C and advanced liver disease who did not respond to previous standard therapy experienced significant decreases ...

Interferon Does Not Slow or Stop Progression of Hepatitis C in ...

Newswise (press release) – USA

Newswise — Interferon does not slow or halt the progression of chronic hepatitis C and advanced liver disease in patients who haven't responded to previous ...

Anyway ... Hep C Straightup would like to thank all you science types who went out there, for your hard work & dedication.  Hope you have a great time, and thanks for hanging in there!

On the upside ... families of inmates who died from hep C had a victory after what we suspect was a long & painful fight.

State OKs settlements for Oregon inmates with Hepatitis C

KTVZ - Bend,OR,USA

(AP) - The state of Oregon has paid more than $300000 to settle claims of 5 inmates who say they were denied adequate treatment for hepatitis C. The Salem ...

Check this out ... Oregon’s hepatitis coordinator speaks out about the inaction of the gov’t about hep C.  Hope they don’t fire this guy.  Hell, we can’t even get Iowa’s coordinator to come to coffee....

Hepatitis C: The disease no one's talking about

Statesman Journal - Salem,OR,USA

Ann Shindo takes to task the federal government for failing to confront hepatitis C in Oregon and across the country. "Remember when Reagan didn't say AIDS? ..."

Genotype 2's with cirrhosis might like this one.  Usually, those of us with decompensated cirrhosis from hep C don’t stand a rat’s chance with hep C treatment.  But, there are some who do.  Instead of takin’ the crapshoot, some scientists are figuring out a way to get a handle on who will make it, and who won’t.  Like those lucky-ass genotype 2’s ....

Hepatitis C and Decompensated Cirrhosis Improve With Combination ...

DG News – USA

Patients infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype 2 who also have decompensated cirrhosis, for example, can still be treated successfully with ...

Leave it to our trusty neighbors to the north to do a study on spontaneous recovery in the U.S.  I guess we couldn’t handle that one ourselves, since nobody’d profit from it.  ... right?  Thanks, CANADA!

Acute Hepatitis C In A Contemporary US Cohort

eMaxHealth.com - Hickory,NC,USA

Acute hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is often asymptomatic; thus, its epidemiology and natural history are difficult to define. ...

News?!?  Anyway ....

Homelessness increases risk of infection for injecting drug users
News-Medical.net - Sydney,Australia
Sharing needles seriously increases the risk of getting life threatening infections such as hepatitis C and HIV. IDUs are also more likely to develop ...

Not great news, but this researcher says, “we’ll have to up our game” to fight hep C.  Now, that I can understand!

A Sneaky Virus: Scientists Discover Hepatitis C Spreads Directly ...
Medgadget.com - San Francisco,CA,USA
Scientists looking for an effective treatment for Hepatitis C may face an even bigger task than anticipated. Recent studies looking into how the virus ...

Scientists Face New Setback In Hepatitis C Treatment
AHN - USA
London, England (AHN) - The effort to find an effective treatment for hepatitis C virus has suffered a major setback after British researchers found that ...

Setback in search for hepatitis C treatment
Telegraph.co.uk - United Kingdom
But study at Birmingham University by a team led by Dr Jane McKeating suggests that scientists looking for an effective treatment for Hepatitis C may face ...

Talk about accountability!  News broke just last month about Japan’s top health ministries sitting on the fact that a bunch of folks got hep C from bad blood – now they’ll get compensated by the end of November.  Right on!  The good ol’ U.S. of A. could sure take a lesson from them ... eh? 

Govt to give hepatitis C aid by end of Nov.
The Daily Yomiuri - Osaka,Japan
The government will apologize and give assistance to hepatitis C patients infected via tainted blood products who have filed lawsuits against the government ...

You know the adage, blood is thicker than water ... right?  And so thickens the plot with the story on Japan’s contaminated blood products.

Pharmaceutical firm knew of hepatitis C risks from blood product
Mainichi Daily News - Japan
A pharmaceutical company that manufactured the blood product Christmassin was aware that it had a high risk of infecting users with hepatitis C, ...

