Hep B Blog

Study Suggests Vaccine and HBIG Ineffective at Preventing “Occult” Hepatitis B in Babies Born to Infected Mothers

— Christine M. Kukka, Project Manager, HBV Advocate

A new study suggests for the first time that the combination of the hepatitis B vaccine and HBIG (hepatitis B immune globulin) may be ineffective in preventing “occult” hepatitis B in babies born to mothers infected with the hepatitis B virus (HBV). An occult infection occurs when a person tests negative for the hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg)—considered an essential antigen building block for HBV—while testing positive for HBV DNA. When this occult infection occurs, researchers suspect the HBsAg has somehow mutated so conventional lab tests can’t identify it. Continue reading "Study Suggests Vaccine and HBIG Ineffective at Preventing “Occult” Hepatitis B in Babies Born to Infected Mothers"

Entecavir + Tenofovir Works Well for Hepatitis B Patients with Prior Treatment Failure

Published on Monday, 11 November 2013
Written by Liz Highleyman
HIVandHepatitis.com

A dual regimen of entecavir (Baraclude) plus tenofovir (Viread) for 48 weeks led to virological response and was generally well-tolerated as second-line therapy for chronic hepatitis B patients who had failed previous nucleoside/nucleotide treatment, according to a poster presentation at the 64th AASLD Liver Meeting last week in Washington, DC. Continue reading "Entecavir + Tenofovir Works Well for Hepatitis B Patients with Prior Treatment Failure"

Gilead Lead Chronic HepB Candidate GS-9620 Conceived as a More Patient-Friendly Interferon

Harnessing the Power of RNAi Gene Silencing in a Quest of a Cure for Chronic Hepatitis B, and the  HBV KnockDown blog written by Dirk Haussecker, who believes it’s about time everyone got serious about a functional cure for hepatitis B. 

As I was reading the latest PK-PD study by Gilead on its lead experimental chronic HepB drug candidate GS-9620 (Fosdick et al. 2013), it finally dawned on me that much-touted GS-9620 has been designed to be nothing more than a better tolerated, more convenient version of an already existing treatment option, recombinant interferon.  GS-9620 is therefore an example of the typical incrementalist Big Pharma value creation strategy.  By contrast, if successful, an HBsAg knockdown approach such as with Arrowhead’s ARC520 would bring to healthcare providers and patients an entirely new, desperately needed treatment option as the field has become stuck with interferons and RT inhibitors for years.  Continue reading "Gilead Lead Chronic HepB Candidate GS-9620 Conceived as a More Patient-Friendly Interferon"

HBV Journal Review – November 2013

HBF is pleased to connect our blog readers to Christine Kukka’s monthly HBV Journal Review that she writes for the HBV Advocate. The journal presents the
latest in hepatitis B research, treatment, and prevention from recent academic and medical journals. This month, the following topics are explored:

  • Patients Who Clear Hepatitis B During Antiviral Treatment Do Well Long-Term
  • However, the Prognosis is Poor for Most Who Stop Antiviral Treatment
  • How Effective Are Antivirals in Reducing Cirrhosis and Preventing Liver Cancer?
  • New Antiviral Besifovir Hampered by Carnitine Deficiency in Early Clinical Trial
  • Liver Cancer Remains Major Health Threat, with Few Treatment Options
  • Scientists Develop a Better Mouse for Hepatitis B and C Research
  • HBV-Infected People Have a Higher Risk of Rheumatoid Arthritis
  • Ear Wax May Transmit Hepatitis B
  • Children with Frequent Ear Infections Do Not Respond as Well to Vaccines
  • Clean-Shave Haircuts Leave Traces of Virus on the Scalp  Continue reading "HBV Journal Review – November 2013"

Hepatitis B Mutation Seen in Only Men, Increased Risk of Liver Cancer

High Level of Sexual Harassment in Men Linked to Purging: Study

Are you depressed? (Photo : Reuters)

Posted in Science World Report, October 17, 2013

A recent study looks at a form of hepatitis B that is only found in men and may explain higher rates for certain types of cancer.

According to a team of researchers from Seoul National University in Korea, they identified a mutation from the hepatitis B virus that seems to appear only in men and may explain why HBV-infected males are roughly five times more likely than HBV-infected women to develop certain types of liver cancer. Continue reading "Hepatitis B Mutation Seen in Only Men, Increased Risk of Liver Cancer"

Coffee Consumption Reduces Risk of Liver Cancer

“Our research confirms past claims that coffee is good for your health, and particularly the liver,” said Carlo La Vecchia, MD. (Credit: © volff / Fotolia)

Coffee consumption reduces risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the most common type of liver cancer, by about 40 percent, according to an up-to-date meta-analysis published in Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology, the official clinical practice journal of the American Gastroenterological Association. Further, some data indicate that three cups of coffee per day reduce liver cancer risk by more than 50 percent.

