Matt's Blog

Valeant Pharmaceuticals Sells Hep-C Drug Infergen® to Three Rivers
Pharmaceuticals®, LLC for $91 Million
ALISO VIEJO, Calif. & CRANBERRY TOWNSHIP, Pa.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Valeant
Pharmaceuticals International (NYSE:VRX) and Three Rivers Pharmaceuticals, LLC
jointly announced today that they have signed a definitive agreement for Valeant
to divest the United States and Canadian rights to the hepatitis C drug Infergen
(interferon alfacon-1) to Three Rivers. Valeant will receive from Three Rivers
approximately $70.8 million in cash upon closing, and up to $20.5 million in two
noncontingent payments over the following eighteen months. Under the terms of
the agreement, Three Rivers will be assigned all United States and Canadian
rights to Infergen and will acquire the remaining Infergen inventory from
Valeant. The transaction is expected to close during the first quarter of 2008.
"The sale of Infergen to Three Rivers is an important step forward in executing
our strategy of simplifying our operations," said Timothy C. Tyson, Valeant's
president and chief executive officer. "We believe that by focusing our
resources on products and regions where we have the greatest potential for
market share growth and profitability, we will be able to improve our margins
and yield better long-term shareholder value."
"We are thrilled to add Infergen to our growing portfolio of antiviral agents,"
stated Donald J. Kerrish, RPh, Three River's president and chief executive
officer. "This acquisition further promotes Three Rivers' continuous strategy to
expand its product offerings through product acquisition and internal product
development in highly specialized therapeutic disease categories like hepatitis
C."
Infergen, or consensus interferon, is a bio-optimized, selective and highly
potent type 1 interferon alpha originally developed by Amgen and launched in the
United States in 1997. It is currently indicated as monotherapy for the
treatment of adult patients suffering from chronic hepatitis C viral infections
with compensated liver disease and is dosed three times per week.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, an estimated 3.9
million Americans (1.8 percent) have been infected with the hepatitis C virus
(HCV). HCV causes an estimated 10,000 to 12,000 deaths annually in the United
States and is the leading cause of the need for liver transplants. The
prevalence of HCV is increasing and approximately half of all patients with
compensated liver disease do not respond to first-line treatment. There are
approximately 250,000 of these non-responder patients currently in the U.S. and
the number is growing by an estimated 50,000 each year.
Important Safety Information
Alpha interferons, including Infergen, cause or aggravate fatal or
life-threatening neuropsychiatric, autoimmune, ischemic, and infectious
disorders. Patients should be monitored closely with periodic clinical and
laboratory evaluations. Patients with persistently severe or worsening symptoms
of these conditions should be withdrawn from therapy. In many, but not all
cases, these disorders resolve after stopping Infergen therapy. The most common
side effects are flu-like symptoms (i.e., headache, fatigue, fever, myalgia, and
rigors). Physicians and patients can obtain additional prescribing information
regarding Infergen, including the product's safety profile and the box warning
for all interferon alphas regarding neuropsychiatric, autoimmune, ischemic and
infectious disorders, by visiting www.infergen.com.
About Valeant
Valeant Pharmaceuticals International (NYSE:VRX) is a global, research-based
specialty pharmaceutical company that discovers, develops, manufactures and
markets products primarily in the areas of neurology, infectious disease and
dermatology. More information about Valeant can be found at www.valeant.com.
Infergen is a registered trademark of Amgen, Inc., and Valeant Pharmaceuticals
North America is the exclusive licensee from Amgen of this mark for use in the
United States and Canada. All other trademarks are the trademarks or the
registered trademarks of their respective owners.
About Three Rivers Pharmaceuticals
Three Rivers Pharmaceuticals is a privately held company headquartered in
Cranberry Township, Pennsylvania and focuses in specialized therapies like
hepatitis C. The company's mission is to develop, manufacture, and market the
highest quality branded and generic drug products for patients with serious
diseases.
The company is dedicated to increasing patient access to its products and
providing access to patient support programs. More information about Three
Rivers Pharmaceuticals can be found at www.3riverspharma.com.
FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the
federal securities laws relating to expectations, plans or prospects for
Valeant, including our ability to successfully close the transaction with Three
Rivers Pharmaceuticals and divest Infergen and inventory relating to Infergen.
These statements are based upon the current expectations and beliefs of
Valeant's management and are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that
could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the
forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include market
conditions, whether Valeant will be able to improve our margins, whether we will
be able to yield shareholder value and other factors beyond Valeant's control,
and the risk factors and other cautionary statements discussed in Valeant's
filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Readers are cautioned
not to place undue reliance on any of the forward-looking statements in this
press release, which speak only as of the date of this press release. Valeant
undertakes no obligation to update any of these forward-looking statements to
reflect events or circumstances after the date of this press release or to
reflect actual outcomes.
Valeant Pharmaceuticals
Laurie W. Little, 949-461-6002
laurie.little@...
or
Three Rivers Pharmaceuticals
Patrick L. Kerrish, 724-778-6100
pkerrish@...

I know that many of you are still dealing with some form of addiction as
well as continuing drinking despite having Hepatitis. There is a new group at

BioCollections Worldwide, Inc. (BCW) is an organization dedicated to the
advancement and development of new testing methodologies through the performance
of IRB (Institutional Review Board) approved Blood Collection Protocols.
Currently we are working to develop more specific assays for Hepatitis C. As
part of our validation and correlation studies we have the task of recruiting
acute or chronic Hepatitis C Positive D/Ps (Donor/Participants) with particular
viral loads. For this reason we are looking to recruit HCV positive D/Ps (in the
acute or chronic stage of the disease).
Our approved protocol has the following procedure: (Click on each item to see
details)
Inclusion Criteria
a. D/Ps of both genders.
b. D/Ps of age 18 and above.
c. D/Ps diagnosed with HCV (Chronic or Acute).
d. No cross reactivity with HBV nor HIV.
e. All D/Ps must be able to complete, sign and date the approved
informed consent.
f. D/Ps must have a history of HCV infection.
Logistics
a. Interested D/Ps should send an e-mail to info@... with
"2008-ROC0305" as the subject. Include Zip Code of work or residence and Best
way of contact (i.e. e-mail or telephone) on the e-mail.
b. BCW personnel will contact you in order to get additional details as
well as coordinate the date and time of visit.
c. Once the recruitment phase has finished, BCW will prepare a travel
schedule. This travel schedule will determine the order in which BCW personnel
will be at your predefined zip code in order to perform the phlebotomy
(extraction of blood). The process will take approximately 15 - 20 minutes.
d. At the day of the pre-determined visit, BCW personnel will: explain
the study, complete the Informed Consent Form, complete a Patient Data Form and
perform the phlebotomy.
Compensation
a. D/Ps will receive US$20.00 as compensation for their participation in
the program OR;
b. Receive the following free diagnostic tests performed at CLIA
certified laboratories: Anti-HIV 1/2, Anti HCV (Hepatitis C), HBsAg (Hepatitis B
surface Antigen), HCV Viral Load, HCV RIBA Confrmatory Test and HCV Genotype.
c. These results will be available within 7 - 10 days and may be
accessed through our secure lab results reporting web portal.
http://www.hepcstudy.com/hepcstudy/

Families hold key to organs for transplant
By Cai Wenjun 2007-12-21
LIVER transplants using organs donated by the patient's family members is the
key to saving patients' lives and solving the organ shortage, experts from
Ruijin Hopsital said yesterday.
The Ministry of Health is to discuss next week how to regulate the process as an
increasing number of domestic hospitals start to get involved.
Ruijin Hospital carried out the nation's first liver transplant in 1977 and
earlier this week transplanted parts of liver from the mother and father into a
15-year-old local girl. All are in a stable condition.
"Shi Yi hasn't shown serious rejection, and she is expected to leave hospital in
three weeks," said Shen Baiyong, vice director of Ruijin's organ transplant
center. "Her parents will be discharged in one or two days."
Doctors said Shi Yi's condition could have become critical due to liver failure
if she hadn't had the transplant.
Her parents have received donations from Shanghai Charity Foundation and her
teachers and schoolmates to help pay for her treatment and a pharmaceutical
company has provided anti-rejection medication.
Organ transplants between family members are an effective way to control organ
rejection and circumvent shortages.
In Japan and South Korea, 90 percent of liver transplants are between family
members. In Hong Kong it is 60 percent.
On the Chinese mainland, there are 3,000 liver transplants every year but only
400 to 500 so far between family members.
http://www.shanghaidaily.com/sp/article/2007/200712/20071221/article_342453.htm

Florida support for Federal Hepatitis C Epidemic Prevention and Control Act
Hello. Do you live in Florida and are concerned about Hepatitis C?
We'd like to thank all of our friends and supporters who have already responded
to our request for support of the Federal Hepatitis C bill. For those of you
that haven't had a chance to respond otherwise, we've set up an online petition.
Please sign this as soon as possible as the petition will close on April 5.
Please go ahead and click NOW and add your name to this important petition.
(You can select a box marked anonymous, which will still allow us to see your
names for submitting on the petition, but will not display your name on the
website.)
Please check it out at:
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/FLHepCBill
Also please share it with all of your Florida friends! Showing constituent
interest and support on a large scale will help us bring this silent epidemic to
the desk of our Federal Legislators. We ultimately hope to convince Senators
Nelson and Martinez and Congressman Boyd to be co-sponsors on this vital
legislation.
Thanks again for your support!
H.E.A.L.S of the South
www.HEALSoftheSouth.org