If this study pisses you off ... you’re not alone.  But we figure it’s big pharma justifying to insurance companies to pay for their drugs, even for us former drug users.  She-e-it!

Drug Users With Hepatitis C Virus Can Achieve a Sustained ...
DG News - USA
By Maria Bishop BOSTON, MA -- November 5, 2007 -- Current and former illicit drug users who have hepatitis C virus (HCV) are able to achieve a sustained ...

I’ve always kind of admired that talented guy that does the dry eye commercial.  Like, how the hell does he do that?  It could be that he just got a little hep C in his eye.  I shit you not.

Study: Dry eye common symptom of hepatitis C infection
OSN SuperSite (subscription) - Thorofare,NJ,USA
Dry eye syndrome represents the most common ocular symptom of hepatitis C virus infection, according to a study by researchers in Germany. ...

2007 Liver Meeting hits Boston

It's that time of year again.  No ... not to tear apart yer Harley.  Well ... I suppose it is, actually.  But I'm talking about the

2007 AASLD!

That's right.  The American Association for the Study of Liver Disease had its annual hep doc convention this year in early November.  Literally hundreds of hep docs from around the world will converge on Boston & present their work as they look for a cure for hep C.  Just as soon as we have a budget, Hep C Straightup will be there.   ... unless there's someone out there who will send 1 or 2 of us ....  Shoulda been one helluva tea party.

October 2007

This is pretty heinous, but I’m sure it’s not an isolated deal.  In other words, I gotta speculate that Japan ain’t the only place this has happened.  Know what I mean?

Govt hid info on 118 hepatitis victims
The Daily Yomiuri - Osaka,Japan
The Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry was informed in 2002 of the identities of two people and the initials of 116 others who developed hepatitis C after ...

Japan probes failure to notify patients at risk of hepatitis C ...
International Herald Tribune - France
AP TOKYO: Japan is investigating why as many as 418 people unknowingly exposed to hepatitis C-tainted blood products several years ago were not warned they ...

If ya can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em.   ... I guess.  These two were in the middle of some kind of court fight over the patent for this drug.  Now they’re getting’ married.  Hmmm ....

Innogenetics signs licensing agreement with Novartis on hepatitis ...
Forbes - NY,USA
Innogenetics said in a statement that the agreement grants it a license to Novartis (nyse: NVS - news - people )'s hepatitis C patent rights in the field of ...

From the category of oops ...

Hep C infection after test missed
Sydney Morning Herald - Sydney,New South Wales,Australia
A PATIENT has contracted Hepatitis C from an organ transplant after a test that would have detected the disease was not performed until after the operation. ...

The next two articles are basically stock market opinions –er, I mean, analyses.  As far as our disease goes, there’s still no clear best hep C drug as far as the new drugs go.  But big pharmas are starting to circle each other....

Gilead's on a Drug-Induced High
Motley Fool - USA
Gilead also plans to catch up in the hepatitis C virus (HCV) antiviral race in the coming years. It's continuing phase 1 clinical trial work on polymerase ...

Schering's Hepatitis C Data Dull Vertex's Shine
TheStreet.com - USA
By Adam Feuerstein Schering-Plough's (SGP - Cramer's Take - Stockpickr) experimental hepatitis C drug, once thought to be in trouble, has roared back to ...

Another 60’s musician’s hep C has hit the news.  Anyone out there ever have a crush on MaryAnn Faithful?

Well, here’s the stories – but take what they say about our disease with a grain of salt ... cuz some of these really show their ignorance about hep C & how it’s transmitted (especially the first one).  Maybe cuz they’re like celebrity gossip rags ... I dunno – don’t really care.  Just a heads up.

Marianne Faithfull tells Phillip Schofield she has hepatitis C
EnjoyFrance.com - Paris,France
Pop singer Marianne Faithfull has admitted to TV host Phillip Schofield that she has the hepatitis C virus, which affects the liver. ...

