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Colorado
Hepatitis C Support Groups
For individuals infected with hepatitis C and family members affected by hepatitis C. Free and confidential. New members always welcome.
Metro-Denver
Aurora - 900 Potomac, 1st Floor Staff Cafeteria ~ 1st Tues. ~ 6:30-8 p.m. ~ Consuelo (303) 367-2813
Englewood - 1000 Englewood Parkway ~ 4th Tues. ~ 7-8:30 p.m. Jena` (303) 239-0336
Lakewood - 11500 W. 20th ~ 2nd Tues. ~ 6:30-8 p.m. Betsy (303) 237-1150
HIV/HCV Co-Infection - 1325 S. Colorado Blvd., B-302 ~ 3rd Tues. 5-6:30 p.m. Kim (303) 862-0407
VA (VA Patients Only) - 1055 Clemont, Room 2E-104 ~ 2nd Wed. 12:30-1:30 p.m. Jena` (303) 239-0336
Cap Hill- 3250 E. 6th Ave. Every other Tues. 6:30-8 p.m. Deidrea (720) 917-3973
Statewide
Boulder - 3303 N. Broadway, North Building ~ 2nd Wed. ~ 6-7:30 p.m. ~ Carrie (303) 678-6157
CO Springs - 825 E. Pikes Peak, 5th Floor Dining Room ~ 3rd Thurs. ~ 7-8:30 p.m. ~ David (719) 236-1416
Fort Collins - 2809 E. Harmony, 3rd Floor ~ Last Wed. ~ 6:30-8 p.m. ~ Jerry (970) 214-2912
Grand Junction - 510 29½ Road, Room 1060 ~ 1st Wed. ~ 5:15-6:45 p.m. Rainy (970) 241-6023
Pueblo - 3676 Parker Blvd., 2nd Floor Conf. Room ~ Last Mon. ~ 6:30-8 p.m. ~ Roni (719) 553-1862 |
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Greetings!
Welcome to the June edition of Hep C Connection's newsletter!
Hep C Connection celebrated many successes during the month of May, Hepatitis C Awareness Month. May began with the 2008 Colorado Viral Hepatitis Conference. The conference was attended by more than 160 participants over the two-day event. Because the conference was such an overwhelming success, Hep C Connection will plan this conference to be an annual event.
Hep C Connection sponsored a Needle Disposal Day event on May 19th in honor of World Hepatitis Day, which was the same day. We hope to make this a quarterly event.
Hep C Connection held a community dinner and education forum in Fort Collins on May 28th featuring Dr. Greg Everson from the University of Colorado at Denver and Health Sciences Center. Dr. Everson spoke to a packed house about "Living with HCV".
Finally, Governor Bill Ritter, Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper, and Denver City Council each proclaimed May as Hepatitis C Awareness Month.
Hep C Connection put the meaning of "aware" in Hepatitis C "Awareness" Month!
To comment or contribute interesting news and information about hepatitis, please send us a note at info@hepc-connection.org. The deadline for news postings is June 16th. We want to hear from you!
2008 Viral Hepatitis Conference |
| Doctors & Science |
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Schering Plough Initiates Phase 3 Studies with Experimental Oral HCV Protease Inhibitor Boceprevir in Treatment-naive HCV Patients and in Those Who Failed Prior Treatment.
At the recent EASL 2008 conference in Milan (April 23-27, 2008), researchers presented data on Schering-Plough's experimental oral HCV NS3 serine protease inhibitor boceprever. "Four weeks of treatment with [pegylated interferon/ribavirin] prior to boceprevir administration markedly increased rapid virological response (RVR) and early virological response (EVR) and reduced viral breakthrough by 50%," concluded the study authors.
In addition, they noted, "This new treatment paradigm has the potential to maximize efficacy of multi-drug combinations and minimize the risk of resistance by identifying responders to [pegylated interferon/ribavirin]. Finally, they wrote, "Interim results also demonstrate that full dose ribavirin is optimal."
Full Article...
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| Doctors & Science ll |
LOUISVILLE, CO, May 20, 2008 - GlobeImmune, Inc. announced today completion of the planned enrollment of 120 subjects in a Phase 2 clinical trial to evaluate the GI-5005 Tarmogen® for the treatment of patients with chronic hepatitis C infection. GI-5005 is being evaluated as a potential therapy in combination with standard of care; pegylated interferon plus ribavirin.
The Phase 2 clinical trial is a randomized, open-label, multi-center trial evaluating GI-5005 in combination with full duration standard of care, versus standard of care alone in patients with chronic genotype 1 hepatitis C infection who are either treatment-naïve or non-responders to previous therapy. Endpoints for the trial include improvement in early virologic response (EVR), HCV RNA kinetics, alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels, the primary biochemical marker of liver damage, end of treatment response (ETR), sustained virologic response (SVR), serum markers of liver fibrosis / necrosis, and liver biopsy. This study has enrolled the planned target of 120 patients in five months at 40 centers in the U.S., India and Europe.