Governor Crist Launches Florida Discount Drug Card
TALLAHASSEE - Governor Charlie Crist today announced the launch of the Florida
Discount Drug Card, which will provide eligible Floridians savings on drugs at
over 3,000 participating pharmacies. An easy-to-use Web site,
www.FloridaDiscountDrugCard.com, is available to help consumers learn which
drugs are discounted and find participating pharmacies. Participants can also
choose a mail order option by calling the Florida Discount Drug Card help line.
"Access to affordable prescription drugs enhances every person's quality of life
as well as the vitality of our state, and many working families and seniors
struggle to afford their medications," Governor Crist said. "The Florida
Discount Drug Card is easy to use and will help lower the cost of prescription
drugs for many who need them."
Governor Crist was joined by Lt. Governor Jeff Kottkamp for the announcement in
Tallahassee. Governor Crist, along with Secretary Bob Butterworth of the
Department of Children and Families and Secretary Andrew Agwunobi of the Agency
for Health Care Administration, will also highlight the program in St.
Petersburg, West Palm Beach and Miami. Secretary Doug Beach of the Department of
Elder Affairs and State Surgeon General Ana Viamonte Ros joined Lt. Governor
Kottkamp for events in Jacksonville, Orlando and Fort Myers.
Pharmacy Participation
Governor Crist invited all pharmacies in Florida to participate in the Florida
Discount Drug Card program. Currently, more than 3,000 retail pharmacies have
agreed to accept the Florida Discount Drug Card. However, additional pharmacies
can continue to enroll in the program. If a consumer learns their pharmacy is
not enrolled in the program, the pharmacy can enroll by calling the 24-hour
pharmacy help line at 1-800-361-4542 or TTY 1-866-763-9630. The pharmacy will be
enrolled on a temporary basis so the consumer's prescription can be filled
immediately. Once the pharmacy signs a contract, it can permanently join the
program.
The pharmacy benefits manager Envision Pharmaceutical Services negotiates prices
with the pharmaceutical companies and secures volume discounts on prescription
drugs. Participating pharmacies agree to the negotiated price for each drug. The
savings are then passed on to the customer.
Enrollment and Eligibility
Individuals qualify for the card if they are age 60 and older and do not have
prescription drug coverage or if they are in the Medicare Prescription Drug
Coverage gap. Individuals, families and seniors under age 60 may be eligible if
they have an annual income of less than 300 percent of the Federal Poverty Level
and do not have prescription drug coverage. Qualifying annual incomes for
individuals under age 60 are up to $30,636 for an individual, $41,076 for a
family of two and $61,956 for a family of four. Income limits for other family
sizes are also available on the Web site.
To enroll in the program, applicants who do not have prescription drug coverage
must provide their name and contact information as well as information about
family members. Individuals under age 60 also must provide qualifying income
information. The applicant affirms that the information provided on the
application is true, complete, and accurate; no additional documentation of
income, age, or residency is required.
There is no application fee for the Florida Discount Drug Card; however, there
is a one time $1.50 activation fee added onto the posted cost of the first
prescription filled only. If the pharmacy's usual and customary price is lower
than the Florida Discount Drug price, the customer will pay the lower price.
Additionally, if the customer qualifies for any other prescription discounts,
they will always pay the lowest price.
Empowering Consumers
Governor Crist also launched a Web site designed to assist Floridians in search
of accurate, trusted, and unbiased health care information. The Web site,
developed by the Agency for Health Care Administration, integrates two other
health-related Web sites, FloridaCompareCare.gov and FloridaHealthStat.com, into
one - www.FloridaHealthFinder.gov. Consumers can find information on more than
1,600 diseases and conditions, lists of health care facilities, information
about insurance, medications, a variety of consumer publications and much more.
As Attorney General, Charlie Crist launched the pharmacy pricing website,
MyFloridaRx.com, where Floridians compare drugs prices between pharmacies. He
also fought for cheaper medicine by taking action against drug companies that
kept low cost generics off the market, and brought suit against companies for
falsely reporting their wholesale prices.
To apply for the Florida Discount Drug Card, visit
www.FloridaDiscountDrugCard.com and complete an online application or enroll
over the phone by calling 1-866-341-8894 or TTY 1-866-763-9630.
http://www.newsbull.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=56396
View some pics at:
http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=k8kfcz3.8t2k9o8n&x=1&y=9pul5f

Double Trouble
Dual infection with hepatitis B and C viruses increases risk of cirrhosis,
cancer
by Bryan Tutt
If you have either chronic hepatitis B or C, you probably remember the exact
moment you were told you had the virus. Although the news can be traumatic, an
accurate diagnosis can lead to successful treatment or better management of the
disease. For some patients, however, being diagnosed with one virus is only half
the story.
"Hepatitis B and C coinfection is not rare, but it's uncommon. We seldom see
patients that have both diseases," says Dr. David Bernstein, chief of
gastroenterology, hepatology and nutrition at North Shore University Hospital
and Long Island Jewish Medical Center in Manhasset, N.Y. Dr. Bernstein says that
each year his hospital sees "hundreds and hundreds of people with hepatitis B
and even more with hepatitis C," but only 10 to 15 of these will be coinfected.
"It's really not that common that we see the two together," he says, adding that
he sees more patients coinfected with HIV and one or the other hepatitis virus
than he does patients with both hepatitis viruses. Patients coinfected with
hepatitis B and C face a greater risk of liver disease than do patients infected
with only one virus, and because either virus can infect a person for years
before symptoms show up, Dr. Bernstein says it is "next to impossible" to know
whether a patient contracted both viruses at the same time or separately.
This was the case for Eugene O'Doherty, 49, a native of Ireland who now resides
in London. O'Doherty learned during a routine physical in 1987 that he had been
exposed to hepatitis B and had successfully fought off the virus. "Lucky, I
thought, and pretty much forgot all about it until I was diagnosed with HCV,
genotype 3, in late 2004," he says. The man was tested for hepatitis C as part
of a battery of tests to determine why he was slow to recover from a bout of
malaria. He and his doctors have no way of knowing whether he contracted the
viruses at the same time. "I'm told it's more than likely," he says, "but then
we have to look at a relatively long period of risky behavior, (from) 1980 to
1985."
Dr. Emmet Keeffe, professor of medicine and chief of hepatology at Stanford
University Medical Center in Palo Alto, Calif., agrees with Dr. Bernstein that
hepatitis B/C coinfection is not commonplace. "It is more common, in terms of
coinfection, to have a hepatitis B patient be coinfected with hepatitis C
(rather than the other way around)," Dr. Keeffe says, adding that estimates of
the number of hepatitis B patients coinfected with hepatitis C range from 10
percent to 30 percent. Dr. Keeffe says that the prevalence of coinfection is
higher among some patient populations, such as injection drug users.
Dr. Keeffe has more than 30 years of experience treating patients with liver
disease. In 2005, he and Dr. Seth Crockett published an article in Annals of
Clinical Microbiology and Antimicrobials titled, "Natural History and Treatment
of Hepatitis B Virus and Hepatitis C Virus Coinfection," which they are updating
for an upcoming issue of Current Hepatitis Reports.
When a patient has both viruses, Dr. Keeffe says, "There is typically more
severe liver disease. If you look on liver biopsies, there is more inflammation,
and there are higher grades of scar tissue. There is also an increased risk of
liver cancer - hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The disease is worse when there's
coinfection, there's no doubt about that."
Dr. Bernstein says that coinfection with both viruses causes a more rapid
progression of liver disease. "We can't quantify how rapid, but it is more
rapid." He says that this is likely because there are two different viruses
affecting the liver, but he notes that doctors do not know exactly how either
virus affects the liver.
The ravages of coinfection
Celia, who asked that her last name not be used, has seen firsthand how severe
liver disease can be in coinfected patients. Not only has she been infected with
both hepatitis B and C, she watched her husband, Ken, waste away as the two
viruses destroyed his liver.
They learned that Ken had hepatitis B around 1980 or 1981, when he appeared to
be going through the acute phase of the infection. Celia believes her husband's
alcohol use made his condition worse. "He was a very heavy drinker -- a
partier," she remembers. "When he got hep B, it almost put him in the hospital."
At this point, everyone in the family was tested for hepatitis B, and the whole
family tested negative. Four years later, however, Celia tested positive for
hepatitis B antibodies when she tried to donate blood. Further testing,
fortunately, showed that she was not a chronic carrier of the virus. "My body
fought off the B," she says. "I was not contagious, but (the blood test) showed
that I had it at one time, but I was OK."
In 1997 she learned she had hepatitis C during a routine checkup. "They did a
full blood panel and they came back and told me I had hep C." Celia thinks it is
likely that she was exposed to the viruses separately. "I was a corrections
officer in a prison," she says. "I was involved in riots and bloody messes all
the time." She thinks she might have contracted the virus at work or through a
blood transfusion in 1989, and somehow infected her husband.
The couple learned Ken was coinfected with hepatitis C when he received
emergency treatment for a ruptured esophageal varix. "He almost died," she says.
Varices are swollen blood vessels caused when cirrhosis restricts the blood flow
from the portal vein into the liver. When a varix ruptures in the esophagus, the
patient can choke on the blood or bleed to death (see "Cirrhosis Goes for the
Throat," Hepatitis, Oct.-Dec. 2006).
Virus versus virus
Not only do the two viruses attack the liver; they seem to affect each other as
well. "These viruses tend to compete with one another so that one is dominant.
It's usually the hepatitis C virus," Dr. Keeffe says. "There have been a number
of observations over the years that there is an interaction between these two
viruses. They interact with each other, and typically one virus suppresses the
other. The most common situation is that the hepatitis C virus suppresses the
hepatitis B virus."
Dr. Keeffe says it is possible that in cases like O'Doherty's and Celia's, the
hepatitis C virus might have actually helped them beat the hepatitis B virus. A
coinfected patient will typically have a high level of the dominant virus in the
bloodstream, while the suppressed virus will be at a low, nearly undetectable,
level. This is important because it affects treatment decisions.
Dr. Bernstein says that the standard practice is to treat the virus with the
higher viral load. "Most of the time, unless there are contraindications, we
treat one (virus) or the other," he says. "We make the decision (based) on which
one seems to be the dominant virus." He says that treatment for either virus is
done no differently than it would be for monoinfected patients.
"Typically the hepatitis C virus tends to be dominant over the hepatitis B
virus, so typically we use our standard treatment for hepatitis C," Dr. Keeffe
says. The presence of the hepatitis B virus does not affect the outcome of
hepatitis C treatment with pegylated interferon plus ribavirin. Dr. Keeffe says
that rates of sustained viral response for coinfected patients and monoinfected
patients are "pretty much identical."
Coinfected patients need to be monitored carefully during treatment, Dr. Keeffe
says, because once the level of the dominant virus begins to decline, the virus
that had been suppressed can flare up. He says the B virus may flare either
during or after pegylated interferon/ribavirin treatment for hepatitis C,
despite the fact that pegylated interferon also suppresses the hepatitis B
virus.
Dr. Keeffe says that if a coinfected patient is a sustained responder to
hepatitis C treatment, he monitors the patient to see whether hepatitis B
treatment is necessary. "The viral load may not increase; it doesn't increase
all the time," he says. "But if it does increase then we would treat the
hepatitis B with one of the oral agents like adefovir or entecavir."
Dr. Bernstein says he has treated several coinfected for patients for hepatitis
C, and that for most of them, the B virus has remained at low levels. Both
doctors say that only in rare cases do doctors treat both viruses
simultaneously.
In Ken's case, he was never treated for hepatitis B, and by the time he was
diagnosed as being coinfected, his decompensated cirrhosis made it impractical
to treat the hepatitis C virus. In Celia's words, "He was too far gone." His
cirrhosis led to end-stage liver disease, and he died in 2005. "It was a very,
very, very violent death," Celia says.
Celia, having cleared the hepatitis B virus naturally, went through interferon
therapy in 1998 and 1999, and although the hepatitis C virus was undetectable in
her bloodstream, it returned three months after she stopped treatment. Since
then, she has focused on taking care of herself through healthy lifestyle
choices.
Taking care of yourself
"Healthwise, I'm doing fine," she says. Celia sees a doctor who recommends a
diet of unprocessed foods and supplements including alpha lipoic acid and milk
thistle. She credits this regimen for her good health, adding that reduced
stress helps, also. She recently retired, which greatly reduced her stress load.
Her only biopsy, done before she started treatment in 1998, showed only minimal
fibrosis. Celia encourages patients to do their own research in order to make
informed treatment decisions. "If you don't know about it, find out about it,"
she says. She also encourages patients to have a positive outlook. "I do my best
to be happy and enjoy life, and I feel great."
O'Doherty, who cleared the hepatitis C virus through interferon/ribavirin
treatment in 2006, encourages patients infected with either virus or both
viruses to seek treatment. "Both are treatable on some time scale," he says,
"and what seems intolerable and hopeless can be successfully overcome."
Dr. Keeffe says that at Stanford University Medical Center, it is standard
practice for patients diagnosed with either virus to be tested for the other. He
recommends that patients with both hepatitis viruses be tested for HIV as well.
He says that coinfected patients need to be monitored more carefully than
monoinfected patients. "I think a liver biopsy is more helpful in coinfected
patients because there's more likely to be severe liver disease," he says, "so
you probably want to know the status of their liver more precisely by a liver
biopsy. And because there's an increased risk of liver cancer, I think you might
want to do regular surveillance for liver cancer as well. We typically do that
with an ultrasound every six months and alpha fetoprotein blood tests."
Aside from treatment, Dr. Bernstein says, people coinfected with the hepatitis B
and C viruses can do a few simple things to take care of themselves. "Most of
all, they have to use common sense," he says. "The biggest things are to
exercise, diet and avoid alcohol." He also suggests that people with hepatitis C
be vaccinated against A and B. He recommends that patients with one virus be
tested for the other. "The more they know," he says, "the better off they are."
http://www.liverhealthtoday.org/viewarticle.cfm?aid=222