Faithfull suffering from Hepatitis C
RTE.ie - Ireland
The singer, who was diagnosed with breast cancer last year, said on 'This Morning' that her health is now "precious". Speaking about her health she said: "I ...

Singer Faithfull has hepatitis C
BBC News - UK
Singer Marianne Faithfull has revealed she was diagnosed with the hepatitis C virus in the 1990s. Faithfull, 60, let slip that she had the virus while ...

Faithfull Discusses Hepatitis C Diagnosis
Post Chronicle - USA
by Staff While talking about her recent treatment for breast cancer, singer Marianne Faithfull told a British reporter she was diagnosed with hepatitis C in ...

This article cites a study that gives credence to hep C transmission from tattoos.  Unfortunately, it says nothing about when, or where, these folks got tattooed, cuz it’s pretty safe these days (like it says here). 

Hepatitis C Testing Recommended For Anyone With A Tattoo
eMaxHealth.com - Hickory,NC,USA
The connection between tattoos and hepatitis C virus (HCV) has long been suspected but never completely substantiated. Tattoos and the connection to the ...

Great news for ya’ll in Colorado without health insurance, here.

Colorado Health Care Proposal Would Expand Coverage To 85% Of States Uninsured

eMaxHealth
A proposal developed by the Colorado Blue Ribbon Commission for Health Care Reform would extend health insurance to 85% of the state's uninsured residents.

Ya know how, now & then, ya hear someone whining about how everyone sues everybody for any little thing in the U.S?  Well, a doc in Ireland got sued – and is facing charges – over people getting hep C in bad blood products.  She’s now filing an appeal in their Supreme Court. 

Doctor charged over Hepatitis C lodges appeal
RTE.ie - Ireland
The only person facing charges over the infection of women with Hepatitis C from contaminated blood products, has lodged a Supreme Court appeal against the ...

Finally ... under the heading of “you kidding?  ... this is news?”  we have this, from Arabia.  I guess people are finally getting tested.  But more likely it’s pharmaceutical spin just got translated in that language, since they got a doc quoted as describing hep C as the “silent epidemic.”   ... yea ... real original.

Health Ministry Reports Surge in Hepatitis Cases
Arab News - Jeddah,Saudi Arabia
JEDDAH, 16 October 2007 — More than 500000 hepatitis C cases have been reported in Saudi Arabia, according to Dr. Khaled Mirghalani, the Health Ministry ...

Got hep C?  ... don’t know – but wanna find out?  Well if ya live anywhere near Springfield, MO, then ya can this Saturday for free.  Any other time, you can get tested through Hep C-MO, on a sliding fee scale.  You can find a link to their site here.

Free hepatitis C checks set Saturday
News-Leader.com - Springfield,MO,USA
Free hepatitis C screenings will be offered to the community from 8 am to 3 pm Saturday at Doctors Hospital of Springfield. The confidential screening is ...

Hey ... someone let me know when we can finally add to the list of risk factors for getting hep C: had a medical procedure.  These kids in Albania may wanna know, too.

Children infected by hepatitis C in blood clinic
New Europe - Brussels,Belgium
Albanian officials confirmed on October 3 that some 50 children treated in a Tirana clinic for blood diseases were infected with hepatitis C. The source of ...

   ... on that note ... this “important legal notice” was issued the same day in Brussels.  And here I thought that we only pulled this kind of cover-yer-ass B.S. in the U.S. 

Experts caution against hidden hepatitis C spread
Cordis News - Brussels,Belgium
The Eurasian Harm Reduction Network (EHRN; formerly the Central and Eastern European Harm Reduction Network - CEEHRN) has warned of a hidden hepatitis C ...

Continuing with the topic of coverin’ one’s ass – or bum, as they say in jolly ol’ England – these headlines look pretty f---in’ hairy.  But, note the year of the hep C transmission.  Hep C was identified in 1990.  There wasn’t a reliable test for it till 1992.

