UCDA for nonresponders

http://tinyurl.com/38cpux  (fulltext.pdf)

“Combined pegylated interferon and ribavirin has improved chronic hepatitis C (CH-C) therapy, however sustained virologic response is achieved in about half of patients with a 1b genotype infection. We assessed oral ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) on serum biomarkers as a possible treatment for interferon nonresponders.”

and see the refferences of the article...

Best, drofi

[drofi]

it is not one of many drugs in early stages of clinical development, but registered and on the market, at least in Germany. Is it on the market in the USA too?

[desrt]

From google.com:
Results 1&2 of about 339,000 for ursodeoxycholic acid

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ursodiol-27k
www.marvistavet.com/htm/body_ursodiol.html-43k

Apparently it's used here primarily to disolve gallstones.

[ClippedWings]

I was put on it as a means to control my non-stop itching.  It is found in the US under the names Actival and Ursodiol.  Pretty amazing sttuff- it takes an old Chinese treatment for liver disease (bear bile) and modernizes it.  It is actually a bile acid that is now made in the lab using cow bile (I think).  I read at least one study where Ursodiol was used in conjunction with combo Interferon and Ribavirin therapy.  It didn't help with SVR, but helped to decrease inflamation (inflammation).  In addition to disolving gall stones, it is also the standard treatment for billary cirrhosis,

[Tallahassee]

Sometime in 1998 I found a study demonstrating that most of Hep. C Interferon non-responders were able to maintain normal liver enzymes with supplementation of Ursodiol (or brand name Actigal) ~300 mg/ 2 times per day.

Since I was a non-responder, I showed this article to my GI and I'm taking this drug ever since at least 1 time per day (I never had gallstones).  And yes, my liver enzymes remained close to normal range with high viral count.

… Ursodiol does not treat Hep. C and it does not reduce fibrosis ... hopefully, it slows the fibrosis process.

All the best!!
P.S. I'm in USA

[drofi]

Thank you!