Study Results Suggest Hope for Previously Untreatable Patients.

2000 NOV 16 - (NewsRx.com) --

Of the nearly four million Americans who suffer from hepatitis C, an estimated one million cannot begin or must discontinue treatment with the current standard of care due to thrombocytopenia (low platelet levels).

Preliminary research presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases, held in Dallas, Texas, during October 2000, suggests that these patients can begin or continue treatment at full dosage and without interruption when also treated with the platelet growth factor Interleukin-11 (Oprelvekin, marketed under the brand name Neumega).

This first-of-its kind study, …