Hepatitis C victim calls it 'unbelievable'
London Free Press - Canada
By JOHN MINER, A London region man who got hepatitis C after a 1984 transfusion called yesterday's acquittal of four doctors and a pharmaceutical ...

MDs acquitted in tainted blood trial
National Review of Medicine - Montreal,Quebec,Canada
In total, more than 1000 Canadians were infected with HIV and 20000 with hepatitis C due to tainted blood in the 80s, over 3000 of whom have died. ...

What in the world?  October 1st is World Hepatitis Day. 

Need for access to treatment stressed on Hepatitis Day
KanglaOnline - India
"In Manipur, Hepatitis C is causing more deaths than HIV. We are addressing the Hepatitis issue very slowly. ART is given free for HIV positive people but ...

If ya find yourself in Ipswich in Britain, then ya might wanna stop in & say hi ....

Group helps hepatitis C sufferers
Suffolk Evening Star - Ipswich,England,UK
AN IPSWICH woman with hepatitis C is today reaching out to others with the disease on the eve of a support evening in the town. Erica Wildwood discovered in ...

September 2007

Now, this is what I call a winner ... a program that brings care to heppers without insurance.  Way to go, New Mexico!  ... say - isn't some guy from there running for prez?

NM Hepatitis C program wins international competition
Bizjournals.com - Charlotte,NC,USA
Project ECHO, a Hepatitis C program developed by the University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center and the state's Health and Corrections departments, ...

It looks like we’re seeing hep C on the rise.  Now that we’re choosing to see it, that is.

Kaua'i sees spike in hepatitis C cases
Lihue Garden Island - Lihue,HI,USA
by Nathan Eagle - THE GARDEN ISLAND With a surge of hepatitis C cases recently diagnosed on the Garden Island, Malama Pono Kaua'i AIDS Project Executive ...

County hepatitis C cases increase
Springfield News Sun - Springfield,OH,USA
By Kelly Baker Clark County reported almost 50 percent more hepatitis C cases in the first eight months of 2007 than during all of 2006. ...

The world has lost another hep C activist: founder of “The Body Shop,” Anita Roddick.

Hep C sufferer Anita Roddick dies
PinkNews.co.uk – UK

Roddick, who built a retail empire while taking an ethical approach to business, revealed she contracted the Hepatitis C virus and suffered from liver ...

Reinforcing the importance of educating ourselves about our disease ... Dr. P.K. Morrow – a renowned expert cancer doc – is quoted saying, "if you find someone with elevated liver enzymes, do a hepatitis panel on them...."  Well, I guess ya can’t be an expert in everything, eh? 

ASCO Breast: Hepatitis C Impacts Breast Cancer Treatment
MedPage Today - Little Falls,NJ,USA
Hepatitis C infection may impair breast cancer treatment and increase complications of chemotherapy, researchers found. ......

Now, if this ain’t something ...   People who beat hep C on their own are undercounted – we knew this – but those who are co-infected with hep B are more likely to beat the hep C, because the B interferes with virus replicating (like it says here).  Too much ... eh? 

Who Will Recover Spontaneously From Hepatitis C Virus Infection?
Science Daily (press release) - USA
Science Daily -- More than 3% of world population is infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV). The outcome of HCV infections is either self recovery or chronic ...

Polytherics ... a new David in the ol’ David & Goliath scenario?

A biotech pioneer takes on Big Pharma
CNNMoney.com - USA
After earning his Ph.D. and joining the faculty at London's Imperial College, Shaunak saw signs of another epidemic on the horizon: hepatitis C. He feared a ...

Now ... if ya ask me, business corporations, data collection, & public health, all seem – to me – oxymoronical. 

PT Roche Indonesia in hepatitis C campaign
CSR Asia - Hong Kong SAR,China
PT Roche Indonesia has announced it will finance all the programs of Hepatitis C national surveillance to be carried out by the Health Department for a year ...

August 2007

At bike rallies, a lot of people will come by the booth, and when offered some info, they’ll say, “no thanks.  I had that shot.”  ... at least, till they hear me say, “no ya haven’t.”  There is no vaccine for ignorance, or hep C.   But at least they’re working on one for hep C. 