Hi Kim and congrats on the new liver and I do hope that treatment works for you
so you can keep that new liver HEALTHY. Waving at (((Randi))) and letting you
know that she is right about the Procrit. Procrit is for red blood cells and
Neupogen is for white blood cells. There is a great treatment survival guide
at: http://www.hepcsurvivalguide.org/ that can give you tips about treatment.
There hasn't been much chat going on here of late. If you would like a more
active board with a good cheerleading squad for treatment please also join us

Dear Randy.
My name is Kim. I was blessed with a liver transplant aug. 5th 2006.
I need to tell my story to all as it is one of faith, struggle,
faith, family, laughter, sunshine and never ever giving up. Knowledge
was a key componet in my treatment and mindset.
I am now undergoing peg-intron 2b and ribivirin treatment. The pesky
virus seemed to follow me home! I'm having trouble with anemia. so
far i've had 2 transfusions, the last, 2 days ago. I've been on
treatment for 2 months now. I'm doing my best to stay positive but am
a little dis-heartend. I'm so worried that I will have to stop
treatment and then have to start all over again! The Drs are saying
things like... mutate, longer treatment, you get the picture.
I guess what I'm asking is if you know anyway for me to get my red
blood count up, beit through vitamins, alternative medicine? I'm not
eating well. I'm usually a very healthy person, believe it or not!
I immediately prayed for you when I read your letter. And would love
to help anyone I can, if I can.
my computer is fried so am using a friends. Thank God for friends!
Please respond and I will have my friend check my mail.
I will tell my story some day. I wish you all the best life has to
offer.
God bless,
KIM

Stalling Hepatitis C
Researchers hope maintenance interferon can slow liver disease progression
by Marc S. Botts
In the battle against hepatitis C, being negative is a good thing - at least
when it comes to measuring one's viral load. Advances in drug therapy in recent
years have made it possible for more and more patients to attain undetectable
levels of the virus, but sustaining that response is often another matter
altogether.
A sustained response to the combination therapy of pegylated interferon and
ribavirin typically is defined as having undetectable viral levels six months
after treatment. HCV patients who fail to sustain a response in the past have
had few options available to them in their battle against liver disease. For the
most part, they can choose to repeat the treatment, with all of its side
effects, or they can bide their time to see if new drugs come into play.
But studies being conducted by two groups of researchers in the United States
might just give those patients something to be very positive about.
The two studies, known as Hepatitis C Antiviral Long-term Treatment against
Cirrhosis (HALT-C) and Colchecine versus Peg-Intron Long-term (COPILOT), were
set up to determine whether long-term, low-dose treatment with interferon could
stop or significantly slow the progression of liver fibrosis caused by HCV. More
than a combined 1,600 patients have participated in the two trials.
While many would shudder at the thought of four years on the powerful drug,
facilitators of both trials insist that the low doses (90 micrograms weekly of
Pegasys in the HALT-C trial and 0.5 micrograms of Peg-Intron per kilogram of
body weight weekly in COPILOT) resulted in few instances of severe side effects.
"The side effects are fairly minimal in the great majority of patients," says
Dr. Mitchell Shiffman, a pioneer in maintenance interferon therapy and one of
the lead researchers for the HALT-C study. "However, there are some patients
that do have side effects with a 90 microgram dose and can't stay on it."
The impetus for the HALT-C trial, which is sponsored by the National Institutes
of Health, came from a much smaller study conducted in 1999 by Dr. Shiffman, who
is chief of hepatology and medical director of the liver transplant program at
the Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center.
That pilot study involved 52 patients who remained HCV positive after six months
of treatment with interferon alfa-2b but who had a histological response during
their treatment. Half were randomly selected to continue interferon treatment
for 24 months while the other half discontinued treatment and were monitored.
"We took patients who had what we called an improvement on interferon. They
dropped their level of virus and they improved their inflammation (score) on the
biopsy," Dr. Shiffman says of the 1999 study. "And when we then treated them for
two years on maintenance interferon therapy, we showed we could maintain the
suppression of virus and maintain the drop in the inflammation scores, whereas
in the control group that stopped the interferon, their virus levels went back
to baseline and their inflammation went back toward or to where it was before."
The HALT-C trial
Dr. Shiffman says he is not at liberty to discuss findings of the HALT-C study,
which has concluded, because his group of researchers is preparing to present
their results at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Study of
Liver Disease, which will take place in November in Boston.
He notes that the majority of patients who were enrolled in the trial had failed
to respond after treatment with pegylated interferon and ribavirin. They were
randomized to receive either a maintenance dose of pegylated interferon or to be
taken off their interferon and monitored as a no-treatment control group.
"They were followed for three and a half additional years, and the total study
duration was four years," he says. "At the time the study was initiated, PEG
interferon had not yet been approved, so the total study was four years, but the
first six months was re-treatment of previous nonresponders with PEG interferon
and ribavirin. If they were still virus positive - still a nonresponder - they
ended up getting randomized for the trial for the next three and a half years."
During the course of the study, pegylated interferon was approved for medicinal
use by the Food and Drug Administration. Overall, 1,100 patients were enrolled
in the study.
"Patients who actually responded to treatment during the lead-in phase and were
virus negative after the first six months continued on their pegylated
interferon and ribavirin, and received 48 weeks," Dr. Shiffman says. "Those
patients who relapsed were allowed to re-enter HALT-C study as a relapsed
patient." He noted there were only about 100 who fell into that category.
"The primary goal of the study was to determine if patients with advanced
fibrosis and cirrhosis - or who had advanced bridging fibrosis - who failed to
achieve a sustained response with regular treatment could benefit from
maintenance interferon therapy," he says. "By benefit, we mean would maintenance
interferon therapy reduce fibrosis progression in those that had bridging
fibrosis (or) cirrhosis, or would maintenance therapy reduce the risk of hepatic
decompensation in patients, reduce the risk of liver cancer, reduce the risk of
liver transplantation, and reduce death. Those were the endpoints."
The COPILOT trial
The COPILOT study, which is being conducted under the lead of Dr. Nezam Afdhal,
associate professor of medicine at Harvard University School of Medicine and
chief of hepatology at Beth-Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, ceased
enrolling subjects in December 2005. The study's clinical research coordinator,
Tera Barski, says the COPILOT study used selection criteria similar to the
HALT-C trial.
"For the year and a half to two years before (enrollment ended) we were only
accepting patients who had cirrhosis," she says. "Before that it was any patient
that failed the pegylated interferon therapy with ribavirin. Basically they
failed the treatment that was trying to cure them - the year-long, very harsh
treatment of pegylated interferon and ribavirin - so they needed something to
keep them maintained as new therapies were coming out and being developed."
Patients coinfected with HIV were excluded from the trial, she says, as were
patients with advanced thyroid disease.
A logical assumption one might make about maintenance therapy is that patients
who responded to interferon while taking the medication but failed to sustain a
response when treatment stopped might be able to keep the virus at bay on a
low-dose, long-term treatment regimen.
"That was the premise, that they might," Barski says. "We're not sure yet if
that was true. I've worked on the study for over two years, and I'm also not
sure. I do feel like my patients have remained stable."
One of the conditions researchers have been most concerned about is the
occurrence of cancerous tumors developing in the liver. "When a patient is
cirrhotic, that is a major thing physicians or health care providers are worried
about - the development of a tiny cancer in a very scarred liver," she says.
"Other than that, with hepatitis C, it seems to be kept at bay, but I have no
idea what the results are going to show."
In the COPILOT study, which is sponsored by drug maker Schering-Plough, patients
are given a weekly injection of the company's Peg-Intron or a twice-daily dosage
of colchecine, an anti-inflammatory drug that has been found, in an unrelated
study, to help stave off the instance of liver cancer in cirrhotic patients.
Researchers at the Instituto Nacional de Cancerologia in Mexico City reported in
2006 that among patients who did develop liver cancer, those who were treated
with colchecine developed the cancer later than their untreated counterparts.
The researchers also reported that colchecine-treated patients with liver cancer
survived longer than untreated patients.
Keeping a close watch
Dr. Bruce R. Bacon, director of the division of gastroenterology and hepatology
at Saint Louis University School of Medicine in Missouri, is one of many in the
medical community who have been keeping a close eye on the maintenance
interferon studies.
"We want to know if there are benefits from maintenance therapy. The idea of
maintenance therapy to reduce disease progression is very attractive," he says.
"And there is lots of preliminary data that suggests that there may be some
benefit by this. But there have been lots of examples of clinical medicine in
the past where it has looked promising but hasn't come through once studies have
actually been done.
It's important that studies be appropriately and properly done to determine
whether what looks promising actually works. So we're really eagerly awaiting
the results of the (studies) to know if there is going to be a benefit from
maintenance therapy."
Bacon points to interim results released two years into the COPILOT study, which
indicate, among other things, less occurrence of death from variceal hemorrhage
in patients on maintenance interferon. "So there were reasons to think there was
going to be some benefit," he says.
"What is hoped for is that there will be less disease progression and there will
be fewer people developing decompensated liver disease, fewer people developing
liver cancer, fewer people needing transplants and fewer people bleeding from
varices," he says. "That's got to be shown, and I don't know where we are with
that on the COPILOT study. If it shows a benefit, it's going to be tremendously
helpful to patients, but if it doesn't show benefit, then it won't. That's why
we do research, because we're not sure if there's going to be a benefit or not."
While the clinical benefit remains to be seen, Barski says she has witnessed at
least a therapeutic benefit from the patients she has worked with in the study.
"I feel like they are happy to be in the study. The majority of the people
really feel that this is good because they are being proactive," she says. "If
we were to say to them, 'Oh, we're just going to give you a little hiatus from
the PEG right now and let your body recover a little bit,' they would
immediately get real nervous.
"They like the fact that they are on something that they think is suppressing
their virus, and it gives them a sense of security. I feel like, in their
opinion, they like being on the drug. They like to feel that they are doing
something for themselves. It doesn't even matter, to most of them, what side
effects they might have, because they know they are doing something good."
Not for everyone
Unfortunately, those most in need of a break from the assault on their liver -
patients in need of a transplant - likely will not benefit from the treatment,
even if it proves to be an effective means of suppressing liver damage.
Maintenance therapy would not be used as a stop-gap measure for patients waiting
for a transplant organ to become available.
"That was really not considered. That's not a role for maintenance therapy," Dr.
Shiffman says. "If you're on the transplant waiting list, you're really too sick
for interferon therapy. Actually, if you are borderline, in some cases, and you
are treated with interferon, it can lead to hepatic decompensation. Most people
who are close to transplantation can't tolerate interferon."
Dr. Shiffman also notes that many of those being studied, because of their
response to earlier treatment protocols, might not be the ideal candidates for
maintenance therapy. "The bottom line is, most people in the HALT-C and all
people in the COPILOT trials are not having viral suppression. They are
nonresponders," he says. "It is unclear, therefore, if interferon will be a
benefit in those studied."
In his own practice, Dr. Shiffman is selective with those he puts on maintenance
interferon. "I don't advocate using interferon maintenance therapy unless you
can maintain significant viral suppression," he says. "In our own practice, the
only patients we have on maintenance therapy -- and we have many, about 30 - are
those that have cirrhosis that have relapsed, and the goal is to keep them virus
negative."
If the regimen does prove effective in some cases, is the maintenance dose
something they might have to take for the remainder of their lives? "Well,
that's a long time," Dr. Shiffman says. "It's for now until something better
comes along. Maybe after being virus negative on maintenance therapy for three
or four years, maybe when we stop it won't come back. We don't know that yet.
http://www.liverhealthtoday.org/viewarticle.cfm?aid=224

