WASHINGTON, Feb. 28 /U.S. Newswire/ -- America's Blood Centers, an international network of community blood centers that collect nearly half of the U.S. blood supply and a quarter of the Canadian blood supply, applauds today's announcement from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (news - web sites) approving the licensure of NAT testing, a new gene-based, blood testing system which has been used in an FDA-approved study over the last three years to add an extra layer of safety when screening the blood supply for HIV (news - web sites) and Hepatitis C.

America's Blood Centers' members began using NAT testing in 1999, when the FDA allowed its use under a research study called an Investigational New Drug protocol. The goal of this study has been to determine the effectiveness of NAT testing for wide scale use by the entire blood banking community. To date, seven HIV and 88 HCV positive blood samples have been detected using the new screening system.

"NAT testing has truly been a breakthrough for the blood banking community," said Celso Bianco, M.D., executive vice president and medical director of America's Blood Centers. "This is an important milestone because it now means this powerful research tool is officially recognized as improving blood safety. This is especially important for the 4.5 million Americans who receive life-saving blood transfusions every year. We are pleased that the FDA has licensed the test."

NAT testing has reduced the window period, or number of days between the time that a person contracts HIV or HCV and when the viruses can be detected using current FDA-approved antibody and antigen tests, called serological tests. Using serological tests, the window period for HIV is 16 days. With NAT, it is now 12 days. The window period for HCV using serological testing was about 72-82 days, but it is down to 25 days with NAT testing.

Members of America's Blood Centers have screened more than 30 million donations using NAT testing, which is conducted at 16 laboratories geographically dispersed nationwide. Approximately 35 percent of the blood collected by members of America's Blood Centers is screened by the Chiron Corporation test that today received FDA approval. The remainder is screened by Roche Diagnostics test under an FDA approved research protocol. The largest providers of blood products and services, America's Blood Centers' members are located in 45 states and Canada, serving more than 125 million people at 450 blood donation sites. For 40 years, America's Blood Centers' members have been committed to serving the needs of their local communities by saving lives through volunteer blood donation. Our members were also the first to respond to national tragedies like Oklahoma City, Columbine and September 11th.

For more information on America's Blood Centers or NAT testing, please call America's Blood Centers toll-free at 1-888-USBLOOD or visit our Web site at www.americasblood.org.

http://www.usnewswire.com/

ICN Pharmaceuticals Defends Ribavirin Patent

COSTA MESA, Calif., March 1 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- ICN Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NYSE: ICN - news) today released the following response regarding potential infringement on its ribavirin patent:

There have been questions raised in recent days about our patent position with respect to the use of ribavirin in combination with interferon alpha or pegylated interferon for use in the treatment of hepatitis C.

Last year three companies filed Abbreviated New Drug Applications challenging ribavirin patents. Other challenges could come forward. Lawsuits have been filed against two of the companies that will not come to trial for thirty months from filing at the earliest. If other challenges come forward, similar lawsuits will be filed.

ICN holds a very strong intellectual property position. There is no NDA for ribavirin alone. There are broad method of use and related patents held by ICN, and for combination therapy with interferon, by Schering-Plough, that extend to 2015-17. (In the EU and Japan, ICN has applied for extensions for important patents to about 2010.) In our license agreement with Schering- Plough, they are prohibited from licensing ribavirin to other companies either for mono or combination therapy.

ICN has licensed ribavirin to no other company, nor are we obliged to do so, for use in combination therapy with interferon. Any such use would be deemed a patent infringement and would be treated as such and responded to vigorously.

ICN's legal position is formidable, and we will vigorously resist attempts to weaken our market position by anyone claiming otherwise.

ICN is an innovative, research-based global pharmaceutical company that manufactures, markets and distributes a broad range of prescription and non- prescription pharmaceuticals under the ICN brand name. Its therapeutic focus is on anti-infectives, including anti-virals, dermatology and oncology.

Additional information is also available on the Company's website at http://www.icnpharm.com .

