TYZEKA™ (telbivudine): Newly Approved treatment for Chronic Hepatitis B

Another chronic Hepatitis B drug treatment option is now out in the market for use among approriate clients. Novartis was so excited to inform the public of the US Food and Drug Admnistration's FDA's approval for the novel drug telbivudine, also known as TYZEKA™.

TYZEKA™ woks on like other antiviral drugs which suppresses the multiplication of Hepa B viruses in the blood which characteristically infects liver cells. Hepatitis B virus damages this organ of the body which leads to scarring (cirrhosis) and eventually liver cancer and death.

This drug was specifically seen to be very effective in inhibiting viral replication within the next 24 weeks of initial treatment while also noted for its decreased side effects. The degree of tolerability may run from mild to moderate compared to the traditional lamivudine (another anti-hepa b virus drug).

Novartis is on among the best pharmaceuticals companies worldwide and is known to develop medicines related to Neuroscience, Infectious Diseases, Ophtalmics, Bone-Arthritis, Oncology, Hematology and Cardiovascular diseases and metabolism, etc.

For more information, please visit Novartis.com.

Hepatitis B: More Infectious than HIV

It is a fact that hepatitis is 100 times more infectious than HIV and this is the same reason why governments all over the globe are doing all they can to curb the growing numbers of people being infected by Hepatitis B virus and its variants. To date, more than 600,000 million people are infected by Hepatitis B.

Vaccine

More than 60% of the population do not know that hepatitis B is a vaccine-preventable disease. The United States have developed a plan to fully eradicate Hepatitis B through a comprehensive vaccination program to protect all uninfected citizens from this debilitating disease.

A YouGov study indicatest that more than 89% of people are not aware that Hepatitis B can cause liver cancer and cirrhosis. Hepatitis causes cancer by infecting liver cells and disrupt their normal replication and healing process. This disruption, if not thwarted, will lead to lifelong liver cirrhosis (scarring of the liver) and hepatocellular carcinoma (cancer disease of the liver).

Education, medical support, research for cure and treatment and vaccination among all uninfected population are the key to the total eradication of the disease. Let us urge our government to finally set a radical change to our government's priorities in order to help our friends and families who are affected by this highly infectious illness.

Yes for life! Yes for cure! Eradicate Hepatitis B now!

Pennsylvania Biotechnology Center of Bucks County

I was impressed by the creation of the first Biotechnology Center in the United States at the State of Pennsylvania. This research facility was built with the initiative of the Hepatitis B foundation and Delaware Valley College in order to respond to the growing needs of the country and the world regarding the nature of some diseases, including hepatitis B and ultimately work on their cures.

While I must say that the Philippine government has platforms for creating a proper avenue to properly educate people about the horrors of hepatitis, it seemed not effective owing to lack of funding and poor plan execution among local officials.

The Philippines has a lot of talents which can contribute to the rising need for professionls in the field of pathology and biotechnology but are poorly utilized due to the government's inappropriate focus for its priorities. Sad but true; real brain drain.

Genetically Modified Virus: Cure for Hepatits B

University of Witwatersrand, a leading university in Johannesburg, South Africa have found a new way to combat the spread of hepatitis B virus from replicating and potentially increasing the susceptibility of the liver for further damage from this infectious disease.

The traditional way of treating hepatitis B infection is through the use of antiretroviral drugs (ARVs). Due to relative cost of these drug treatments, countries, specially those that belong to the Third World, are unable to meet the needed supply of their population that are currently battling this highly infectious virus.

Adenovirus and RNA interference (RNAi)

Viruses normally found inside the human body, adenoviruses, were found to be a very important experimental subjects in the pursuit of a cure for hepatitis B. Adenoviruses are normally found in the human body and do not cause any health injury.

A new technique in genetic engineering, called RNA interference, aims to terminate the usual process of gene replication among virus and cancer cells.

It was found out that the introduction of RNA interference in the genetic library of adenoviruses modifies the virus to become helpful in using combating gene replication among HBV particles living inside liver cells (hepatocytes).

Genetically modified adenoviruses enters the liver cells that are infected with hepatitis B virus and halts their reproductive ability. This in turn debilitates the virus and destroys them along the process.

Sergio Carmona and his colleagues at the University of Witwatersrand in South Africa are spearheading this promising study and hopes to begin the preliminary human trial really soon after a successful mice experimental trial which shows up to 90% hepa b virus clearance in the human blood and the liver cells.

The conference held in Chiba, Japan, 2006 Conference of International Society for Cell & Gene Therapy of Cancer, announces this new hope for a more robust treatment or possible cure for hepatitis B virus.

For more information, please visit SciDev.net. Let's keep our fingers crossed and hope for the best for this will definitely help our families and friends who have loved ones who are infected by this virus.

I am African: A Cause for a Global Fight Against HIV/AIDS

HIV/AIDS is a worldwide pandemic that deserves attention and action from each and everyone of us. A concerted action using education and correcting behavior that may put you and your lovedones at risk of infection and a means (antiretroviral drugs for example) to fight and prevent the disease from spreading across nations is paramount.

What is HIV/AIDS?

Human Immunodeficiencey Virus (HIV) is a virus that causes Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS). AIDS only manifest in person with HIV if the immune system of such person completely collapsed to the point that even organisms that would normally not cause serious disease to healthy person may turn out to be life-threatening.

HIV attacks specific whiteblood cell (CD4 +T Cells) that plays a very important role in immunity. The continous death of CD4+ T cells is fast enough before the entire body can even start producing a newer batch of these cells. The special designation in CD4+ would mean that these types of cells contain special receptors to where the HIV virus attach, enters the cell and starts manipulating the cell's reprodutive machinery (taking control of its DNA reproduction process).

When the number of CD4 +T Cells falls to a specific level, the infected individual may start exhibiting some of the symptoms of AIDS.

Current Statistics

There are currently more than 40 million documented cases of people living with HIV/AIDS according to a 2006 Report on the global AIDS epidemic. The number is a rough estimate of the number of people who have previously been tested and marked positive for the existence of the infectious virus in their body.

Due to the stigma brought about by the media exposure of HIV/AIDS, more and more people refuses to get tested thus making the global fight for HIV/AIDS, not completely successful.

I am African

Keep a Child Alive foundation is a global fight to help Africa curb the increasing number of HIV/AIDS orphans and help fund the budget that would be needed for the production of enough Antiretroviral drugs to treat the population infected with HIV and people exhibiting AIDS symptoms.

Let's act together and be part of this cause! A cause for treatment and cure!

Julius

I am African: Keep A Child Alive
How does HIV cause AIDS?