Vera,
According to the Centers for Disease Control, it is 2%, not 20%, who
have this disease. That would be 2 out of 100.
Beck
Vera Williams

St. Vincent's Hepatitis C Support Group Meeting
Tuesday, March 18th, at 6 PM
St. Vincent's Hospital, New York, NY
170 West 12th Street (off 7th Ave, SE Corner)
Coleman Building, Room 1249
This meeting is open to anyone impacted by or interested in Hepatitis C. That
includes healthcare professionals, patients, care providers, family etc.
We meet the third Tuesday of each month. Our next meeting will be March 18th at
6 PM.
It's been established that a strong social support helps people dealing with a
difficult condition. Come join us to add to your support system. We try to offer
education, information, a shoulder with a network and lest I
forget---refreshments!
The doctors at St. Vincent's have made a commitment to our support group to try
to have one of their staff attend our meetings. This is in an effort to offer us
medical information and guidance and in return they develop a better
understanding of how Hepatitis C impacts us as patients.
Last month we had the good fortune to have Dr. Robilotti, the head of St.
Vincent's Gastro Dept. attend our meeting. I believe we all felt we benefited
from his presence.
Refreshments will be provided courtesy of Melanie Huml, Peg-Intron Rep for
ScheringPlough Pharmaceuticals, she will be available at the beginning of the
meeting.
The facilitator of this meeting is Lillian de Mauro, she can be reached at
lilliandem@...

First they came for the communists, and I did not speak out-
because I was not a communist;
Then they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out-
because I was not a socialist;
Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out-
because I was not a trade unionist;
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out-
because I was not a Jew;
Then they came for me-
and there was no one left to speak out for me. (Martin Niemoeller)

UK better than US in liver transplant outcome
Scotland, Dec 18: The progress rate of the liver transplantation is better in UK
when compared to US. The patients who undergo liver transplantation in the US
have a better 90 days survival rate. At the same time the post surgical survival
rate in the UK and the Ireland is far greater than that in the US as the
patients regain their original health soon after the first year, a research has
revealed.
Experts believe that the international assessment of the surgical results is
more complex one in nature as the comparison of the surgical results would
create problem and often fail to bring in long term results.
The research examined the data for the past ten year period. The data included
5925 transplant cases conducted in the UK and the Northern Ireland along with
the 41,866 transplants performed in the US during the same time period. The
mortality rate at 90 days among the patients with acute liver failure and those
with chronic liver disease amounts to 27 percent and 18 percent respectively.
The outcome of the research shed light on the difference between the two health
systems funded by thoroughly different mechanisms. A fully private funded one
like the system that is prevailing in the US was expected to have a quick result
for liver transplantation. At the same time the system funded by the universally
funded health care as in the UK, have a better result after the first transplant
year.
http://news.scotland.org.uk/2007/12/18/uk-better-than-us-in-liver-transplant-out\
come/

The Hep C Working Group of Georgia, a coalition of agencies dedicated to
battling hepatitis C in Georgia, is extremely pleased to announce that the
Second Edition of the Hep C Handbook, a publication written and designed
expressly for Georgians living with hepatitis C, as well as professionals who
work with Georgia's Hep C patients, is hot off the press and available now.
The first edition was published in 2005 and it proved to be an invaluable
resource to Georgians and those in the surrounding states who were battling
hepatitis C. There have been many changes since 2005 and the time was right for
an updated handbook to help those who needed it.
While not a substitute for qualified medical care from a licensed physician, the
Hep C Handbook contains extensive information to aid those affected by hepatitis
C including physician referrals, physical and mental heath, legal resources,
treatment options, transplant and financial resources information as well as
many other areas of information, all available to citizens of Georgia.
This project was a labor of love for the organizations involved in developing
this up-to-date informational resource. The Georgia Division of Public Health,
the American Liver Foundation, Atlanta Harm Reduction Center, H.E.A.L.S. of the
South, as well as our dedicated physicians and committee members all made this
dream a reality and it is through our collective effort that the second edition
of this book has come to fruition.
Appreciation goes out to those companies and organizations providing funding for
printing costs making the Hep C Handbook possible. Lead supporters were Roche
Laboratories, Valeant Pharmaceuticals, Vertex and GlaxoSmithKline. Through their
generosity we were able to print 15,000 copies of the handbook and we cannot
express our appreciation enough for their kindness.
In addition to the handbook being in print form it is also available in PDF
format on the American Liver Foundation website at:
www.liverfoundation.org/chapters/georgia and the H.E.A.L.S of the South website
at: http://www.healsofthesouth.org/Hep_C_Handbook.html.
If you are interested in receiving these books for yourself or others who are in
need, please contact:
Katherine C. Cline
Executive Director
American Liver Foundation
2250 North Druid Hills Road, Suite 285
Atlanta, GA 30329
telephone: 404-633-9169
www.liverfoundation.org/chapters/georgia
OR
Tina J. Benoit, MPH
Hepatitis C Coordinator & Surveillance
Georgia Division of Public Health/Notifiable Disease Epidemiology Section
2 Peachtree Street, NW 14-264
Atlanta, GA 30303
(404) 463- 0849 (Phone)
(404) 657- 2608 (Fax)
tbenoit@...

