Research could mean
breakthrough for
patients waiting for
organ transplant
these medications in liver transplant
patients.
The Revolutionary Hepatitis C
Treatment
“Hepatitis C sits around in the body,
Physicians at Baylor University and then, 20, 30 years later, it can pop
working on several trials that have which is cirrhosis,” said Sumeet
but may also affect the rates of organ medical staff and medical director for
“In Texas, we have two patients die at Baylor Dallas. “In fact, hepatitis C
transplant. We just don’t have causes for the need for a liver
M.D., chief of transplant cardiology As pharmaceutical companies
Medical Center at Dallas have been up and cause end-stage liver disease,
not only led to a cure for hepatitis C, Asrani, M.D., hepatologist on the
donation. the Clinic of Advanced Liver Disease
a day waiting for a solid organ virus is one of the most common
enough donors,” said Shelley Hall, transplant.”
at Baylor Dallas. “We are now searched for better treatments for the
decrease that wait time and increase one of the sites for their clinical trials.
What’s moving the needle, even if recently approved several drugs from
hepatitis C, an infection of the liver “A decade ago, in some people, the
if a hepatitis C patient has already
received a new liver, the patient can
take this newer class of drugs to treat
the virus safely after transplant and
prolong their lifespan. Third, this may
increase the number of people who
may be eligible to donate their liver.
Organs from potential donors with
hepatitis C who previously were not
eligible to donate their organs can
still be used theoretically for selected
sick patients waiting for a transplant
and increase the number of donor
organs.
TROJAN-C Trial Takes of f
Nationally and at Baylor
Most hear ts from hepatitis
working on an exciting protocol to virus, Baylor Dallas was selected as C-positive donors were previously
organ donation.” The Food and Drug Administration has even though they are often strong,
slowly, is new drug therapy that cures these trials. caused by a virus. About 3.9 million response rate was only 10-20 Earlier drugs to fight the virus had to 99 percent of patients with one pill work. virtually no side effects. That has
deemed ineligible for transplantation,
healthy hearts. Transplant specialists,
though, are theorizing that these
hearts, from donors who never
received treatment for hepatitis C,
people in the U.S. have the disease. percent. Now, we’re able to cure 95 harsh side effects and didn’t always a day in as short as two months with Physicians on the medical staff at been revolutionary,” Dr. Asrani said. is the principal investigator of the trial
involved in several clinical trials to affect organ donation? First, from the Trojan horse: “Hepatitis C used to be
safety and efficacy. Additionally, they medication cures hepatitis C, then he
Baylor Dallas and researchers are
So, how will this advancement
test the transformational drugs’ perspective of the patient, if the
are investigating the novel use of or she may not even need a new liver
if they are otherwise stable. Second,
20
could be transplanted into recipients,
who would then undergo treatment
for the virus after the transplant.
Robert Gottlieb, M.D., Ph.D., who
at Baylor Dallas, compares it to a
the enemy, but now it can be used to
actually save lives instead,” he said.
“It’s really turning the paradigm of the
Trojan Horse on its head. We can