Narrow Results

In this paper, we consider a Hepatitis C model characterized by acute and chronic infections, treatment as a health-protective measure for the chronically infected is proposed, and its effect on the population is further highlighted. The model is perturbed by white noise and we incorporate Lévy jumps as means to depict abrupt fluctuations. We demonstrate the solution’s existence and uniqueness and deduce adequate criteria for the disease’s extinction and persistence. The importance of treatment as a protective strategy is manifested in its ability to eradicate or mitigate the propagation of the disease. We present numerical simulations to demonstrate the theoretical findings we have obtained.

Alternative medicines are being increasingly used and investigated in the management of a variety of disorders. Hepatitis is a common indication for the use of alternative therapies but evidence for the efficacy of many compounds is lacking. We have utilized a well-defined model of liver injury to study the efficacy of three herbal products designed to assist in the management of liver disease. Mice were exposed to carbon tetrachloride (CCL₄) given intragastrically after they had been pretreated for five days with either saline or one of four doses of silymarin extract or CH100 (a Chinese herbal medicine comprising of 19 herbs) or one of two doses of CH101 (a Chinese herbal preparation designed to reduce fibrosis). Animals were sacrificed 24 hours after receiving CCL₄. Liver enzymes and hepatic histology formed the basis for evaluating efficacy of the treatments. Each of the alternative medicines reduced the alanine amino transferase (ALT) elevation demonstrated after CCL₄ injection. The high dose CH100 regimen was most effective in protecting against injury and this was confirmed with hepatic histology. Other doses of CH100, CH101 and silymarin were not shown to provide protection against the histological damage. In conclusion, Silymarin, CH100 and CH101 are able to reduce ALT elevation in animals exposed to CCL₄. High dose CH100 provides protection from hepatocyte necrosis in this model. The data add to our understanding of the capacity some herbal medicines have to modify the reaction of the liver to a variety of insults and suggest the value of studying these agents further in human liver diseases.

This study analyzes a model of hepatitis C with acute infectious, chronic infectious and the recovery or immune classes. Stability characters of disease-free and endemic proportionate equilibrium points are discussed. The role of immune system on the long-term survival of the susceptible population is derived. It has been shown that chronic infected populations persist whenever acute infected class persists and conversely. Lastly, the criterion for robustness of the system is established under stochastic perturbations. Numerical simulations are also performed to validate the results obtained.

The main goal of this paper is to determine an optimal treatment strategy using interferon and ribavirin, through mathematical modeling. We formulate a mathematical model using a system of ordinary differential equations, which describes the interaction of target cells (hepatocytes), infected cells, infectious virions, non-infectious virions and the two drugs, namely, interferon and ribavirin. We solve an optimal control problem with an objective functional that minimizes the viral load as well as the side effects of treatment. Finally we derive optimal treatment strategy and then solve it numerically.

A mathematical model for the transmission dynamics of Hepatitis C virus (HCV) have been proposed and investigated. The model presented looks into preferential sexual contacts between intravenous drug users and non-drug users. The threshold parameters of the model are determined and stabilities analysed. Both analytic and numerical simulations show that increase in intravenous drug use in addition to sex results in an increase of HCV cases. Thus, safe sex and treatment of HCV alone are not enough to curtail the transmission of HCV. Effective control of HCV require strategies that are tailor made for intravenous drug users.

Treatment of hepatitis C virus (HCV) is lengthy, expensive and fraught with side-effects, succeeding in only 50% of treated patients. In clinical settings, short-term treatment response (so-called sustained virological response (SVR)) is used to predict prolonged viral suppression. Although ordinary differential equation (ODE) models for within-host HCV infection have illuminated the mechanisms underlying treatment with interferon (IFN) and ribavirin (RBV), they have difficulty producing SVR without the introduction of an external extinction threshold. Here we show that bistability in an existing ODE model of HCV, which occurs when infected hepatocytes proliferate sufficiently faster than uninfected hepatocytes, can produce SVR without an external extinction threshold under biologically relevant conditions. The model can produce all clinically observed patient profiles for realistic parameter values; it can also be used to estimate the efficacy and/or duration of treatment that will ensure permanent cure for a particular patient.