Transplant Recipients Celebrate With Doctors
BALTIMORE (AP) â
More than 300 transplant recipients are gathering tonight with the doctors who
saved their lives for a holiday party at the University of Maryland Medical
Center.
The attendees include two husband-and-wife transplant pairs and one heart and
kidney recipient.
So far this year, the center has performed 245 kidney transplants along with 44
liver, 29 heart and 25 pancreas transplants.
http://wjz.com/local/transplant.recipients.party.2.613835.html

Dix Hills Doctor Harvey Finkelstein's Hospital Patients Not on New York Health
Department's Notification List
Date Published: Tuesday, December 18th, 2007
Hospital patients treated by Dix Hills doctor Harvey Finkelstein will not be
getting letters from the New York State Department of Health warning of possible
exposure to blood borne pathogens. That leaves patients like Elizabeth Sinclair
in a quandary. Five years after undergoing an epidural spinal tap performed by
Finkelstein, Sinclair is now deciding whether to get tested for blood-borne
diseases, such as HIV/AIDS and hepatitis B and C. The state Department of
Health has urged thousands of Finkelstein's patients to be tested, adding 8,500
people to the list of patients notified they are at risk due to Finkelstein's
improper procedures; nearly 11,000 patients have been identified. Finkelstein,
an anesthesiologist whose patient base reaches into the thousands, is no longer
practicing medicine at three of the hospitals and clinics where he had
privileges. As a result of his medical malpractice practice, one patient
contracted hepatitis C; six other patients tested positive for hepatitis B and
six more for hepatitis C.
Sinclair was treated by Finkelstein at New Island Hospital in Bethpage, not in
Finkelstein's private offices where the Department of Health says he
contaminated multi-dose vials by reusing syringes. Health officials say she has
nothing to worry about. While she hasn't decided about getting tested, Sinclair
and thousands of others treated at New Island Hospital, Plainview Hospital, and
Long Island Surgicenter in Melville will not be among the thousands receiving
letters urging testing. Claudia Hutton, spokeswoman for the Department of
Health, said investigators visited those facilities during a nearly three-year
investigation and found infection control practices were sound, syringe disposal
policies were clear, nurses and staff served as checks on Finkelstein, and the
facilities generally used single-dose vials of anesthetics.
Pat Stickle, spokeswoman for New Island Hospital, said they see no reason to
notify their patients. "The Department of Health gave us a clean bill of health
in regards to that man." Plainview Hospital spokesman, Terry Lynam, said
multi-dose vials are used, but their strict syringe usage guidelines prevent
infections. Patient Advocates feel Finkelstein's hospital work deserves more
scrutiny. Ilene Corina, president of PULSE of New York, said Finkelstein would
have been instructed on proper procedure by hospital staff. "Obviously, no one
corrected him," Corina said. "There is reason to be suspicious if he was doing
it in his private office." Arthur Levin, director of the Center for Medical
Consumers in Manhattan, said he was satisfied by the state's explanation saying,
"It makes some sense that when somebody is practicing in a facility that has
some systems in place that he or she might practice differently than when no one
is around and that seems to be the case."
Finkelstein has far more malpractice settlements than any other pain-management
specialist on Long Island and, in 1995, was sued, on average, once or twice
yearly. Fifteen of the suits concerned epidural injections; at least 10 led to
settlements. On his resume-posted on his now offline Web site-Finkelstein was
described as a 1985 fellow in pediatric and cardiac anesthesia and a 1986 fellow
in pain management via Stony Brook Hospital. A hospital spokeswoman said they
were not accredited to offer fellowships in pain management until 1994, in
pediatric anesthesia until recently, and are not accredited in cardiac
anesthesia.
http://www.newsinferno.com/archives/2227

Medivir and Tibotec collaborate for hepatitis C treatment
18th December 2007
By Staff Writer
Medivir has reported that it is collaborating with Tibotec Pharmaceuticals to
develop HCV NS3/4A protease inhibitors for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C
virus infection.
The drug candidate, TMC435350, recently advanced into Phase II of the clinical
trial program. The first Phase IIa study was initiated in Europe by Tibotec
Pharmaceuticals at the end of November.
Under the terms of the research development and license agreement of November
2004, Medivir is entitled to a number of pre-specified milestone payments.
Medivir has achieved one of the clinical milestones in the agreement and has
thus secured a milestone payment of E5 million.
The second payment is due because Medivir has opted to decline a contractual
opportunity to obtain from Tibotec, at some point in the future, the marketing
rights for an approved pharmaceutical in the Nordic countries. In return Tibotec
will make a cash payment of E12 million.
Lars Adlersson, Medivir's CEO, said: "This will be our largest ever licensing
payment. A robust financial position will facilitate the creation of a Nordic
sales and marketing organization and strengthen us in coming partnership
negotiations. Our goal is to achieve revenues from sales of licensed
pharmaceuticals in the Nordic market in the coming 12 months."
http://www.pharmaceutical-business-review.com/article_news.asp?guid=BDCD502E-037\
7-48C8-AD2F-E402E12AA484

*You can post this if you think it may help others understand how to do it.*
Instead of writing straight to Butch I thought I would take him up on his
*offer* and send this to everyone as there has only been 34 searches in the
month of March and I am fairly sure they are mostly mine! SO unless you go to
www.goodsearch.com and make sure HEALS of the South (Tallahassee, Florida) is
HELD in your charity area then you won't be goodsearching for H.E.A.L.S When
you first enter HEALS you will get a LONG list of charities and you just have to
scroll until you find HEALS of the South. Once it is placed there it will hold
it :-) Hope this helps a few of you help HEALS and thanks!

Reminder about GoodSearch please!
a.. Web
a.. Images
a.. Video
Please use this site honestly. Fraudulent searches will result in your charity
being delisted.
a.. WHO DO YOU GOODSEARCH FOR?
HEALS of the South (Tallahassee, FL)
Search now and money will go to your designated cause.
www.goodsearch.com and then put H.E.AL.S of the South into the search area as
above. Thanks a million!

Viral Hepatitis a Major Public Health Problem: Presented at HEP-DART
By Barbara J. Rutledge, PhD
LAHAINA, HAWAII -- December 18, 2007 -- Viral hepatitis continues to be a major
public health problem globally and in the United States, according to a lecture
presented here at the HEP-DART 2007 Frontiers in Drug Development for Viral
Hepatitis symposium.
"New public health recommendations have helped to ensure domestic prevention
activities are evolving to meet current and future challenges, but multifaceted
approaches are crucial for effective prevention and control of viral hepatitis
in the future," said Kevin Fenton, MD, PhD, FFPH, Director, National Center for
HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention, Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention (CDC), Atlanta, Georgia, United States.
In the US, approximately 45,000 new cases of chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) are
reported each year, with 90% of the new cases occurring in immigrants, Dr.
Fenton said in his lecture on December 9. Since the early 1990s, there has been
a 25% reduction in acute HVB infection, largely the result of the increasing
availability of an effective vaccine, and universal infant vaccination
strategies. In 2005, 95% of new HBV infections occurred in adults. Individuals
at highest risk for HBV infection in the US are men who have sex with men,
injection-drug users, and individuals with multiple sexual partners.
The CDC issued revised recommendations for HBV vaccination in 2006. Universal
vaccination is now recommended in settings with a high proportion of adults at
risk for HBV infection, such as STD clinics, HIV counselling/testing centres,
drug treatment centres, and correctional facilities. Barriers to adult
vaccination include fiscal concerns, the three-dose vaccination schedule, and
patient acceptance, among others.
In 2005, an estimated 3.2 million individuals in the US were chronically
infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV). African-Americans are disproportionately
affected by chronic HCV disease in the US.
"While African Americans are less likely to develop acute HCV infections, they
are at the highest risk for developing chronic HCV infections," said Dr. Fenton.
"Therefore, the prevalence of HCV among blacks is two to three times that among
whites."
Standard HCV treatment is less likely to be effective in African-Americans, and
African-Americans with HCV are twice as likely as whites to develop
hepatocellular carcinoma.
There are multiple challenges to the prevention and treatment of HCV disease.
Injection-drug use is currently the primary risk factor for HCV infection in the
US, and there is a high incidence of HCV infection among injection-drug users.
Prevention of HCV infection in that population is more difficult than prevention
of HIV infection, said Dr. Fenton. An estimated 60% of individuals with chronic
HCV disease are unaware of their infection. Barriers limit access to antiviral
treatment, and antiviral treatment leads to sustained response in only 50% to
80% of individuals with HCV disease.
Strategies to prevent HCV infection include protection of the blood and tissue
supply, promotion of safe injection practices among injection-drug users,
infection control in health care settings, HCV screening and education for
high-risk individuals, and referrals of infected individuals to treatment
centres.
[Presentation title: The Changing Global Epidemiology of HBV and HCV. Abstract
01]
http://www.docguide.com/news/content.nsf/news/852571020057CCF6852573B5004F13C9

Guam Doc Urges Physicians To Test Middle-Aged Patients For Hepatitis C
Pacific News Center Staff Reporter 19.DEC.07
1:20 p.m. Guam - A doctor based in Guam urged his fellow physicians and other
medical personnel to encourage their patients aged 40 to 45 to test for
hepatitis C, especially if their patients have a history of drug use when they
were younger.
Dr. Nathaniel Berg said hepatitis C is a big problem on Guam given the history
of extensive heroin use among residents back in the 1970s and the 1980s.
During those years, Berg noted that many Guam residents were hooked on heroin
and addicts used to share needles, a practice that guaranteed the transmission
of hepatitis C to unsuspecting users.
The doctor also tackled the need to reject suggestions to isolate those infected
with hepatitis C or other diseases like HIV/AIDS from the rest of the community.
Here is Dr. Berg on "The Island Doctors Show" aired on News Talk K57.
http://pacificnewscenter.com/default.asp?sourceid=&smenu=100&twindow=Default&mad\
=No&sdetail=17430&wpage=&skeyword=&sidate=&ccat=&ccatm=&restate=&restatus=&reopt\
ion=&retype=&repmin=&repmax=&rebed=&rebath=&subname=&pform=&sc=1718&hn=pacificne\
wscenter&he=.com

vera williams <vew459@...
(PST)
From: vera williams <vew459@...
Subject: VC-HCV Awareness!!
To: www.loanne@...
Hi my name is Vera, I am a resident of Ventura. I have HepC there is no cure
only treatment /transplant (temporary)fixes. I need your help! this has been on
my heart for 3yrs the 1rst HCV awareness anything to our county! I go for my
next liver scan Dec 24th, I will be 48 this year and wishing to make it to my
50th. Many with HIV are co-infected with HCV as well.I have been on-line for
3yrs and now there are so many personal pages of us trying to bring awareness.1
in 5 americans have this 2out of 3 do not know they do. ways of transmission
tattoo,piercing,snorting,pipes,needle sharing,combat vets,kidney
dialysis,transplants,barber/beauty,razors,tooth brushes any blood exposure, HIV
cannot live outside the body HepC can in dried blood. We have lost many
musicians/artist and many loved ones this year alone growing in numbers because
of people not knowing by getting tested that one can live longer if lifestyle
changes are made such as avoiding alcohol, drugs, and living
healthy lifestyle.I have a line up of musicians willing to donate their time
but I need you to facilitate this event! I do volunteer work, so far Humane
Society, Christmas Giving tree for(foster kids), and Art walk for City and will
be doing training for Hospice soon ! I am trying to do my part as a citizen of
VC, I am on disability and limited in resources. Can you help me help others in
our community by hosting this event it will be huge, I am sure. I have to admit
the last show I attended was Dick Dale but my girls attend your venues
regularly. There is only a small almost non-existance support group at Community
Hospitol. that is it for VC pretty sad huh! ok check out my page
www.myspace.com/vew459 My home phone number is 648-6171. I am sure the whole
community will turn out for this as some artist and advocates will be traveling
here from afar. Thankyou and Blessings to you this
Holiday Season!! PS:please forward this to appropiate person
in charge of Hosting an Event.
Vera Williams