Read more. 

Posted in Science Daily, October 22, 2013

ISIS/GSK and Tekmira Come Out with HBV Knockdown Plans

Harnessing the Power of RNAi Gene Silencing in Quest of a Cure for Chronic Hepatitis B, and the HBV KnockDown blog written by Dirk Haussecker, who believes it’s about time everyone got serious about a functional cure for hepatitis B. 

If you did not appreciate the value the pharmaceutical industry has come to place on the HBsAg knockdown concept for achieving a functional cure for chronic Hepatitis B (HBV) infection, the last two days will have woken you up.

Yesterday, ISIS Pharmaceuticals reported that it had received a $7M milestone payment related to the development of an antiviral RNaseH development candidate (ISIS-GSK3Rx, aka ISIS-HBVRx) which, although undisclosed for competitive reasons, has got to be for HBV.  And today, Tekmira publicly announced that they will file an IND for an HBV-RNAi candidate in 2014 while hinting at the partnering potential of such a treatment candidate.

Arrowhead Research is thus not alone in their efforts any more.  Coincidentally, Arrowhead reported today the completion of their enrollment of the phase I single-dose, healthy volunteer study with ARC520, their DPC-delivered candidate for chronic HBV.  Accordingly, the dose escalation was able to run through all the pre-planned 6 dose cohorts up to the top dose of 2.0mg/kg.

Apparently, there were no signs of significant dose-related toxicities.  The only finding of concern among the 36 volunteers, 24 of which received drug, was 2 cases of lightheadedness of uncertain clinical relevance.  As these occurred at the highest dose, it seems that the company suspects that it could have been drug-related although the study remains blinded for follow-up.

A dose of 2mg/kg without any serious adverse events or dose-limiting toxicities is a great start for DPC delivery technology.  This is especially the case when one considers that the single-molecule subQ version of DPC that I hope will form the basis for the upcoming pipeline candidates, except for the next one perhaps, will be much more potent than the two-molecule version of intravenously delivered ARC520 based on the non-human primate data presented at last year’s OTS meeting.

With 2mg/kg of ARC520, I further believe that HBsAg knockdowns of over 90% are likely.  The biggest challenge going forward with this program will be setting a knockdown goal and getting the dose and dose frequency right.

 

HBV Journal Review – October 2013

HBF is pleased to connect our blog readers to Christine Kukka’s monthly HBV Journal Review that she writes for the HBV Advocate. The journal presents the
latest in hepatitis B research, treatment, and prevention from recent academic and medical journals. This month, the following topics are explored:

  • Study Finds Only 21% of Hepatitis B Patients Are Treated Correctly
  • Combination of Chinese Herbs Plus Antiviral Entecavir Proves Effective
  • Caesarians Reduce Infection of Newborns When Mothers Have High Viral Loads
  • Combined Antiviral and Interferon Treatment Effective in Those Under Age 30
  • New Tenofovir Formula May Lead to Less Bone Loss and Kidney Problems
  • HBV Mutation Found Only in Men May Explain Their Higher Rates of Liver Damage
  • Sumo Wrestlers Found to Transmit HBV Infection
  • Taiwan’s Hepatitis B Immunization of Infants Reduces Hepatitis B by 90%
  • Tenofovir Reverses Severe, Decompensated Cirrhosis

HBV Journal Review
October 1, 2013
Volume 10, Issue 10
by Christine M. Kukka 

Study Finds Only 21% of Hepatitis B Patients Are Treated Correctly

A new study, examining how well San Francisco primary care providers care for their patients infected with the hepatitis B virus (HBV), finds most fail to screen them for liver cancer or regularly evaluate their viral load or hepatitis B “e” antigen (HBeAg) status, though medical guidelines require annual or semi-annual testing.

The study, published in the September 2013 issue of the journal Digestive Diseases and Sciences, surveyed doctors who provide care through a safety net program to many uninsured patients. They were asked how well they thought they followed current medical guidelines, and then patient medical records were analyzed to assess the true quality of care.

Of the 148 doctors surveyed, 79% claimed to follow medical guidelines and monitor patients’ liver health every 6 six 12 months. However, patient medical records covering the last 12 months showed substandard care.