Biota in Hepatitis C License Deal with GSK.

Progen Manufacturing Alliance with CSIRO.

AustCancer and BioFocus to Accelerate RVD Breast Cancer Program.

Kinacia Develops Anti-clotting Drug.

Mimetica Receives Queensland Government Funding.

Boehringer Ingelheim Builds Pharmaceutical Plant in Shanghai Pudong.

Dr. Reddy’s Delays Ciprofloxacin Launch.

Goodman Completes Two Acquisitions.

Olympus to Use CDM Optics’s Wavefront Coding in Endoscopy Products.

Sumitomo Chemical and Takeda to Form Business Alliance.

Daicel Acquires Sorbic Acid and Potassium Sorbate Enterprise in China.

Green Biotech Co. Ltd.

PanGenomics Inc.

GeneMedix Sets up Drug Production Plant in Malaysia.

ES Cell to Open Shop in Singapore Soon.

Arginine May Prevent Deaths from Cerebral Malaria.

World First Seed Oil Enhancement Technology Developed by Chinese Scientists.

New Diagnostic Kits for Hepatitis C.

Nanometric Filter Use in Cigarette to Reduce Carbon Monoxide Emission.

Traditional Indian Herb Possesses Anti-Cancer Qualities.

GM Rice Could Protect Against Hay Fever.

Cell Infection Mechanism for Leukemia Discovered.

Japanese Sake Lowers Cholesterol Levels.

Search for Quicker Method for Detecting Mad Cow Disease.

New Bladder Cancer Treatment.

New Culture Technology for Enhancing Anti-Cancer Component in Mushroom.

Biotechnology Center of Excellence to Boost Biotech Economy in Australia.

Geological Disposal of Greenhouse Gas Emissions.

Global Collaboration against Multi-Drug Resistant Tuberculosis.

Biotech Council Recognizes Three Indian Innovators.

Pharma Companies Turn to Lifestyle Drugs as Engine of Growth.

Japanese Authority Assures Safety over Seafood Mercury Levels.

Swiss Firm Stops Sale of Korean Ramen.

New and Improved Drug for Hepatitis C Patients.

BabyBanks and ITRI to Set Up Cell and Tissue Bank.

Biotron Hepatitis C Phase lla Trial Gives Positive Results.

WuXi PharmaTech Acquires China-Based Clinical Research Services Companies.

AztraZeneca Increases Investment in China with New $200 Million Manufacturing Facility.

Otsuka Commits $A25 Million to JV with LCT.

Norgine and Jubilant Announce Discovery Collaboration in Gastrointestinal Therapeutic Area.

SIRO Clinpharm and Peregrine Pharmaceuticals Highlight Successful Collaboration.

CMS Biologics Announces Agreement with Daiichi Sankyo Company to Develop and Manufacture Antibodies.

Chr. Hansen Partners with Amino Up to Develop Breakthrough Nutritional Formulations.

SK to Work with Chinese Company on Depression Meds.

Galderma & Singapore Immunology Network Work to Deepen Understanding of Acne.

EUROPE – Biomarkers for Autism Discovered.

EUROPE – New Research Could Stop Tumor Cells From Spreading.

EUROPE – Dutch Scientists Deliver Drugs with Nanorockets.

EUROPE – "Living" Micro-Robot Could Detect Diseases in Future.

EUROPE – Animal Import Bans Threaten UK Drug Research.

EUROPE – £100M Welsh Biotech Fund Inspired by Sir Chris Evans.

EUROPE – Scientists Discover New Plasmodium Mechanism.

INDIA – Landmark Gleevec IP Case Makes Big Pharma Think Twice.

INDIA – Indian Govt Defends Generics Industry.