Announcing the National Viral Hepatitis Poster Contest 2008!
Dear NHCAC Members:
We are happy to announce that NVHR is co-sponsoring a poster contest with
the CDC Division of Viral Hepatitis! Please circulate this announcement
widely. Good luck to all who enter and we can't wait to see your posters!
Regards,
Chris Taylor, Chair
National Viral Hepatitis Roundtable (NVHR)
Lorren Sandt, Vice - Chair
National Viral Hepatitis Roundtable (NVHR)
Martha Saly, Interim Administrator
National Viral Hepatitis Roundtable (NVHR)
NATIONAL VIRAL HEPATITIS
Poster Contest 2008
The Division of Viral Hepatitis of the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC) and NVHR are sponsoring a national poster contest in honor
of World Hepatitis Day, which takes place on May 19, 2008.
Who: Individual artists of amateur and professional status are eligible to
participate.
Organizations who would like to submit a group entry are also eligible.
What: Contestants should create and submit a poster in one of the following
categories:
Category 1: General Viral Hepatitis Awareness
This category seeks entries that raise awareness about viral hepatitis in
the United States. Poster themes in this category can include, but are not
limited to, the following:
* Viral hepatitis is a serious public health problem.
* Many Americans are infected with viral hepatitis.
Category 2: Hepatitis B
This category seeks entries that raise awareness about acute or chronic
infection with hepatitis B virus. Poster themes in this category can include,
but are not
limited to, the following:
* Many people are infected with the hepatitis B virus and don't know it.
* People from Asia and the Pacific Islands are disproportionately affected
by chronic hepatitis B virus infection.
* Hepatitis B can be prevented through vaccination.
Category 3: Hepatitis C
This category seeks entries that raise awareness about chronic infection
with hepatitis C virus. Poster themes in this category can include, but are
not limited to, the following:
* Many people are infected with hepatitis C virus and don't know it.
* Hepatitis C is a silent disease.
Each individual or organization is allowed only one entry per category.
Posters may be computer-generated/enhanced or handmade in any media, including
acrylics,
silk-screen, etc.
When: Submissions must be received by midnight Friday, April 18, 2008.
Contest Sponsors: CDC and the National Viral Hepatitis Roundtable are the
sponsors of this contest.
Prizes: A grand prize of $1000 will be awarded to the best poster from all
the contest entries. A $250 prize will be awarded to the top entry in each
category. Winning posters will be featured on CDC's Web site, printed, and
distributed nationally once appropriate government clearances are obtained.
How You Can Help:
1. Tell people about the contest. Let colleagues, clients, family, and
friends know about the contest, and encourage them to submit an entry.
2. Use your existing network to promote the contest. Does your organization
have a Web site? Do you send out a regular newsletter or mailing? If so, you
can promote the contest and its Web site,
www.cdc.gov/hepatitis/postercontest.
For official contest rules or to enter visit:
www.cdc.gov/hepatitis/postercontest

Therapy expectations and physical comorbidity affect quality of life in chronic
hepatitis C virus infection.
Taliani G, Rucci P, Biliotti E, Cirrincione L, Aghemo A, Alberti A, Almasio PL,
Bartolozzi D, Caporaso N, Coppola R, Chiaramonte M, Floreani A, Gaeta GB,
Persico M, Secchi G, Versace I, Zacharia S, Mele A.
Department of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, University 'La Sapienza' of
Rome, Rome, Italy.
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is associated with a significant reduction of
health related quality of life (QOL), the causes and mechanisms of which are
still unknown. To explore whether treatment history could affect QOL, we
examined patients with detectable HCV viraemia who had a different therapeutic
background. Two hundred sixty-four consecutive subjects with chronic HCV
infection and detectable viraemia were enrolled. Of these, 163 were untreated
patients, 43 were relapsers, 58 were nonresponders (NR) to nonpegylated
interferon (IFN) therapy. To assess QOL, three self-report instruments were
employed: the Short Form-36 (SF-36), the Chronic Liver Disease Questionnaire
(CLDQ-I) and the World Health Organization Quality of Life assessment
(WHOQOL-BREF). Clinical and demographic data were collected, and the QOL scores
of HCV-positive patients were compared with those of an Italian normative sample
and healthy controls. Further antiviral treatment was offered to untreated and
relapsed patients but not to NR. All patient groups displayed lower QOL scores
compared with the normative sample and controls. NR displayed lower QOL scores
in several areas compared with untreated patients and relapsers. In multivariate
regression analyses, being NR and having a physical comorbidity were
significantly associated with poorer QOL. Conclusions: Treatment history and
expectations and physical comorbidity may affect QOL in HCV-positive patients.
Untreated and relapsed patients have comparable levels of QOL and higher scores
than NR.
PMID: 18070291 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=180702\
91&dopt=AbstractPlus

Massage Helps Ease Postoperative Pain
By Todd Neale, Staff Writer, MedPage Today
Reviewed by Robert Jasmer, MD; Associate Clinical Professor of Medicine,
University of California, San Francisco
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Massage therapy can augment opioids to relieve postoperative
pain after major surgery, according to a randomized trial here.
Massage significantly decreased short-term pain intensity (P=0.001), pain
unpleasantness (P<0.001), and anxiety (P=0.007) in a study of veterans who had
thoracic or abdominal procedures, reported Allison R. Mitchinson, M.P.H., of the
VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System, and colleagues in the Archives of Surgery.
Additionally, massage therapy led to a faster decline in pain intensity (P=0.02)
and unpleasantness (P=0.01) in the first four days following surgery than did
routine care.
"Pain can affect physical functioning, including the ability to cough and
breathe deeply, move, sleep, and perform self-care activities," the authors
wrote. "This may contribute to unintended and serious postoperative
complications. Furthermore, ineffective pain relief may result in significant
psychological distress."
"Pain is often undertreated owing to patient and clinician barriers," Mitchinson
and colleagues wrote, including fear of drug dependency and side affects, a
feeling that pain should just be accepted, and ineffective dosing based on
biases of health care providers.
The researchers recruited 605 veterans (mean age, 64; 98.5% men) admitted to VA
hospitals in Ann Arbor and Indianapolis from Feb. 1, 2003 through Jan. 31, 2005
for thoracic or abdominal surgery.
The participants were randomized to routine care only, individualized attention
from a massage therapist (but no massage) for up to 20 minutes plus routine
care, or back massage by a massage therapist every evening for up to 20 minutes
plus routine care. Data were collected through five postoperative days every
morning and pre- and post-intervention.
Daily opioid use did not differ between the three groups.
The groups did not differ in preoperative pain intensity, unpleasantness, state
and trait anxiety, or postoperative day-one pain intensity or unpleasantness.
The researchers found significant improvement from pre- to post-intervention in
daily mean short-term changes for pain intensity, pain unpleasantness, and
anxiety in all three groups. However, the massage group showed significantly
greater improvement than the two other groups:
a.. For pain intensity, the massage group had an extra 0.34 reduction in pain
score (P=0.001) averaged across the five postoperative days.
b.. For pain unpleasantness, the massage group had an extra 0.41 reduction in
unpleasantness score (P<0.001).
c.. For anxiety, the extra reduction was 0.48 (P<0.001) compared with the
control group.
When the participants were asked whether the massages affected their pain, the
mean response on a scale of 1 (pain is a great deal worse) to 10 (pain is a
great deal better) was 7.4. When asked if they were helpful, the mean response
was 8.3 (with 10 being very helpful).
There was no difference in complication rate or length of stay between the
groups.
The nine deaths during the study were determined to be unrelated to the massage
intervention, according the authors.
The study was limited, Mitchinson and colleagues wrote, by the fact that almost
all of the participants were older men, those not interested in being touched
declined to take part, and the researchers could not examine the effects of
longer or more frequent massages.
In an invited critique, Marie Hanna, M.D., of Johns Hopkins, said the study was
also limited by the "nonstandardized pain control method and the subjective
nature of the measured outcomes."
"Nevertheless," she wrote, "the authors have demonstrated the feasibility of
incorporating massage therapy to improve immediate postoperative pain intensity
and unpleasantness and patient anxiety."
The study authors concluded "massage may potentially be a safer alternative
as-needed form of pain relief. With proper training, health care providers at
the bedside (especially nurses) may now have a powerful non-pharmacologic tool
to directly address their patients' pain and anxiety."
This study was supported by a Department of Veterans Affairs Health
Services Research and Development grant.
There were no financial disclosures reported.
http://www.medpagetoday.com/Neurology/PainManagement/dh/7732

Hi Bill. This group isn't very active anymore...... sadly. I would suggest

Views of hepatitis C virus patients delayed from treatment for psychiatric
reasons.
Rowan PJ, Dunn NJ, El-Serag HB, Kunik ME.
Division of Management, Policy, and Community Health, University of
Texas-Houston School of Public Health, Houston, Texas, USA.
For patients with chronic hepatitis C virus, certain psychiatric disorders are
contraindications for antiviral therapy with interferon-alpha (IFN). Although
these conditions delay a significant portion of patients from beginning therapy,
no one has yet portrayed the views of these patients. A qualitative analysis,
drawing upon semi-structured interviews, was developed to generate hypotheses
regarding patient views of the treatment disposition process, and to generate
strategies for increasing the portion of treatment-eligible patients. Two focus
groups were conducted: one for patients delayed from treatment due to current or
recent depression, and one for patients delayed due to current or recent alcohol
use. A grounded theory analysis of the interview data were conducted. Patients
were generally satisfied with the decision-making process, based largely on
education from, and trust in, physicians. Upon learning their diagnosis,
patients reported making healthy behaviour changes regarding alcohol, diet,
exercise and herbal remedies. Some patients reported that requiring a period of
alcohol abstinence was excessive, as they believed that they could discontinue
alcohol use immediately, if so instructed by a physician. Patients seemed to
over-interpret the likelihood of suicide during interferon-alpha (IFN) therapy.
Current or recent psychiatric morbidity delays many patients from beginning
interferon therapy. Nonetheless, this may be an optimal time for physicians to
encourage healthy behaviours including abstinence from alcohol. Also, physicians
may need to extensively assess the use of herbal remedies by patients. To help
patients make judgments about beginning therapy, physicians should focus upon
risk communication regarding the likelihood of suicide on therapy with
interferon.
PMID: 18070292 [PubMed - in process]
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=180702\
92&dopt=AbstractPlus

I have hep c and just got my genotyping and hcv done. I really don't
understand what these mean and the doctor just spit a bunch of stuff at
me that I couldn't understand my questions involve the viral load
number and how high it actually is and the treatment success rate for
the genotype of hep c I have.
The test says I have type 1A
and the HCV, RNA, PCR, QN is 127000 H
If anyone can help explain any of this too me I would be eternally
grateful.

