Hepatology

RATIONALE-208 subanalyses boost tislelizumab potential for HCC

Audrey Abella, 05 Aug 2022

The monoclonal antibody tislelizumab continued to show promise as a treatment alternative in certain subgroups of patients with previously treated advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), according to subgroup analyses of the phase II, single-arm RATIONALE-208 study.

Treatment regimen based on small RNAi safe, effective in chronic hepatitis B

03 Aug 2022

In patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB), treatment with the small interfering RNA JNJ-3989, in combination with a nucleos(t)ide analogue (NA), safely reduces levels of the hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) for up to almost a year after the last dose, a new study has found.

Von Willebrand factor tied to hepatic dysfunction, inflammation in advanced chronic liver disease

03 Aug 2022

In the context of advanced chronic liver disease (ACLD), elevated levels of the von Willebrand factor antigen (VWF) appears to indicate disease progression, a recent study has found. VWF may also be used as a marker for hepatic dysfunction and systemic inflammation.

Thyroid hormone sensitivity tied to advanced liver fibrosis in NAFLD

30 Jul 2022

In euthyroid patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), higher values of thyroid hormone sensitivity markers, such as the thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) index (TSHI) and thyroid feedback quantile-based index (TFQI), appear to aggravate the risk of advanced fibrosis, a recent study has found.

Low free sugar diet improves clinical biomarkers in NAFLD patients

30 Jul 2022

In overweight/obese patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), a low free sugar diet may result in decreased hepatic steatosis and fibrosis, as well as better glycaemic indices and lower concentrations of biomarkers of inflammation, triglycerides (TG), and total cholesterol (TC) levels, suggests a recent study.

Reducing risks and improving long-term outcomes in patients with CHB

Prof. Vincent Wong, Prof. Ray Kim, Dr. Tan Poh Seng, 10 Sep 2019

Chronic hepatitis B (CHB) remains a major public health concern because of its worldwide distribution and potential adverse sequelae, including cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). At a recent symposium held during the GIHep Singapore 2019, Professor Vincent Wong from the Chinese University of Hong Kong and Professor Ray Kim from the Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, US, discussed antiviral treatments for CHB, with a focus on the novel agent tenofovir alafenamide (Vemlidy®). Dr Tan Poh Seng from the National University Hospital, Singapore, chaired the symposium.

Relationship between tumour response to systemic therapy and overall survival in unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma

Dr Raghav Sundar, 09 Sep 2019

Overall survival (OS) is currently the primary criteria in assessing the efficacy of a cancer treatment. Dr Raghav Sundar, a consultant medical oncologist at the National University Hospital, Singapore, details the crucial role played by tumour response in evaluating treatment efficacy, with a focus on the multiple kinase inhibitor lenvatinib in the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Real-world studies demonstrate TAF efficacy and safety in chronic hep B

Roshini Claire Anthony, 20 Jul 2022

Treatment with tenofovir alafenamide (TAF) results in similar virological response compared with tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) in treatment-naïve patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB), according to a real-world study from Korea presented at ILC 2022.

Unexplained hepatitis outbreak in kids: Are COVID-19, adenovirus the triggers?

Elvira Manzano, 19 Jul 2022

Cases of acute, severe hepatitis of unknown aetiology in young children have increased recently and investigations are underway, says an expert during a media briefing at ILC 2022.

Resmetirom demos potential in NASH

Roshini Claire Anthony, 18 Jul 2022

Safety analysis of the phase III MAESTRO-NAFLD-1 trial presented at ILC 2022 demonstrated the potential of resmetirom as a treatment for patients with non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) who have liver fibrosis.

Tacrolimus-based treatment induces slower response in children with autoimmune liver disease

Tristan Manalac, 28 Jun 2022

Patients with paediatric-onset autoimmune liver disease show slower early immunological and biochemical response to a tacrolimus-based treatment as compared with regimens using prednisolone or azathioprine, reports a study presented at the 2022 Annual Meeting of the European Society for Paediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition (ESPGHAN 2022).

STRIDE regimen boosts OS in unresectable HCC

Roshini Claire Anthony, 25 Feb 2022

The addition of tremelimumab to durvalumab (STRIDE regimen) in the first-line setting improved overall survival (OS) compared with sorafenib in patients with advanced unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), according to results of the phase III HIMALAYA trial.