THE SAFE HARBOR STATEMENT UNDER THE PRIVATE SECURITIES LITIGATION REFORM ACT OF 1995. This press release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties, including but not limited to, projections of future sales, operating income, returns on invested assets, regulatory approval processes, and other risks detailed from time to time in the Company's Securities and Exchange Commission filings.

For further information please contact: Investors, Joe Schepers, +1-212-754-4422, or Media, Peter Murphy, +1-714-545-0100 ext. 3213, both of ICN Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

SOURCE: ICN Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

Maxim says drug can stop liver damage from alcohol

STOCKHOLM, March 4 (Reuters) - U.S.-Swedish biotech Maxim Pharmaceuticals (NasdaqNM:MAXM - news) said on Monday an animal study showed that its drug Ceplene could completely reverse damage to the liver caused by alcohol.

Pre-clinical testing showed that rats injected with ethanol and the company's drug Ceplene sustained no liver damage, while rats given only ethanol developed symptoms related to alcohol abuse, the company said.

``We've shown we could completely reverse the damage made by the alcohol,'' Maxim Chief Scientific Officer Kurt Gehlsen told analysts at a meeting in Stockholm.

Maxim expects clinical testing of Ceplene against alcoholic liver disease and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis to start this year. Any drug must go through three different phases of clinical trials, which typically take several years, before being approved for sale to the public.

In the United States one out of 10 people suffer from chronic liver diseases such as cirrhosis and fatty liver, Maxim said.

Ceplene, with the scientific name histamine dihydrochloride, is also in clinical trials for use against hepatitis C and different forms of cancer.

``Hepatitis C is a two billion dollar market, but this is way bigger ... I have to say we are pretty enthusiastic for the prospects of Ceplene against chronic liver diseases,'' Maxim Chief Executive Larry Stambaugh said.

The company's shares rose 3.7 percent to $5.94 in early U.S. trading, while they gained 3.3 percent to 62.50 Swedish crowns ($5.99) in Stockholm on Monday.

The company would not disclose any further details of the animal study, which will be presented at the EASL conference for liver studies in Madrid starting April 18.

In late 2000, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration rejected Maxim's application to market Ceplene, then called Maxamine, for treatment of skin cancer.

The company's shares then plunged 92 percent from levels above $60 in late 2000 to a low of $5.

http://www.gastrohep.com/news/news.asp?id=1164

Flumazenil improves hepatic encephalopathy in patients with cirrhosis 


Flumazenil induces clinical and electroencephalographic improvement of
hepatic encephalopathy in patients with cirrhosis, finds a study reported
in March's Alimentary Pharmacology and Therapeutics.

Researchers from France conducted a meta-analysis to compare flumazenil and
placebo in hepatic encephalopathy in patients with cirrhosis.

For each end-point, both heterogeneity and treatment efficacy were assessed
by Peto and Der Simonian methods.

As most trials were crossover in nature, a sensitivity analysis was
performed including the 2 treatment periods.

Six double-blind randomized controlled trials, including 641 patients (326
treated with flumazenil and 315 with placebo), were identified.

The treatment duration ranged from 5 minutes to 3 days.

Patients with clinical improvement:
Flumazenil: 27%
Placebo: 3%
Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics

Heterogeneity tests between control groups were not significant.

The mean percentages of patients with clinical improvement (5 trials) were
27% in treated groups and 3% in placebo groups. This difference was
significant by both methods (Peto: odds ratio = 6.2; Der Simonian: mean
rate difference, 29%).

The team found that the mean percentages of patients with
electroencephalographic improvement were 19% in treated groups and 2% in
placebo groups. This difference was significant only with the Peto method
(odds ratio = 5.8).

The sensitivity analysis showed similar results.

Author C. Goulenok, of the PitiÃ© SalpÃªtriÃ¨re Hospital, Paris, concluded
on behalf of colleagues, "This meta-analysis shows that flumazenil induces
clinical and electroencephalographic improvement of hepatic encephalopathy
in patients with cirrhosis."