Intercell says Hepatitis C vaccine shows progress
Reuters - USA
VI: Quote, Profile, Research) said on Monday interim results from a small sample size of a Phase II study for a Hepatitis C vaccine showed a significant ...

Intercell's Therapeutic Hepatitis C Vaccine Meets Primary ...
PharmaLive.com (press release) - Newtown,PA,USA
Today, Intercell AG (ICLL) announced the analysis of Phase II interim data for its peptide-based therapeutic Hepatitis C vaccine (IC41) in an exploratory ...

Here’s a company that’s takin’ a stab at a low-dose interferon.  ... not sure why, though.

Amarillo Biosciences Recaps Progress in 2007
Earthtimes.org - USA
In Taiwan and China, ABI's Taiwanese partners are expected to conduct a clinical trial in chronic active hepatitis C patients. These developments will help ...

July 2007

It's like i tell folks at Q & A LIVE ... we can probably add to the list of people in high-risk for hep C, anyone who's ever had a hospital procedure.

The Consumer When the Surgeon Is Infected, How Safe Is the Surgery?
New York Times - United States
By RONI CARYN RABIN A few years ago, two Long Islanders with hepatitis C met in a support group and soon discovered they had something in common: both had ....

Double Standard: Patients Not Protected From Exposure to Doctor's ...
InjuryBoard.com - Tampa,FL,USA
By Jenny Albano A case of two patients who both contracted hepatitis C from the same physician during open-heart surgery brought to light the risk of ...

Pretty interesting - though not all surprising - & might provide food for thought for those of ya considering treatment. 

Numerous Factors Affect Success of Interferon Treatment for ...
DG News - USA
ROCHESTER, MN -- July 2, 2007 -- A new study on predicting outcomes of standard treatment for hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection found that a number of ...     

June 2007

Good thing they didn’t go into any dangerous line of work, like nursing, or being a doctor, or some other healthcare profession.

 Hepatitis C could be considered occupational hazard
Central Penn Business Journal - Harrisburg,PA,USA
The state House Labor Relations Committee approved a bill yesterday that would classify hepatitis C as an occupational disease for certain law-enforcement ... 

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While they choose a dangerous profession, most doc aren’t pricks ... some are.  But when they get pricked, they tend to shrug it off.  Like these articles state...

Doctors' prickly issue
Los Angeles Times - CA,USA
Even when working with patients with hepatitis B, hepatitis C or HIV, 16% of the residents skipped reporting the incident. The most common reason given was ...

Despite risks, needle sticks underreported
Baltimore Sun - United States
When treating patients with hepatitis C, a potentially fatal liver disease, two of every 100 sticks lead to an infection. Although the risk of contracting a ...

There’s some stuff in certain health foods that can O.D. heppers with iron ... and it’s not called “iron” on the label.

Iron in foods may affect hepatitis C prognosis
The Daily Yomiuri - Osaka,Japan
Some health food products containing turmeric, chlorella and other substances can hinder the prognosis of patients with chronic hepatitis C liver disease ...

Research on immune responses, like this, could make way for eradicating the virus without having to endure the current treatments.

$1.8 Million Gift Will Advance Health Research
UC Berkeley - Berkeley,CA,USA
Earlier, she and her faculty colleague Eva Nogales had discovered the mechanisms the Hepatitis C virus uses to bypass cells' natural defenses and establish ...

An anesthesiologist's been accused of giving people hep C, and is under investigation.  Hmmm...  

Anesthesiologist Allegedly Infects Patients with Virus Hepatitis C ...
Associated Content - Denver,CO,USA
According to the Associated Press, what the patients of a New York City anesthesiologist didn't remember was perhaps contracting Hepatitis C from the ...    

Hep C Doctor Has Bad Rep
Gothamist - NY,USA
The doctor we wrote about Friday, who was connected to three separate cases of patients infected with Hepatitis C, apparently has a less-than-stellar ...