  • • Only 75% of patients had their alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels, which shows liver damage, tested in the past year.
  • • Only 51% had their viral load (HBV DNA) tested.
  • • Only 51% had been screened for liver cancer (either with an alpha fetoprotein test or some type of liver imaging). This test should be performed annually, and doctors are at risk of medical malpractice if they do not screen patients for cancer.
  • • HBeAg tests were performed in only 29% of patients.
  • • Only 32% of the hepatitis B patients had been immunized against hepatitis A, another guideline requirement, to protect them from another liver infection.

Bottom line, researchers found that only 21% of patients had been monitored properly in compliance with current hepatitis B guidelines. Forty-three percent of doctors were not familiar with medical guidelines for hepatitis B management and only 73% answered all questions about hepatitis B correctly.

There was also a racial bias regarding which HBV-infected patients were screened for hepatitis C and HIV. Doctors tended to test African-American and Latino patients for hepatitis C (48% and 44% respectively) at a higher rate than they tested whites and Asian-American patients (34% and 31%.)

The study suggests that fear of malpractice—more than knowledge of current practice guidelines—may drive doctors to perform the required liver cancer screenings each year. Also, the researchers suggest that hepatitis B public education initiatives, spearheaded by the San Francisco Hepatitis B Free Campaign, may have contributed to better monitoring of Asian-Americans because it raised awareness among the public and their providers.

“These findings highlight the importance of targeted provider education to improve overall care,” for hepatitis B, the researchers from the University of California, San Francisco, suggest.

Continue reading about this and additional HBV related studies

Join Hep B United, CDC DVH, HBF, AAPCHO and CDC NPIN for a Twitter Chat!

Mark you calendars! Join Hep B United,CDC Division of Viral Hepatitis , HBF, AAPCHO and CDC NPIN for a Twitter Chat on Tuesday, November 19th, 3pm EST to discuss the Know Hepatitis B campaign and what Hep B United, partners and coalition members are doing to raise awareness and increase hepatitis B testing and vaccination among Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs). Hepatitis B is the leading cause of liver cancer and a major health disparity among AAPIs who are disproportionately impacted by HBV. Continue reading "Join Hep B United, CDC DVH, HBF, AAPCHO and CDC NPIN for a Twitter Chat!"

Protein Myths and Your Liver

Liver-friendly diets are a common concern for those with chronic hepatitis B wishing to make healthy lifestyle choices. Protein is essential to all, but there are healthier ways to consume necessary proteins.  Please enjoy this informative blog from the Al D. Rodriguez Liver Foundation – ADRLF, on Protein Myths and Your Liver written by ToniMarie Bacala.

We all love need protein – whether it be from animals or plants—protein gives us essential amino acids we need to keep our bodies strong and healthy. But how much do we really understand about protein and its effects on our organs, especially the liver? Is there such as thing as too much protein, even if its from vegetables and grains? Let’s delve into two popular protein myths and how we can ensure our protein intake is safe for our liver.

Love meat? Learn more about healthy proteins to protect you liver.
Love meat? Learn more about healthy non-animal meat proteins to protect you liver and keep your body healthy.

Protein is made of 20 different amino acids, but only 11 of which can be naturally synthesized by our body. The other types of protein come from the food we eat. Essentially, it’s safe to say that while protein helps in building the cell wall, strengthening muscle tissues and supporting cell functions, our body actually just needs certain types of amino acids.

So myth or truth? The best source of protein is animal meat. MYTH

Eating red meat requires our digestive system, as well as our liver to do a lot of work processing the heavy bulk of protein. Experts suggest limiting the amount of red meat we eat to at most one serving a day.

There are other good sources of proteins like whole grains, green vegetables, nuts, peas and beans. Fruits also contain small amounts of protein. Compared to animal meat, vegetables and beans have phytochemicals, antioxidants and other nutrients. Nuts and beans containing antioxidants help the liver process the food and beverage that we take in, making it a healthier source of protein.

Myth or truth? People desiring to build lean muscle mass can eat as much protein-rich food as they want.

MYTH.

There is such a thing as too much protein. While protein is an essential nutrient, the overall health of our body lies in having a balanced diet. People building up muscles such as athletes and bodybuilders are no different.

The advisable amount of protein intake for men also differs from women. Consult your doctor or a nutritionist who can give you the appropriate amount of protein you should include in your diet, as based on your weight, age and daily activities. There are also vegan bodybuilders who get much of their protein requirements from vegetables and grains.

Eating too much protein can cause several health conditions such as ketosis, organ failure, and heart diseases. Too much protein can also be dangerous and stressful to the liver. So look out for other protein myths with the basic truth in mind: Keep protein intake in moderation and explore the benefits of non-animal sources of healthy proteins.