University of Edinburgh scientists develop new test to determine best treatment for HCV

New customised treatment for hep C

(UKPA) – 3 days ago

Customised treatments for hepatitis C patients are being developed by scientists at a leading university.

A new test is said to rule out the trial and error of patients being prescribed different courses of drugs to treat the infectious disease.

Scientists at the University of Edinburgh say they can test how effective drugs will be for the patient before they are prescribed.

Only one antiviral treatment for hepatitis C is currently available but new drugs are likely to be approved next year, which will be screened using the new method developed in Edinburgh.

The scientists also said the disease can be monitored to check when it is becoming resistant to drugs and the effectiveness of switching to other treatments can be evaluated.

Researcher Ingrid Imhof, of the university's centre for infectious diseases, said: "This new system will make it easier to select in advance the best treatment option for each individual patient, saving them from ineffective treatments with potentially serious side-effects."

All six strains of hepatitis C were use to infect liver cells. The cells were then tested using a range of drugs.
The team, led by Professor Peter Simmonds, analysed each strain of the disease to check the effectiveness of the drugs and any resistance to them. The study findings were published in the Journal of Virology. An estimated 250,000 people in the UK and around 170 million people around the world have hepatitis C.

The disease, which often has no symptoms, can cause swelling and scarring of the liver. Carriers can have the disease for years without knowing.

Symptoms, when apparent, are fatigue, alcohol intolerance and weight loss. Long-term carriers are more at risk of developing liver disease and liver cancer.