About GI-5005
GI-5005 is GlobeImmune's lead infectious disease product candidate for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C infection. GI-5005 is whole, heat- killed recombinant yeast genetically modified to express HCV-specific protein targets. The mechanism of action for GI-5005 (i.e. T cell-mediated elimination of infected hepatic cells) may work synergistically in combination with the current or emerging standard of care, which directly inhibits viral replication, to more effectively eradicate hepatitis C virus from the liver. Additionally, this mechanism of action may offer an option for interferon-intolerant or interferon-contraindicated patients as a long term monotherapy.
About Hepatitis C Infection
The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 170 million people globally are infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV) with three to four million new infections each year. Roughly 80-90% of these cases fail to resolve acutely and evolve into a chronic state. The population of patients with chronic HCV infections is estimated at approximately four million cases in the United States and five to ten million in Europe. Of the four million patients infected in the United States, only 20-40% are estimated to be currently diagnosed given the largely asymptomatic nature of HCV infection. The current standard of care for genotype 1 HCV patients, the most common subtype in the United States, is 48 weeks of pegylated interferon plus ribavirin. This treatment is often poorly tolerated and only results in cure rates (sustained virologic response) of approximately 50%.
About GlobeImmune, Inc.
GlobeImmune is a private Colorado-based company developing active immunotherapies called Tarmogens for the treatment of cancer and infectious diseases. The Company's lead product candidate, GI- 5005, is a Tarmogen being developed for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C infection. The Company has completed enrollment of a randomized Phase 2 trial of GI-5005 in combination with the current standard of care. GI-5005 is designed to complement both the current and emerging standard of care for hepatitis C infection through the direct elimination of chronically infected cells. The Company's lead oncology program, GI-4000, is designed to be a treatment for cancers of the lung and gastrointestinal tract. A randomized, placebo- controlled Phase 2 trial in patients with resectable pancreas cancer in combination with adjuvant gemcitabine is ongoing. Additionally, a Phase 2 trial in NSCLC subjects is ongoing at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.
For additional information, please visit the company's website at www.globeimmune.com
This press release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties, including statements relating to initiation and progress of the Company's clinical trial programs and potential advantages of the Company's technology. Actual results could differ materially from those projected and the Company cautions investors not to place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements contained in this release.
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| National Viral Hepatitis Poster Contest Winner Announced |
Lindsey Crum from Denver, Colorado named Grand Prize Winner
Winners of the first ever National Viral Hepatitis Poster Contest were announced today from CDC offices in Atlanta, GA. The artwork submitted by Lyndsey Crum from Denver, CO was declared the grand prize winner, and the winners named in each of the three judging categories are: Therese Mushock from Atlanta, GA (winner in both the General Hepatitis Awareness category and the Hepatitis C awareness category) and Kayla Langhans from Colfax, WI (Hepatitis B awareness).
The poster contest is sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Division of Viral Hepatitis and the National Viral Hepatitis Roundtable (NVHR). Entries were received from the general public and asked for creative approaches to raise awareness about specific types of viral hepatitis. The winning posters will be distributed to CDC partner organizations and showcased on CDC's Web site.
"We were extremely impressed with the quantity, quality, and diversity of the submissions," said Cynthia Jorgensen, DrPH, Team Lead in Education and Training for the CDC Division of Viral Hepatitis. "We are pleased to share these awareness building posters with our partners and the general public as additional tools to capture at-risk individual's attention about viral hepatitis."
The contest entries, submitted by the public from across the country, were judged by a panel of experts from the CDC and representatives from partner organizations. Judges assessed submissions in each category for creativity, originality, quality of the artwork, scientific accuracy, and reproducibility.
"Our sponsorship of this contest is aligned with our efforts to reduce the incidence of infection, morbidity, and mortality from viral hepatitis in the United States," said Chris Taylor, Chair of the National Viral Hepatitis Roundtable. "We are pleased to partner with CDC on this contest in an effort to showcase creative ways for the public to increase their awareness of viral hepatitis."