Co-morbid medical and psychiatric illness and substance abuse in HCV-infected
and uninfected veterans.
Butt AA, Khan UA, McGinnis KA, Skanderson M, Kent Kwoh C.
University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; VA Pittsburgh
Healthcare System, Pittsburgh, PA; and Center for Health Equity Research and
Promotion, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
Comorbidities may affect the decision to treat chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV)
infection. We undertook this study to determine the prevalence of these
conditions in the HCV-infected persons compared with HCV-uninfected controls.
Demographic and comorbidity data were retrieved for HCV-infected and -uninfected
subjects from the VA National Patient Care Database using ICD-9 codes. Logistic
regression was used to determine the odds of comorbid conditions in the
HCV-infected subjects. HCV-uninfected controls were identified matched on age,
race/ethnicity and sex. We identified 126 926 HCV-infected subjects and 126 926
controls. The HCV-infected subjects had a higher prevalence of diabetes,
anaemia, hypertension, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)/asthma,
cirrhosis, hepatitis B and cancer, but had a lower prevalence of coronary artery
disease and stroke. The prevalence of all psychiatric comorbidities and
substance abuse was higher in the HCV-infected subjects. In the HCV-infected
persons, the odds of being diagnosed with congestive heart failure, diabetes,
anaemia, hypertension, COPD/asthma, cirrhosis, hepatitis B and cancer were
higher, but lower for coronary artery disease and stroke. After adjusting for
alcohol and drug abuse and dependence, the odds of psychiatric illness were not
higher in the HCV-infected persons. The prevalence and patterns of comorbidities
in HCV-infected veterans are different from those in HCV-uninfected controls.
The association between HCV and psychiatric diagnoses is at least partly
attributable to alcohol and drug abuse and dependence. These factors should be
taken into account when evaluating patients for treatment and designing new
intervention strategies.
PMID: 18070293 [PubMed - in process]
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=180702\
93&dopt=AbstractPlus

Therapy of interferon-induced depression in chronic hepatitis C with citalopram:
A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study.
Kraus MR, Schäfer A, Schöttker K, Keicher C, Weissbrich B, Hofbauer I, Scheurlen
M.
University of Wuerzburg, Germany.
BACKGROUND: <br
complication in antiviral treatment of chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV)
infection. AIM: <br
selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) in HCV patients with antiviral
therapy and IFN-associated depression. METHODS: <br
double-blind, placebo-controlled study, we included 100 HCV outpatients. During
interferon therapy (peginterferon alfa-2b plus ribavirin), depression was
monitored using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). Patients with
clinically relevant IFN-induced depression (HADSâ per thousand yen9) were
randomly assigned to placebo or citalopram (SSRI, 20 mg/day). RESULTS: <br
28 patients (28%), HADS scores increased to â per thousand yen9 during IFN
therapy. They were treated with placebo (n=14) or SSRI (n=14). HADS scores
declined significantly in SSRI patients within 4 weeks of therapy (P<0.001) but
not in placebo patients. This difference between subgroups was statistically
significant (P=0.032). Unblinding became necessary in 5 placebo patients due to
intolerable depression. Rescue medication (20 mg citalopram) lead to a
significant decrease in HADS scores (P=0.008). All citalopram patients were able
to complete IFN therapy as planned. Since an interim analysis showed a
significant superiority of SSRI over placebo, the study was terminated
prematurely. Three patients, who became depressed afterwards, were treated in an
unblinded fashion with citalopram. CONCLUSIONS: <br
clearly that citalopram treatment is highly effective in HCV patients on IFN
therapy, when initiated after the onset of clinically relevant depressive
symptoms. We suggest that a general SSRI prophylaxis is not necessary in these
patients.
PMID: 18079286 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
http://amedeo.com/p2.php?id=18079286&s=chep
citalopram is Celexa

Dix Hills Doctor Harvey Finkelstein Tops Pain Management Malpractice List
Date Published: Monday, December 17th, 2007
Harvey Finkelstein is the Dix Hills Doctor whose medical malpractice exposed
patients to blood-borne pathogen infections because of shoddy practices.
Finkelstein, an anesthesiologist whose patient base reaches into the thousands,
is no longer practicing medicine at three of the hospitals and clinics where he
had privileges. So far, one patient contracted hepatitis C as a result of his
practices; six other patients tested positive for hepatitis B and six more for
hepatitis C. The state added 8,500 people to the list of patients notified that
they are at risk due to Finkelstein's improper procedures; in all, nearly 11,000
patients have been identified.
According to the State Medical Society on Long Island, Finkelstein has far more
malpractice settlements than any other pain-management specialist and is among
475 of the state's 89, 681-0.5 percent-physicians statewide enrolled in the
malpractice pool for doctors unable to get insurance. Finkelstein is insured as
a pain management specialist, as pain management is a lower risk, lower cost
specialty than anesthesiology.
In 1995, he was sued, on average, once or twice yearly. All but two of the 17
lawsuits filed against Finkelstein concern epidural injections. Seven
plaintiffs said their epidurals caused nerve damage or paralysis; two:
meningitis; three: serious infections; and three concerned reused syringes. At
least 10 of the lawsuits led to settlements. None of the other 11
pain-management specialists from Long Island listed had more than one
settlement. Nine had none.
A 52-year old woman suffering with debilitating back pain was seen by
Finkelstein who treated her with epidural injections. Thirteen months later she
died from aggressive lymphoma her husband believes could have caused the pain.
Finkelstein assured them her abdominal scan was benign though other doctors
called it a prime lymphoma indicator. Finkelstein settled with her estate for
$925,000. Another lawsuit indicated that stopping a patient's blood pressure
medication so she could receive injections her cardiologist approved resulted in
stroke. Another woman settled a lawsuit against Finkelstein, stating her
improperly administered epidural was so painful she awoke under anesthesia.
Finkelstein told her she was fine to go home, but a hospital visit revealed her
spinal fluid was leaking. She remained hospitalized for eight days. Another
man who visited saw Finkelstein three times a year for epidural injections for a
chronic back condition received injections following a hepatitis C patient who
underwent
the same procedure; he contracted the disease from Finkelstein's syringe. Peter
Cicero visited Finkelstein to relieve chronic back pain, suffered from paralysis
as a result of a botched procedure, and died from complications as a result of
hepatitis C. Cicero received a $975,000 settlement after Finkelstein's spinal
procedure left him partially paralyzed. Before Cicero suffered his catastrophic
spinal cord injury, his hepatitis C tests were negative.
On his resume previously posted on his now offline Web site, Finkelstein was
described as a 1985 fellow in pediatric and cardiac anesthesia and a 1986 fellow
in pain management via Stony Brook Hospital. A hospital spokeswoman said they
were not accredited to offer fellowships in pain management until 1994, in
pediatric anesthesia until recently, and are not accredited in cardiac
anesthesia.
http://www.newsinferno.com/archives/2216

Find Free Hepatitis Information at
http://www.healthyhepper.com/information.htm
Educate yourself and learn more about hepatitis and:
I. NUTRITIONAL HEALING
A. Nutritional Healing for Hep C
B. Amino Acids
C. Vitamins
D. Antioxidants
E. Liver Herbs
F. Foods Good for the Liver
G. Thymic Protein
H. Alpha Lipoic Acid
I. Vitamin C & HCV
J. Milk Thistle - Silymarin
K. Glutathione
j. Nutritional Liver Supplements
II. HEP C FACTS & FAQ'S
Facts & FAQ's
III. WARNINGS FOR PEOPLE WITH HEP C
A. List of Potentially Harmful Substances
IV. NAOMI JUDD'S VICTORY
A. Judd's Victory Over Hepatitis
B. Letter From Naomi
C. Naomi's Holistic (Body-Mind-Spirit) Reading List
D. Naomi's Self-Directed Healing Program
E. Sound Healing & Audio Tape Suggestions from Naomi
V. INTERVIEWS
A. LLOYD WRIGHT
B. Ralph Napolitano, "A Survivor's Story" CLICK HERE
VI. IMMUNE SYSTEM
Your Immune System & Hep C
VII. NEWLY DIAGNOSED WITH HEP C
A. Checklist

Hepatitis stats cause concern
Health bosses are urging people to get tested if they think they may be at
risk of having hepatitis C.
The advice, from the Health Protection Agency, follows figures which show
that more than a quarter of all laboratory confirmed cases in England from 1992
to 2006 were in the North-West and 66 per cent were male.
The Health Protection Agency says 62,786 cases were confirmed in England
over the last 12 years, 14,783 of which in the North-West.
And it says they are just the tip of the iceberg, with official estimates
claiming one in 117 of the region's 15 to 59-year-olds has hepatitis C, the
majority of whom are unaware they carry the infection.
It wants people who may be at risk to get tested to help reduce or avoid
the more severe complications of hepatitis, such as liver cancer.
The condition is passed on through infected blood and, less commonly,
other body fluids, with the single biggest risk factor being the injection of
drugs.
People are at risk if they have ever shared equipment for injecting drugs,
had medical or dental treatment overseas where infection control may have been
inadequate, or who has had unprotected sex with someone who has the virus.
Other risk factors are body-piercing, tattoo or acupuncture with non
sterile equipment, or having had a a blood transfusion before 1991.
Anyone who feels they may have been at risk should talk to their GP about
a blood test. Treatment is by anti-viral drugs.
http://www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/News/news.asp?ID=5231