Aliment Pharm Thera 2002; 16 (3): 361-72	
06 March 2002

Study: Better Quality of Life With Pegylated Interferon

Although hepatitis C is life-threatening if not treated, many patients discontinue treatment because of the significant reduction in their quality of life. But researchers now report that the new pegylated interferons appear to provide a better quality of life as well as a less problematic cure.

The researchers reported in the journal Hepatology on their analysis of three monotherapy trials, which compared the investigational drug Pegasys - a pegylated interferon - to standard interferon therapy, and included more than 1,400 patients from 11 countries.

"It may sound obvious, but the ability for a patient to maintain their quality of life during treatment does improve their adherence to therapy, and therefore their likelihood of achieving a cure," said Dr. David Bernstein, lead author of the study, and Director of Hepatology at North Shore University Hospital in New York.

The study included health surveys, which were administered five times during treatment, and addressed eight aspects of daily living, such as physical abilities and limitations, vitality, mental health and pain. Fatigue, a common symptom of hepatitis C and side effect of therapy, was gauged in a separate survey.

Other studies have shown that fatigue plays a vital role in whether a patient discontinues treatment. Results of both surveys showed that patients taking Pegasys reported having more energy, less pain and fewer problems overall when compared to those taking standard interferon.

In addition, the once a week dosage seemed to stay at a constant level in the patient's bloodstream, eliminating the ups and downs typically associated with interferon's negative side-effects.

Not only was Pegasys better tolerated, it also had the highest overall efficacy of any hepatitis C medication. According to Roche, 75 percent of patients (responding at week 12 to Pegasys plus ribavirin) who adhered to their full course of therapy were cured.

"Hepatitis C is the only virus known that can be cured by medication, and interferon is the only medication known that can cure it," Bernstein said. "Pegasys is likely to be our mainstay for quite some time because of its effect on adherence, although I expect it to be used in combination with other antiviral agents as they are developed. And as the number of cures increases, the spread decreases. I view Pegasys as a significant advance on the hepatitis C front."

Approval for use of Pegasys in the United States is expected in the coming months.

Other Sources: Hepatology, North Shore University Hospital, Roche

EPA Approves Disinfectant to Fight Spread of Hepatitis B

The U. S. Environmental Protection Agency has approved BBJ Spray Disinfectant/Cleaner for use to fight spread of the hepatitis B virus.

Many hospitals and healthcare facilities currently use chlorine bleach. But makers of the spray, which is odorless, low in toxicity, and won't burn skin, say those added benefits should make the spray a highly sought-after product.

"BBJ Spray effectively combines the germ killing ability of a disinfectant with a cleaning agent for use in (facilities) where housekeeping is of prime importance in controlling the hazard of cross contamination," said Robert Baker, Chairman and CEO of the company.

Other Sources: BBJ Environmental Solutions, Inc.

Study: Hepatitis C Does Not Up Risk of Death in First 10 Years

British researchers have found that hepatitis C does not significantly increase a person's risk of death in the first 10 years of infection.

In a study of 1,400 blood transfusion recipients in the United Kingdom, the researchers found that death from all causes was "not significantly different" between those infected with hepatitis C patients and those not infected..

And they reported that patients with hepatitis C were only slightly more likely to die from liver disease in the 10-year time frame than those without hepatitis C.

But the researchers reported that after 10 years, liver function had become abnormal in more than one-third of the hepatitis C patients (37.2 percent), and said that more than 100 patients (13.9 percent) showed physical signs or symptoms of liver disease.

The researchers also reported that 40 percent of those hepatitis C patients who died directly from liver disease during the 10-year period consumed excessive amounts of alcohol.

Other Sources: British Medical Journal

Study: Wine Daily Ups Liver Cancer Risk for Hepatitis Patients

Alcohol drinkers who are infected with hepatitis B or C are more likely to develop liver cancer than drinkers who are not infected with the virus, according to a team of researchers at the University of Brescia in Italy.