A special thanks to everyone who submitted a poster contest entry, and to the following judges for their assistance in selecting the winning entries:
Bruce Burkett, National Viral Hepatitis Roundtable
Teresa Carrillo, Family Health Centers of San Diego
Erica Chapman, Adult Viral Hepatitis Prevention Coordinator, Indiana
Lisa Gilbert, American Social Health Association
Steve Graham, National Viral Hepatitis Roundtable
Cynthia Jorgensen, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Kim Kirkey, Adult Viral Hepatitis Prevention Coordinator, Michigan
Heather Lusk, Adult Viral Hepatitis Prevention Coordinator, Hawaii
Bruce Maeder, Seattle STD/HIV Prevention Training Center
Marcia Miller, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Dennis Simon, National Viral Hepatitis Roundtable
Juanita Thompson, Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide
John Ward, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Contest Results
Grand Prize
Lindsey Crum, Denver, CO
General Hepatitis Awareness
Therese Mushock, Atlanta, GA
Honorable Mention:
(Gong) Suphawat Tanyakorndilok, Milwaukee, WI
Hepatitis B Awareness
Kayla Langhans, Colfax, WI
Honorable Mention:
Blair Bowden, South Bend, IN
Therese Mushock, Atlanta, GA
Hepatitis C Awareness
Therese Mushock, Atlanta, GA
Honorable Mention:
Andrea Glover, Charleston, SC
For any additional information about the National Viral Hepatitis Poster Contest, please contact the Poster Contest Director, Marcia Miller at (404) 718-8539 or mfv9@cdc.gov. To view the winning entries, please visit: http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/diseases/hepatitis/PContestWinners.htm
We look forward to reading Lindsey's personal inspiration story in next month's Hep C Connection's newsletter! |
| Share Your Story |
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Each month Hep C Connections will bring you a personal story of someone affected by the hepatitis C virus. These stories are intended to provide hope, insight and knowledge that only people who have lived with the virus have. If you would like to read more personal stories or submit your own click here. This month's story comes courtesy of Steve.
Steve Piper has a lot to be thankful for, but that wasn't always the case.
Steve was diagnosed with the hepatitis C virus in February 2002 and has probably lived with it for 35 years. The diagnosis was a shock, as it is for most people, and sent him seeking information about the disease and treatment options from his physicians in Houston, where he was living at the time. Treatment didn't go well and he was taken off after six months.
Steve retired and moved back to his native Denver city to begin a new chapter in his life living with hepatitis C. He is generally a healthy guy - a former runner and a current skier, and he watches his diet. His healthy lifestyle was no help when he received another devastating diagnosis - liver cancer. They found it in August 2007 after a routine CT scan. It meant that his options were significantly reduced to only one, liver transplantation.
Being on the transplant list was no comfort. It meant that a tragedy had to happen in order to get the call. He was called in to University Hospital three times, but neither liver was in good enough shape to transplant. By the time the fourth call came in February 2008, Steve was a little disheartened, but it turned out to be a perfect match and in great shape.
Steve is recovering nicely from his transplant and resuming a normal schedule - driving to doctor appointments and participating in meetings and conference calls as a part of his new role as Director for Hep C Connection. Hep C Connection is pleased to say that Steve's good fortune and healthy constitution helped him through his significant health issues and we are fortunate to have him on our Board.
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| Volunteer Update |
This past month has been a transitional period for the Hep C Connection's Volunteer Program. The change of coordinators has gone smoothly and we are looking forward to increasing our volunteer efforts. A Volunteer Appreciation Dinner was held May 21st at Nancy Steinfurth's home. The evening cook-out was a great opportunity for volunteers and staff to meet and mingle.
Health fair season has begun to slow down, however, there remain a few more opportunities for those interested. Opportunities include:
Derby Daze- 6/14 from 11AM- 4PM
USPS Ergonomics, Safety, and Health Fair- 6/18 from 6 AM- 11 AM
- 7/9 from 12 PM- 6 PM
Rose Medical and Macedonia Church Fair- 7/19 from 10 AM - 2 PM
If these opportunities interest you, or someone you know is wanting to become a Hep C Connection volunteer, please contact Kara Armstrong, Volunteer Coordinator, at (720) 917-3972 or by e-mail karmstrong@hepc-connection.org. You can also get more information regarding volunteering by clicking here. |
| AIDS Walk Colorado - Join Our Team |
This year Hep C Connection will be sponsoring a team for the 2008 Colorado AIDS Walk. AIDS Walk Colorado benefits Colorado AIDS Project and the fundraising teams of 30 other AIDS service and education organizations throughout the state of Colorado. AIDS Walk Colorado was started in 1987 and today is the largest AIDS fundraiser in the Rocky Mountains, attracting over 7000 participants a year.
The 2008 walk will take place the morning of Saturday, September 6, 2008 in Denver's Cheesman Park.
We would like to encourage as many people to join our team as possible. If fundraising and walking aren't for you, there are other great ways to participate in the day. You can sponsor the Hep C Connection team or be a volunteer the day of the event. Other event activities have not yet been finalized. For more information and updates go to www.aidswalkcolorado.org. Stay tuned for more information and upcoming news. We look forward to walking with you!
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| New Support Group in Cap Hill |
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Hep C Connection is starting a new Denver support group in the Capitol Hill and Congress Park neighborhoods facilitated by Deidrea M. Anderson, social work intern from Colorado State University. This new support group gives people more options to choose from and may shorten driving distance and time. It is designed to welcome individuals, family members, and friends affected by HCV. The group will address a wide variety of topics including: physical, mental, social, and financial issues related to the diagnosis of HCV and will explore strategies for living life to the fullest while managing HCV. Meetings will be every other Tuesday from 6:30 - 8:00 PM at the 6th Avenue Church of Christ (UCC), 3250 E. 6th Avenue in Denver. The first meeting will be June 10th. Light refreshments will be served. Please join us!
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