Patient to Attract Attention with License Plate
Media Contact:
&#x4d&#x65&#x6c&#x69&#x73&#x73&#x61&#x20&#x48&#x6f&#x75&#x6e&#x73&#x68&#x65&#x6c\
&#x6c Melissa Hounshell, (859) 323-6363, x256
LEXINGTON, Ky. (Dec. 17, 2007) â Charles Armistead isn't shy. He has a lot to
say. That's especially true when you ask him about his liver transplant at UK
Chandler Hospital. Armistead is so enthusiastic about his experience and how it
changed his life that he drives around his native West Virginia hoping people
ask him about it. His license plate proudly reads "UK 300th." On Thanksgiving
Day 2005, Armistead, of Elkview, W.Va., was UK HealthCare Transplant Center's
300th liver transplant.
"I'm an advocate for organ donation and UK's transplant program. I selected this
license plate hoping I would get a chance to explain to people why it's so
important to be a donor," Armistead stated.
Armistead says several people have stopped him, inquiring about the message
behind the plate. "There's nothing better you can give someone than the
opportunity to extend their life. Organ donation and its impact are
far-reaching, and only you can make the decision to do it."
Armistead is passionate about the cause because two years ago his life was much
different. His wife of 37 years awoke to find him unresponsive, in a near
comatose state, slumped over in a bathroom. Armistead had a condition called
non-alcoholic steatohepatitis which is characterized by inflammation of the
organ associated with the accumulation of fat in the liver. He had known about
his condition for almost 15 years, but it had gotten worse very quickly. Doctors
knew he needed a transplant soon.
That's when his journey brought him to UK Chandler Hospital. Armistead received
a donor liver in a ten hour procedure, performed by Dr. Dinesh Ranjan and Dr.
Thomas Johnston, that ended early on Thanksgiving Day 2005.
"It's such a transformation for me. I feel so much better. My quality of life
has drastically improved. I just can't say enough about the entire experience at
UK. It is a caring, professional group of people," Armistead said.
He keeps in touch at annual check-ups. "Charles has made a tremendous recovery.
The differences are remarkable between the patient we treated two years ago and
the man we see today," said Dr. Hoonbae Jeon, assistant professor of surgery.
When asked about his plans for the future, Armistead confidently says, "To keep
on living and keep talking about the importance of organ donation." It's a plan
drivers around West Virginia can plainly see.
For more information about organ donation visit the Kentucky Organ Donor
Affiliates or UK HealthCare Transplant Center Web sites.
http://news.uky.edu/news/display_article.php?category=0&artid=3000&type=1

My ~FELLOW MAN~ (sigh!)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6z8nD025BFE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JOaL8_ztmpM&NR=1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XgNKaD6UQM0&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9iRsSV8DOHc&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=opSBRWmpc6g&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M8Z_Vpleao4&feature=related

Medicare drug plan deadline nears
By Will Brown
DEMOCRAT STAFF WRITER
The "D" in Medicare Plan D stands for don't delay.
Floridians have until Dec. 31 to sign up for 2008 coverage under the federal
program that subsidizes the cost of prescription drugs.
Registering for adequate Medicare coverage may be easier said than done. The
Department of Elder Affairs has over 400 volunteers, 20 of whom are in the Big
Bend, to help seniors find suitable coverage.
Linda Knoff is one of 20 SHINE volunteers for a 14-county area that includes
Tallahassee. SHINE stands for Serving Health Insurance Needs for the Elderly.
Twice each month Knoff speaks with seniors in unincorporated areas of Leon
County.
"If you don't have a starting point, you can waste a lot of time," said Knoff.
"I've had a lot of people I worked with who have been satisfied with their
current situation, who wanted to know if there was something better out there."
With 58 prescription drug plans, 25 Medicare Health Plans and another four
special needs plans, Leon County residents have plenty of options if they are
looking to upgrade their coverage. For a direct link to the plans available, go
to www.medicare.gov.
Since 1993 SHINE volunteers have counseled more than 900,000 Floridians about
proper Medicare coverage. Elder Affairs communication director Frank Penela said
one way to inform Floridians about the Plan D program is to encourage other
seniors to become SHINE volunteers.
"It's not something that's new, but we continue to get this message out there,
so they know we are here for them to offer a free and unbiased opinion," Penela
said.
Knoff said Medicare, specifically the Plan D program, has become more
complicated with each passing year, underscoring the importance of being
knowledgeable about coverage plans.
"The most important aspect of the open enrollment has be the doctor's choice,"
Knoff said. "People get very attached to their physicians, they don't want to
change networks and start off fresh with a different doctor. That is one of the
beginning points I ask them to look (into.)"
Other things Knoff said Leon County Medicare users should consider when deciding
2008 coverage are the monthly premium paid for the plan, the deductible that
must be met, and the prescription availability.
Additional information about Medicare prescription drug coverage can be found on
the SHINE Web site, www.FloridaSHINE.org, or by calling 1-800-963-5337.
Along with the names of and dosages of prescriptions and a Medicare card,
callers have been asked to remain patient because lines may be busy. Caregivers
and immediate family members are allowed to call on behalf of a Medicare user.
Dec. 31 is the last day to register for a 2008 coverage plan, but one change can
be made from Jan. 1 through March 31 next year.
Susan Davis, the coordinator for Leon County Senior Outreach, a program of the
Tallahassee Senior Foundation, said combining the complexities of Medicare with
a demographic group that is not universally Internet-savvy can be overwhelming,
but not impossible.
"I think it can be difficult, and a lot of (seniors) need assistance," Davis
said. "We do our best to give seniors access to help. Whether a lot of them take
advantage of it, I don't really know. . . There is help out there, it's a matter
of them getting access to it."
a.. Contact reporter Will Brown at (850) 599-2312 or wbrown@...
http://www.tallahassee.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071216/BUSINESS/71216032\
1/-1/BUSINESS02

If you're not a *My Spacer* this might be the perfect opportunity to check it
out! My Space links for both musicians provided.

California Chronic Care Coalition
We're about People, We're about Health
PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Liz Helms
916-605-9274
December 17, 2007
4:30 PM PST
State Capitol, Sacramento, CA
Chronic Care Advocates Commend Governor Schwarzenegger
and Speaker Núñez for Their Tireless Efforts and Unrelenting Drive
to Make Health Care Reform a Reality
People with chronic conditions are one step closer to comprehensive health care
SACRAMENTO: The California Chronic Care Coalition (CCCC), a group of health
advocacy and provider organizations, applaud Governor Schwarzenegger and Speaker
Fabian Núñez for their leadership to enact health care reform for ALL
Californians, especially individuals with chronic and pre-existing conditions.
Today the Assembly marks a milestone bringing us one step closer to
comprehensive health care reform.
The Governor and Speaker's latest proposal includes crucial provisions for
people with chronic conditions that will:
a.. Ensure access to health coverage, including individuals who have
pre-existing conditions
b.. Increase affordability
c.. Address chronic conditions by providing broad access to preventive care,
including diabetes, obesity, smoking and other chronic conditions by enacting
the "Healthy Actions" programs.
a.. Promote prevention, wellness and personal responsibility
"Everyone that has felt the heartbreak of being denied coverage or felt the fear
of losing coverage because they are out of work, now have hope," states Bill
Remak,B.SC.M.T., Chair, California Hepatitis C Task Force, "Let's get the job
done this year! That will be the best way to bring in the New Year. When we
wish our friends a 'Healthy, Happy New Year', for the first time we know that
will be true!"
The CCCC patient advocacy and provider organizations have been working
tirelessly on health care reform since last year. We want to see true reform
happen this year. We will continue to work with the administration and
lawmakers to fix our healthcare system to benefit all Californians by years end.
Together the coalition represents over 16 million Californians with chronic
conditions including provider organizations and policy groups, which include:
Alliance for Better Medicine; Alzheimer's Association, California Council;
American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, (ACOG), District IX;
American Diabetes Association; Asthma & Allergy Foundation of America,
California Chapter; Breathe California of Sacramento Emigrant Trails; California
Academy of Family Physicians; California Hepatitis C Task Force; California
Pharmacists Association;
California Physical Therapy Association; California Psychiatric Association;
Foundation for Osteoporosis Research and Education; Hemophilia Council of
California; International Patient Advocacy Association; Mental Health
Association in California; Multiple Sclerosis California Action Network;
National Fibromyalgia Association; Pharmacy Foundation of California; the TMJ
and Orofacial Pain Society of America (TOPS) and consumer advocates.
The California Chronic Care Coalition's mission is to improve the health care
system where all Californians can access comprehensive, affordable, quality
health care. We do this by educating and collaborating with all branches of
government and key stakeholders to re-design a system of care that includes
access to quality health care, including wellness and prevention coverage.

Reminder to please use www.goodsearch.com once in awhile and please put
H.E.A.L.S of the South into your *Who do you Goodsearch for?* area. Thanks a
million! We haven't done much Goodsearching so far this year so please
everyone try to do that at least once a day. It can really add up by December.
Thank you!
HEALS of the South (Tallahassee, FL)
ID: 827850
Year: 2006 2007 2008
10/31/06. We are currently working on speeding up the Amount Raised report and
hope to have it available again tomorrow. All searches and revenue earned
during earned this period continue to be counted. Thank you for your patience.
Month Searches Amount Raised from Searches (est.) New! Amount Raised from
Shopping - Updated Weekly Total (Estimated)
January 32 $0.32 $0.00 $0.32
February 13 $0.13 $0.00 $0.13
Total: Year-to-Date 45 $0.45 $0.00 $0.45

Prescription drug abuse a growing problem in S. Florida
By Sofia Santana | South Florida Sun-Sentinel
The latest report on drug overdose deaths statewide and recent analysis by
authorities signal some changes in Florida's drug trade and drug abuse patterns,
particularly in South Florida.
Among the growing trends authorities say they have noticed in recent years:
Drug dealers who sell powder cocaine and crack cocaine increasingly also peddle
more-profitable prescription pain killers, such as oxycodone.
Groups involved in prescription drug trafficking are growing more organized. All
the while, Florida remains one of the few states that does not track
prescriptions.
Marijuana grown in suburban homes fitted with hydroponics labs are producing
plants that are three to 15 times as potent as the drug was two decades ago.
Historically, the majority of these homes uncovered statewide have been in
Miami-Dade and Broward counties.
"The information showing the magnitude of today's drug crimes is eye-opening and
disturbing," Attorney General Bill McCollum said in a prepared statement.
Authorities mentioned the trends in recent reports and at a Dec. 4 presentation
to Gov. Charlie Crist and the Cabinet.
That same day, state medical examiners and the Florida Department of Law
Enforcement reported that although cocaine remains the deadliest drug in South
Florida and statewide, oxycodone and methadone are growing just as deadly. In
the first half of this year, cocaine was involved in 398 fatal overdoses, while
oxycodone was linked to 323 and methadone, 392.
The same trend has been seen in