The study included 464 patients diagnosed with liver cancer and 824 patients with no liver damage.

The researchers reported in the American Journal of Epidemiology that that patients who consumed four to five glasses of wine each day were at higher risk of developing liver cancer, while those who consumed three to four glasses a day were at moderate risk.

But the risk of liver cancer in patients diagnosed with hepatitis C or hepatitis B almost doubled if they consumed wine on a regular basis.

Researchers also found that the age of patients when they began drinking and the length of time they'd been drinking did not affect the results.

Other Sources: American Journal of Epidemiology

Study: Hepatitis C Patients Not on Antiviral Therapy More Depressed

A large number of patients with chronic hepatitis C who are not receiving antiviral therapy suffer increased emotional distress, according to University of Michigan researchers..

Researchers studied 220 patients not receiving antiviral therapy, and found that 77 (35 percent) reported "significantly elevated" symptoms of depression. Patients with existing psychiatric problems reported even higher levels of depression.

But depression was only one of many psychological symptoms observed in the study group, the researchers reported in the Journal of Hepatology.

"In addition to depression, a broad array of psychological symptoms was observed," Dr. Robert J. Fontana of the University of Michigan Medical School said. "Further investigation into the (treatment) of emotional distress in (chronic hepatitis C) patients is warranted."

Other Sources: Journal of Hepatology

Roche Expects Approval of Pegasys in 2002

Roche Holding AG expects US regulators to approve its Pegasys (peginterferon alfa-2a) drug for treating hepatitis C late this year, chairman and chief executive Franz Humer said on Wednesday. He said Roche had generated additional data on the manufacturing process for Pegasys, which is Roche 's main product launch this year.

"We are therefore confident that the product will be approved, as planned, in the fourth quarter of this year," he said in remarks prepared for delivery at a news conference on the 2001 results.

03/1/02

Introduction

Manufactured by Hoffmann-La Roche (Roche), Pegasys is currently in Phase III testing as monotherapy for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C. Trials of Pegasys plus ribavirin for the treatment of patients with chronic hepatitis C are also underway. In addition, clinical trials of Pegasys for the treatment of HIV positive individuals who are co-infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV) are now enrolling nationwide. Call 1-800-526-6367 for information about study sites and eligibility requirements for trials of HIV/HCV co-infected patients.

The results of two studies published in the December 7, 2000 issue of the The New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) show that once weekly treatment (by subcutaneous injection) with Pegasys (pegylated interferon alfa-2a) produces a significantly better response than therapy with Roferon A (standard interferon alfa-2a) dosed three times weekly (also by subcutaneous injection).

US Panel Advises Tattooed and Pierced Not Give Blood

Thu Mar 14, 9:43 PM ET
By Alicia Ault

GAITHERSBURG, Md. (Reuters) - U.S. health advisers voted on Thursday to continue a policy that requires people who have been pierced or tattooed to put off donating blood for a year after the procedure, but said those who have received acupuncture can safely give blood.

The advisers to the Food and Drug Administration (news - web sites) (FDA) said they were concerned that loose regulation of tattoo and piercing establishments meant non-sterile procedures might be used, increasing the potential for transmission of viruses.

"In a non-sterile environment, I have very serious concerns about tattooing and body piercing," said panelist James Allen of Scientific Technologies Corp. of Phoenix, Arizona.

The panelists recommended that blood banks try to verify if tattoos or piercings were performed at a licensed facility.

The FDA usually follows the advice of its panels.

Currently, people who have received a tattoo, a piercing, or acupuncture in a non-sterile environment must wait a year before donating blood. As a result, about 100,000 people are turned away from donating each year, blood banks estimate.

The concern is that these people may have contracted viruses such as hepatitis B or hepatitis C through dirty needles or reused tattoo inks, and that these infections may be too recent to be picked up by blood screening. That worry has grown with the increased popularity of tattooing and piercing.

