Dr. Joe Galati's Blog

New Hepatitis C Therapies Are Closer Than Ever

Telaprevir, Boceprevir Improve HCV Cure Rates. The new therapies for chronic hepatitis C are closer than ever. While we have been participating in conducting may of these trials, it has never been more exciting for both patients and physicians who care for hepatitis C patients. Here is an anaylsis from the recent AASLD meeting in Boston this month. Read more here.

Boceprevir Improved Hepatitis C Response in Genotype 1 Patients-Dr. Paul Kwo Interview

Dr. Paul Kwo was on Your Health First with Dr. Joe Galati this past Sunday evening, discussing the latest results published this past week in the medical journal Lancet, which discussed the new finding with the drug Boceprevir. The response rates in chronic hepatitis C, genotype 1, are significantly improved compared to standard of care therapy currently available.

Listen to the interview here.

Paul Kwo HCV Interview

 

Vertex Pharmaceuticals: Teleprevir Results Promising for Chronic Hepatitis C

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc. (VRTX) reported strong results from the first of three key late-stage studies of hepatitis-C treatment, telaprevir, showing success in three-quarters of patients using the drug for 12 weeks.

This is very good news for both patients and physicians involved with chronic hepatitis C. Hepatitis C infects well over 4 million Americans. Complications of hepatitis C include cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma (liver cancer), and the potential need for a liver transplant. Currently available FDA approved therapies can attain a 45-55% sustained viral response to 48 weeks of combination therapy with Interferon and Ribavirin in genotype 1 individuals.

Research continues with many new agents targeting the hepatitis C virus. With FDA approval in the near future, the tools we will have to treat our patients will vastly change the practice of medicine for those with hepatitis C, achievingsignificantly greater viral clearance. Good time lie ahead.

Treating Hepatitis B and C with Human Liver in Mice

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infect liver cells, and persistent infection can lead to cirrhosis of the liver and/or a form of liver cancer known as hepatocellular carcinoma. Over 4 million Americans have hepatitis C, many more are infected and do not know they have it. Current research using small animal models of HBV and HCV infection are not particularly good, and new models are needed if we are to learn more about how these viruses operate and test new potential therapeutics. Researchers at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, have now developed a human liver chimeric mouse model by transplanting a large number of human liver cells into mice lacking three proteins (Fah, Rag2, and Il-2r-gamma) to generate mice with livers in which 95% of the liver cells are human. Of interest, these mice could be infected with HBV and HCV, and mice infected with HCV were responsive to antiviral therapy. This mouse model should prove useful not only for studying HBV and HCV infection and testing antiviral therapies but also for studying other infections microorganisms that target the liver.

If in fact an animal model works as describes here, the expanded use of animals in the research and development of new antiviral therapies will be a huge step forward in developing better therapies. While we have made great advances with the lates new agents for both HBV and HCV, the therapies, especially for hepatitis C, do have side effects.

Download the article HCV Mice and theEditorial Mice  here.

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