JAPAN – Japan May Open $96 Billion Drug Market Further.

SINGAPORE – Temasek Foundation and Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory Collaborate in Myanmar.

SINGAPORE – NCIS, NCCS and ESMO to Launch Cancer Education Initiative.

TAIWAN – Taiwan Lags Behind South Korea in Biotech.

TAIWAN – NCHU Inaugurates Taiwan-U.S. Research Center on Plant and Food Biotech.

TAIWAN – Taiwan Offers New Model to Predict Hepatitis C Cancer Risk.

TAIWAN – Nobel Laureate Dr. Ada E. Yonath to Lecture in Taipei.

USA – BIO Opens Nominations for 2012 Biotech Humanitarian Award.

USA – Pharmaceuticals Survey: Many Think Business Model Is Broken.

USA – Probe Proteins Ultrafast with Infrared Spectroscopy.

USA – This DNA Cannot be Replicated.

USA – New Single-Cell, Single-Molecule Method to Identify DNA.

USA – New Gene Therapy Approach Could Treat Sickle Cell.

USA – Clamor Affects More than Birds and Other Animals.

USA – The End of RNA World?

USA – Curly Leaves Inspire New Technique for Shaping Thin Gel Sheets.

USA – Mutant Plants May be Better for Biofuels.

USA – Breakthrough in ID'ing Target Cancer Epigenetic Genes.

Institute of Biological Chemistry researchers find new protein-DNA interaction.

Medicago to receive up to US$12 million.

INEX inks partnership with BGI for new non-invasive prenatal test.

China emerging as 'major player' for pharmaceuticals.

Possible cure for dementia found by Taiwan researchers.

BGI@CHOP Joint Genome Center to offer clinical next-generation sequencing services.

Biologists at Academia Sinica develops a new molecular strategy to suppress Hepatitis C virus replication.

Molecular cloning, characterization, and expression analysis of genes encoding Gibberellin 20-Oxidase in Dasypyrumvillosum dwarf mutant.

AUSTRALIA – Well-known antibiotic amoxycillin found to be ineffective cough treatment.

AUSTRALIA – Bring the noise: has technology made us scared of silence?

INDIA – Biocon receives marketing authorization for novel biologic itolizumab for psoriasis.

ISRAEL – Aspireo reports Somatoprim Phase Ib interim data.

JAPAN – Daiichi Sankyo and Amplimmune announce strategic alliance to develop AMP-110 therapy for autoimmune disease.

JAPAN – Eisai signs agreement with Epizyme and Roche Molecular Systems to develop companion diagnostic.

THE PHILIPPINES – Asia-Pacific Analysis: The growth of stem-cell therapy.

THE PHILIPPINES – Is the world ready for scientific diplomacy?

UNITED KINGDOM – ARIAD and the U.K. National Cancer Research Institute to collaborate on SPIRIT 3 clinical study.

UNITED KINGDOM – Vision research collaboration on novel treatment for wet age-related macular degeneration.

UNITED STATES – Reducing medical mistakes: Two recently published studies support the use of DNA testing on biopsy samples to prevent misdiagnoses.

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UNITED STATES – Inovio Pharmaceuticals to initiate clinical trial for its hepatitis C therapeutic vaccine later this year.

UNITED STATES – Jolt to brain eases pain without drugs.

UNITED STATES – Can a new vaccine prevent colon cancer?

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Novotech partners Asian Eye Institute for accelerated ophthalmology clinical trials.

TusPark establishes first overseas science park.

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Gilead to award grants of up to USD 350,000 for Hepatitis C elimination programs.

Asia’s first prospective real-world study on liver cancer treatment patterns.

National Cancer Centre Singapore launches international campaign to raise awareness about hereditary cancer.

Smart facilities for KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital.

Singapore behind China and Saudi Arabia in use of AI to improve diagnostic accuracy.

Telehealth innovation to improve access to healthcare for Singapore customers.

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