One study of New York state university students found that half had body piercings, and 23 percent had tattoos.

Miriam Alter, of the viral hepatitis division of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (news - web sites), told the committee that based on available studies, tattoo and piercing recipients are not at increased risk for viruses. CDC is recommending against a routine ban on donations from people with tattoos or body piercings.

Blood banks also said that new testing procedures now catch these viruses early in the infection process, which means contaminated blood can be discarded.

But panelists said there still is a risk of contamination.

North Shore-LIJ Physician Is Lead Author of Hepatitis C Study; Results Indicate New Drug Therapy Improves Adherence and Cure Rate

The Next New Epidemic?

MANHASSET, N.Y., March 5 /PRNewswire/ -- If you have a serious disease that is curable by medication, you take the medication. That should go without saying, but it often is not the case with hepatitis C, a blood-borne virus that affects the liver. The side effects with the standard therapy (interferon in combination with ribavirin) are so unpleasant that patients frequently abandon treatment, even though when left untreated hepatitis C is a life-threatening illness.

An investigational drug, PEGASYS®, promises improved quality of life over the standard therapy, which could increase the likelihood that patients adhere to the one-year course of therapy necessary for treatment success, according to a study published this month in Hepatology. The study's lead author is David Bernstein, MD, of North Shore University Hospital (NSUH) in Manhasset, New York.

The study is significant because hepatitis C is viewed by many as ``the new epidemic''; unless it can be controlled, it threatens to overwhelm the U.S. healthcare system.

PEGASYS is a pegylated interferon. To define this term simply, there is a strand of an inert, synthetic polymer called polyethylene glycol (PEG) attached to the interferon molecule. This PEG strand sweeps around like a tail and keeps the medication from being broken down too quickly. That means it can be administered once a week as compared with three times. And, most important, the PEG seems to help keep the drug at a fairly constant level in the patient's bloodstream, preventing ``peaks and valleys'' which have been linked to negative side effects.

In Dr. Bernstein's study, entitled ``Relationship of Health-Related Quality of Life to Treatment Adherence and Sustained Response in Chronic Hepatitis C Patients,'' PEGASYS was compared to standard interferon in over 1,400 patients from 11 countries, including the United States. Based on health surveys and fatigue severity scales administered to these patients at five points during their treatment, they had more energy, less fatigue, less bodily pain and fewer problems doing their job than patients taking standard interferon. In addition to being better tolerated, PEGASYS has the highest overall efficacy of any hepatitis C medication and provides an early indication (at three months) of whether the patient might or might not succeed on therapy. Of patients on PEGASYS plus ribavirin for whom success was projected based on early response, 75 percent who adhered to the full course of therapy had virus below the limits of detection after finishing their course of therapy.

Background on Hepatitis C

It is estimated that 2.7 million people are infected with hepatitis C, many of them still undiagnosed, according to Dr. Bernstein, who is director of hepatology of the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at NSUH in Manhasset, one of the cornerstone hospitals of the North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health System. He starts seeing patients at 6:30 a.m. in his hospital office to get through his caseload--92 percent diagnosed with hepatitis C.

``The practices of most hepatologists I know are bursting at the seams,'' he said. ``Cirrhosis may occur in 20 to 30 percent of cases within 20 years. Hepatitis C is the leading predisposing factor for liver cancer and liver transplant. It's already overburdening our transplant facilities. And we're seeing just the leading edge. There's no way our medical system can handle this epidemic.''

Hepatitis C patients represent all socioeconomic classes and have been infected in a variety of ways, including intravenous or intranasal drug use, blood transfusion prior to 1992, when procedures were put in place to safeguard the U.S. blood supply, and other less risky-seeming procedures such as manicures, tattooing and body piercing. Patients can be symptom free for decades, while the disease progresses, which is part of the adherence problem.

