Hep

The entry inhibitor bulevirtide (Hepcludex) led to reductions in hepatitis delta virus (HDV) viral load, liver enzyme levels and liver fibrosis, improving on earlier results, according to study findings presented last week at the International Liver Congress (ILC 2022) in London. Another study of real-world bulevirtide use in France also showed virological and biochemical improvements.

The board of directors at the Baruch S. Blumberg Institute, established by the Hepatitis B Foundation, appointed Randall N. Hyer, MD, PhD, as the organization’s next president. Hyer is the former senior vice president for global medical affairs at Moderna. In 2020, Hyer played a key role in the...

People who were successfully treated for hepatitis C with direct-acting antiviral (DAA) therapy experienced improvements in their mood and cognition, according to study results published in the Journal of Viral Hepatitis. Over time, chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection can lead to severe liver disease, including cirrhosis and liver cancer....

Harmony is not often found between two of the most boisterous senators on Capitol Hill, Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Rand Paul (R-Ky.). But it was there at [the June 14] Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee markup of legislation to reauthorize the Food and Drug Administration’s user fee program, which is set to expire September 30.

Facebook has been receiving private medical data thanks to the tracking tool Meta Pixel, which is installed on many hospital websites, according to a report published June 16 by The Markup, a nonprofit newsroom. The next day, a class-action lawsuit was filed against Facebook parent company Meta, alleging that the company violated health privacy rules.

A large randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial led by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) shows that treating adults hospitalized with COVID-19 with infliximab or abatacept – drugs widely used to treat certain autoimmune diseases – did not significantly shorten time to recovery but did substantially improve clinical status and reduce deaths.

High-intensity interval training (HIIT) altered the metabolism of different tissues in people with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in various ways. Body fat in these individuals was especially responsive to exercise even in the absence of weight loss, according to study results published in the journal Scientific Reports. Arising from...

Children with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), which affects 5 to 8 million children in the United States, may be at risk of developing type 2 diabetes as adults. NALFD affects liver function by storing large fat droplets in the cells of the liver. The relationship between NAFLD and type 2 diabetes in adults has long been studied but much less is known about how the disease affects children.

In a unanimous decision, the Supreme Court ruled that the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) was wrong to cut billions of dollars annually from the federal 340B Drug Pricing Program, reports Fierce Healthcare. The controversial Medicare discount drug program 340B helps fund hospitals and clinics that serve vulnerable...

Vaccines developed early in the COVID-19 pandemic still provide strong protection against severe disease, hospitalization, and death. But SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, continues to mutate. Many of these mutations alter the spike protein, which the virus uses to enter and infect cells. These mutations help the virus to dodge the immune system’s attack.

The World Hepatitis Summit 2022 will renew commitments with global partners to eliminate viral hepatitis worldwide by 2030. Since the 2016 World Health Assembly, countries have succeeded in reducing the incidence of hepatitis B in children under 5 and increasing the number of people receiving treatment for hepatitis C 10-fold.

People with viral hepatitis and resulting cirrhosis who drank heavily had worse liver function impairment and were much more likely to develop hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), according to study results published in BMC Gastroenterology. Over years or decades, chronic hepatitis B or hepatitis C, fatty liver disease, heavy alcohol use and...

A study published in JAMA Network Open found that women, African Americans and Latinos do not have equal access to the Food and Drug Administration–approved prescription buprenorphine for the treatment of opioid addiction. The study examined 3,110 filled prescriptions of buprenorphine from 72,055 emergency department visits spanning 2014 to...

The number of liver transplants performed in the United States did not decline during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, but the reason is unfortunate: A rise in drug overdose deaths led to an increase in the supply of donated organs, according to a presentation at Digestive Disease Week 2022.

People with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and a normal body mass index (BMI) have a greater likelihood of experiencing heart disease compared with those who have overweight or obesity, but they were at lower risk for other related conditions, according to study results presented at Digestive Disease Week 2022.

Study Finds Highly Elevated Levels of Fatty Liver Disease for 9/11 First Responders. Toxin exposure appears to have contributed to dramatically higher rates of fatty liver disease among first responders to the attack on the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001, according to research that was selected for presentation at Digestive Disease Week (DDW) 2020. DDW data will be published in the May online supplements to Gastroenterology and GIE: Gastrointestinal Endoscopy.

A multicenter study conducted by an international consortium including UT Southwestern has identified several risk factors and outcomes for people with autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) that recurs after liver transplantation. Published in the Journal of Hepatology, these findings may help improve the management and possible prevention of AIH, which affects about...

The Food and Drug Administration is investigating a potential link between a hepatitis A outbreak and fresh organic strawberries. The contaminated strawberries were sold between March 5 and April 2 and branded as FreshKampo and HEB, according to the FDA, in collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Public Health Agency of Canada, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and state and local partners.

People with cirrhosis but no existing liver nodules may be at risk for developing hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the most common type of liver cancer, even after being cured of hepatitis C, according to study results published in the Journal of Hepatology. Over time, chronic hepatitis B or C virus (HBV...