Abstract: Despite their much-heralded clinical potential, therapeutic cancer vaccines have thus far failed to achieve the necessary clinical benchmarks to allow their regulatory approval. In contrast, vaccination against infectious pathogens represents one of the biggest achievements of modern medicine, and in certain cases such as vaccines against the human papilloma virus or hepatitis B virus, vaccination may impact the development of cancer. To the extent that these two approaches differ as immunotherapy vs. immunoprevention, the challenge is to rethink the types of non-viral antigens that are currently being targeted in cancer vaccines. Immunological analysis suggests that the telomerase reverse transcriptase hTERT is a widely applicable target recognized by T lymphocytes and a prototype for a novel class of universal tumor antigens. Findings from initial clinical trials demonstrate that hTERT-specific immune responses can be safely induced in cancer patients. If the amplitude and duration of cellular immunity against hTERT can be optimized without toxicity in humans, then an opportunity exists to test hTERT vaccination as a way to reduce the risk of cancer recurrence in patients or even the risk of developing cancer in otherwise healthy individuals. ... Read more

Abstract: Liver cancer is among the most common malignancies, impacting significantly across all societies worldwide. The lethal impact of this prevalent cancer is unlikely to change considerably in the near future due to a limited understanding of disease pathogenesis on the molecular, cellular, and environmental levels and how current knowledge might be converted into new preventive, therapeutic and diagnostic approaches. This article highlights the current challenges and opportunities in this critical area of unmet need. ... Read more

Abstract: 350 million people worldwide carry the hepatitis B virus and 170 million the hepatitis C virus. There has been encouraging progress in recent years in the management of both infections. The combination of pegylated interferon alpha and ribavirin is perhaps the most effective treatment today. ... Read more

Pharmaceutical companies continue to aggregate on the fast-growing field of antiviral drugs that treat chronic viral infections, especially hepatitis B and C infections.

On March 27, Novartis AG agreed to purchase a 51% controlling stake of Idenix Pharmaceuticals Inc., Cambridge, MA for $255 million. Novartis will also pay Idenix $75 million up front to license the company’s two hepatitis B drugs currently under development. Depending on whether Idenix can progress the two drugs to regulatory milestones, Novartis will pay as much as an additional $357 million for the same 51% stake to Idenix shareholders.

Idenix’s two hepatitis B drugs, Telbivudine (LdT) and ... Read more

Cures or effective drug treatments for cancer have been elusive. Much of the obstacles lie in the lack of a specific cancer target and the fact that cancer cells mutate and change frequently. While no immediate relief is in sight despite the advent of genomics technologies, it seems logical to go after the cancers with a known cause: cancers caused by viruses.

This month, a vaccine for human papillomavirus developed by Merck showed a surprising efficacy in protecting recipients from the viral infections and the associated cervical cancer. While scientists and the pharmaceutical industry deserve credit for beginning to ... Read more

Hepatitis B patients and hepatitis B virus (HBV) carriers were documented to have a high risk of eventually developing hepatocellular carcinoma. The underlying mechanisms are not clear.

The work of Yang et al. at the National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan published in the New England Journal of Medicine (347:168-174, Jul. 18, 2002) provided evidence that progresses were made in our understanding of carcinogenesis. They have followed 11,893 men aged from 30 to 65 years, who enrolled between 1991 and 1992, for nearly ten years. At enrollment, 19.3% were tested positive for hepatitis surface antigen (HBsAg). Among those who were positive for ... Read more