NEW YORK, Dec 28, 2007 (UPI via COMTEX) -- A report in the New England Journal
of Medicine says the drug eltrombopag appears to significantly boost platelet
counts in hepatitis C patients.
A low blood platelet count is a frequent complication associated with advanced
disease, a problem compounded by the fact that standard antiviral treatment for
the disease can further reduce platelet numbers to dangerously low levels, Dr.
Samuel Sigal of Weill Cornell Medical College said Friday in a release.
Sigal said tests show eltrombopag increased platelet counts, allowing more
patients to complete antiviral therapy.
A Phase 2 placebo-controlled study followed 74 patients with low platelet counts
and cirrhosis of the liver due to hepatitis C virus infection. Seventy-four
percent of those randomized to take the lowest dose saw their platelet counts go
up significantly, while up to 95 percent of the participants saw increases with
the highest doses. Less than a quarter of patients receiving placebo completed
their therapy.
Eltrombopag is an investigational oral, non-peptide platelet growth factor that
induces the proliferation and differentiation of cells to produce platelets. It
is taken as a once-a-day pill.
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Copyright 2007 by United Press International