Method for treating acute hepatic failure

Drug – bio-affecting and body treating compositions – Designated organic active ingredient containing – Peptide containing doai

Patent

Rate now

  [ 0.00 ] – not rated yet Voters 0   Comments 0

Details

514 2, 514 21, 514810, 514811, 514893, 514894, 435 691, A61K 3827

Patent

active

060178841

DESCRIPTION:

BRIEF SUMMARY
TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a therapeutic agent for acute hepatic failure.


DESCRIPTION OF RELATED ART

Fulminant hepatitis (an acute or subacute type), which is a typical disease belonging to acute hepatic failure, is a severe hepatopathy caused by hepatitis viruses or medicaments. Fulminant hepatitis involves extensive necrosis and drop out of hepatic cells and its fatality rate is very high. Clinically, fulminant hepatitis is classified into acute type and subacute type, and life-saving rate in most-advanced medical spots is about 50% in the case of acute type and less than 10% in the case of subacute type. Autoimmune hepatitis and Wilson's disease (abdominal type) are known as analogous diseases of fulminant hepatitis [Kon-nichi no Chiryo-shishin 1995, supervised by Shigeaki Hinohara et. al., Igaku-Shoin, Vol. 37, 378 (1995)].
Glucagon-insulin treatment and plasma exchange treatment have conventionally been performed for treating fulminant hepatitis, and their therapeutic effects are confirmed to some extent, although the effects are insufficient as mentioned above. Immunosuppressive therapy using immunosuppressive agents and hepatic cells protection therapy using prostaglandin have also been investigated. However, they have not yet been acknowledged as extraordinary effective therapeutic methods for fulminant hepatitis.
Hepatectomy, which is performed for treating hepatic carcinoma, causes acute hepatic failure, and therefore, extended hepatectomy exceeding 70% is regarded dangerous at present.
On the other hand, human growth hormone (hereinafter referred to as "hGH") is a proteinaceous hormone which has been used, since 1980's, for promoting growth of children suffering from pituitary dwarfism. Since hGH has an anabolism promoting activity, pharmaceutical uses thereof, for improvement of malnutrition state, promotion of wound healing, and the like are investigated, and it is reported that hGH has stimulated regeneration of hepatic cells in a hepatectomized rat [Nihon Naibunpitsu Gakkai Zasshi, Vol. 63, 9, 1123 (1989)]. However, hGH has been neither anticipated that it would be effective in therapy of acute hepatic failure such as fulminant hepatitis, nor investigated for that purpose [94/95 Nikkei Bio nenkan]. It is reported and well known that hGH has hepatic cells proliferation promoting activity in hypophysectomized rats. However, it merely suggests that administration of exogenous hGH can improve hepatatrophia caused by hGH deficiency and does not show usefulness of hGH administration for acute hepatic failure which generally shows increased hGH condition.


SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The subject of this invention is to provide a novel therapeutic agent for treating acute hepatic failure, and to provide a method for effective use thereof.


DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In such a situation as described above, the present inventors investigated the administration of medicaments having hepatic cells regenerating activity in order to save patients suffering from acute hepatic failure to whom conventional therapeutic methods such as glucagon-insulin treatment are ineffective. Patients suffering from acute hepatic failure exhibited high hGH level in blood, which suggested that natural hepatic regenerating system already functioned at the maximum degree. However, when hGH was injected to patients to obtain extremely higher blood level of hGH than in physiological condition, liver function parameters of the patients were surprisingly improved, and remarkable improvements of systemic symptoms, such as decrease of abdominal dropsy, were also observed.
Thus, the inventors obtained the good results in the therapy of acute hepatic failure by administration of hGH to the patients. The present invention has been accomplished based on this finding.
Remarkable hepatic cell protection/proliferation and improvement of liver function can be expected, by application of the therapeutic agent of the present invention, for patients who cannot be recovered by conventional therapeutic metho

REFERENCES:
patent: 4816439 (1989-03-01), Jorgensen
patent: 5096885 (1992-03-01), Pearlman et al.
patent: 5492891 (1996-02-01), Skakkebaek et al.
Miyagiwa et al., Acta Hepatologica Japonica, vol. 36, suppl. (3):78 (Oct. 1995) (with translation).
Asakawa et al., J. Endocrinol. Invest., 12:343-347 (1989) (relevant description attached).

LandOfFree

Say what you really think

Search LandOfFree.com for the USA inventors and patents. Rate them and share your experience with other people.

Rating

Method for treating acute hepatic failure does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.

If you have personal experience with Method for treating acute hepatic failure, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Method for treating acute hepatic failure will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

     

Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2315973

  Search
All data on this website is collected from public sources. Our data reflects the most accurate information available at the time of publication.