A bunch of groups in India are taking Roche to court, saying the Pegasys patent's no good.  A friend of mine says it's not going to amount to anything here though. 

Roche's Hepatitis C drug patent challenged
Therapeutics Daily (subscription) (press release) - Newtown,PA,USA
... patent protection and the resultant high price of the drug is making it unaffordable for an estimated 12.5 million Hepatitis C infected people in India. ...

 ... and it's about damn time, too ....

North Dakota Tackles Hepatitis C in Prisons
NPR - USA
Morning Edition, June 6, 2007 · Hepatitis C is a growing problem in US prisons, and a number of facilities are being sued for failure to treat inmates. ...

Bipartisan Hepatitis C Legislation Reintroduced in Both Houses of ...
Genetic Engineering News (press release) - New Rochelle,NY,USA
The Hepatitis C Epidemic Control and Prevention Act [SB-1445, HR-2552] has been reintroduced into both Houses of the 110th Congress by Senator Edward ...

Maybe i'm just skeptical here, but i gotta wonder who's behind these calls for testing.  Like, who benefits?   Sure ... some folks who might beat hep C.  But the pharma'$ definitely do.  Now, if it were ANONYMOUS testing ... that'd be different.  On the other hand ... general practitioners DO need more hep C awareness, and that seems to be a focus in this article.

Call for faster Hep C care
Healthcare Republic (press release) - London,UK
Treating hepatitis C will cost the NHS up to £8 billion over the next 30 years unless testing and early treatment is made more available, according to the ...

While it's pretty cool these days to have wipes for anything: the inside of your car, for your bike, your windshield.  Even disinfectant ones for kitchen counter tops.  But be careful about wipes that claim to prevent hep's A, B, & C. 

FDA warns DuPont about RelyOn claims
The News Journal - Wilmington,DE,USA
... Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C." Jacobson said the RelyOn surface disinfectants were not cited in the FDA's warning letter. ...

... and another thing canada does for its people ... that the U.S. doesn't ...

Rulings help 'forgotten' hep C victims
Victoria Times Colonist - Victoria,BC,Canada
EDMONTON -- Canadians infected with hepatitis C from tainted blood transfusions welcomed court rulings that clear the way for a national $1 billion ...

$1.8 Million Gift Will Advance Health Research
UC Berkeley - Berkeley,CA,USA
Earlier, she and her faculty colleague Eva Nogales had discovered the mechanisms the Hepatitis C virus uses to bypass cells' natural defenses and establish ...

This article's been kinda controversial lately, the way they're throwing around the C word (CURE).  But here, they're talkin' about cholesteral drugs, aka statins, that have shown to kill the hep C virus.  So adding statins to the current regimen may up our chances.  Still gotta watch for heart problems & stuff currently associated with statin drugs.

Cure rates becoming the norm for patients with hepatitis C
American Medical News (subscription) - USA
Such a moment is at hand for about half of patients with hepatitis C, said researchers at a recent meeting. Treatment with pegylated interferon alone or ...

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May 2007

DDW (aka, Digestive Disease Week)

Get ready for the next round of novel therapy knock-outs.  While not your basic night at the WWF, the DDW will feature the latest scientific data on possible cures for this damn disease. 

Good luck to all you science types in attendance.

  Thank you for your work!

January 2007

When I consider activities that can cause blindness, I’m thinking of something a helluva lot more fun than doing the treatment for hep C.  But, now this common side effect – aka, retinopathy – is making the news.  Check these articles out ...

Interferon-treated hepatitis C patients likely to experience ...
EurekAlert (press release) - Washington,DC,USA
Rockville, Md. -- Persons with chronic hepatitis C being treated with Interferon (IFN) are at risk of developing retinopathy as early as two weeks into ...

Interferon-treatment for Hepatitis C may Cause Retinopathy
MedIndia - India
Persons treated with Interferon (IFN)to treat chronic hepatitis C are at risk of suffering from retinopathy during treatment phase itself. ...

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