The use of drugs to treat hepatitis B and hepatitis C was the focus of a number of presentations at the recent 50th annual meeting of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases.
Data from one study showed that treatment with BioChem Pharma's Zeffix (lamivudine) can reduce the posttransplant recurrence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, delay or potentially remove the need for liver transplantation in some patients, and alleviate the clinical signs of liver failure endpoints. Most of the 47 patients in the study who received Zeffix were clinically stable one year following liver transplantation. See www.biochempharma.com/htmen/press/1999/278.htm.
Another lamivudine preparation, Glaxo Wellcome's Epivir-HBV, also reduced the rate of recurrent HBV infection following liver transplantation and delayed the need for transplant surgery in some patients with end-stage HBV-related liver disease. In this study, 27 of 77 enrolled patients did not need anticipated liver transplants, and more than 70% of evaluable patients who did receive a transplant showed no signs of reinfection a year after surgery. See www.glaxowelcome.com/pr/1999/99-077.html.
The largest prospective study to include only hepatitis C patients with cirrhosis suggests that Hoffmann-La Roche's Pegasys (peginterferon alfa-2a) may achieve a sustained response rate nearly five times higher than standard interferon. In a randomized, controlled, multicenter phase 2/3 trial, a sustained response of undetectable levels of hepatitis C virus was found in 29% of patients treated with 180 mcg of Pegasys once a week versus in 6% of patients treated "with currently marketed interferon," Hoffmann-La Roche said at www.rocheusa.com/newsroom/current/pr1999110801.html.
A number of oral and poster presentations at the meeting addressed the use of ICN Pharmaceuticals' Rebetron combination therapy in the treatment of chronic hepatitis C. The combination therapy includes Rebetol (ribavirin) and Intron A (interferon alfa-2b, recombinant). A summary of the results is posted at www1.icnpharm.com/pr/newsrel.nsf/c3268300a799b22f88256658007e2759/4e99e81da750a52988256825005aad65?OpenDocument.
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