Schering-Plough Corporation (NYSE: SGP) announced that the European Commission on October 30 approved 48-week standard-dose PEGINTRON(TM) (peginterferon alfa- 2b, 1. [click link for full article]

A 28 year old Robinson Township woman has become the first patient to undergo liver transplantation surgery at Allegheny General Hospital (AGH). AGH officials said the surgery, which took place on November 1, represents a milestone locally in the field of organ transplantation, providing end stage liver disease patients with a vital, new choice for surgical care. [click link for full article]

Recently, scientists demonstrated the anti-cancer effects of silibinin, a major biologically active compound of milk thistle. Being widely used as a folk remedy for liver diseases, milk thistle is safe and well-tolerated, and it protects the liver from drug or alcohol-related injury. Silibinin is highly purified from milk thistle, with a defined chemical structure and molecular weight (C25H22O10, MW: 482.44).The study was carried out by Dr. [click link for full article]

In a unique effort to fight hepatitis in the greater Los Angeles area, St. Vincent Medical Center has opened the Asian Pacific Liver Center (APLC), the only clinic in Southern California dedicated to the prevention, detection and treatment of hepatitis, with special emphasis on the high rate of disease in the Asian-American Community. [click link for full article]

Most developed countries routinely immunize all their children against hepatitis B, but the UK doesn't. This means most UK citizens are susceptible to hepatitis B infection, according to an article published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ), this week's issue. [click link for full article]

GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) announced the commencement of two parallel Phase III studies to assess the clinical benefits of its investigational compound PROMACTA®/REVOLADE? (eltrombopag)in hepatitis C-associated thrombocytopenia, a condition characterised by decreased platelet counts. [click link for full article]

Tibotec BVBA announced that it has opened 5 trial sites in Belgium and Germany in its first clinical study of telaprevir (VX-950) an investigational protease inhibitor (PI) for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C (HCV) infection. The phase II study will open shortly in France, Italy, the Netherlands and Spain, subject to the necessary approvals. [click link for full article]

Interferon does not slow or halt the progression of chronic hepatitis C and advanced liver disease in patients who haven't responded to previous attempts to eradicate the disease, a national study in which the Saint Louis University School of Medicine participated has found. [click link for full article]

Vital Therapies, Inc. (VTI), announced data from two studies of the company's ELAD(R) (Extracorporeal Liver Assist Device) System were presented at the 2007 American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD) Annual Meeting, which was held November 2-6 in Boston, Mass. [click link for full article]

Patients with chronic hepatitis C and advanced liver disease who did not respond to previous standard therapy experienced significant decreases in their liver enzymes, viral levels, and liver inflammation following treatment with long-term pegylated interferon. However, the treatment did not slow or prevent the progression of serious liver disease. [click link for full article]