``Maybe they're diagnosed as a result of a blood test performed by an insurance company, but they feel fine,'' said Dr. Bernstein. ``Then they start on the medication and they feel terrible. I find that 80 to 90 percent of my patients suffer some side effects: flu-like symptoms, irritability, depression, thyroid problems. They find it hard to do their jobs or take care of their children. It affects their relationships -- they know that the therapy can cure them, but their quality of life is so seriously diminished that they quit, even though it's their only chance for a cure.'' Studies show that between 4 and 27 percent of patients discontinue conventional therapy within 24 weeks.

``Hepatitis C is the only virus known that can be cured by medication, and interferon is the only medication known that can cure it,'' Dr. Bernstein said. ``PEGASYS is likely to be our mainstay for quite some time because of its effect on adherence, although I expect it to be used in combination with other antiviral agents as they are developed. And as the number of cures increases, the spread decreases. I view PEGASYS as a significant advance on the hepatitis C front.''

PEGASYS has been approved for use in 13 countries to date. Approval for use in additional countries, including the United States, is expected to be granted in the coming months.

SOURCE: North Shore University Hospital

New Molecular Tests Make It Easier to Measure Hepatitis Viral Load

LabCorp has announced a new group of molecular tests designed to improve management of hepatitis B and hepatitis C patients.

Among the new tests is the SuperQuant, which is capable of confirming the presence of the virus at viral load levels below that of tests currently on the market. In addition, it is capable of assessing disease prognosis, and useful for monitoring patients on therapy.

The GenoSure, another new test for hepatitis B, is capable of detecting all currently known mutations that contribute to hepatitis B drug resistance, meaning that physicians can more accurately manage therapy options.

Similar to the SuperQuant, the new hepatitis C QuantaSure test detects extremely low levels of the hepatitis C virus, while the QuantaSure Plus, allows physicians to measure more accurately the response in patients with high viral levels.

The range of the test also will allow physicians to assess the likelihood of cure at the end of treatment.

"No longer does the diagnosis of these infections precede a life of continuous therapeutic trial and error for the patient," said Dr. Myla P. Lai-Goldman, Labcorp's executive vice president, chief scientific officer and medical director. "Advances in molecular medicine like LabCorp's suite of hepatitis B and C tests, as well as improved therapeutics, result in far better patient management and enhanced quality of life."

Other Sources: Laboratory Corporation of America

New Research Encouraging on Hepatitis B Combination Therapy

Researchers report that a 12-month followup to a study in Turkey further suggests that a combination therapy of Zadaxin and interferon may provide patients with long-term independence from hepatitis B.

The original study analyzed patients with a difficult to treat strain of chronic hepatitis B, which doesn't consistently respond to treatment.

Twenty-one patients received Zadaxin for 26 weeks, followed by interferon therapy for an additional 26 weeks. Ten patients received 52 weeks of interferon treatment only.

In the six month treatment-free follow-up, 76 percent of patients using Zadaxin in combination with interferon had normal liver enzymes, and were void of the virus's DNA, while patients treated with interferon -- one of the most widely used therapies in the treatment of hepaptitis B --showed a sustained response of 40 percent.

After an additional 12-month follow-up, 71 percent of patients receiving Zadaxin continued to show a sustained response, compared to only 10 percent of those treated with interferon alone.

"These long-term data provide additional clinical evidence of Zadaxins's ability to increase sustained responses, in even the most difficult to treat cases of chronic hepatitis B," said Dr. Eduardo Martins, Medical Director of SciClone Pharmaceuticals.

Other Sources: Sciclone Pharmaceuticals

Rivarin-High Dose Interferon Combination Improves Responses In Hepatitis C

A DGReview of : standard dose interferon"
Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics

03/18/2002
By David Loshak
Patients with hepatitis C who do not respond to standard doses of conventional interferon might benefit from higher doses plus ribavirin.

This combination was well tolerated among patients in a pilot study reported by specialists at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, United States. They pointed out that conventional interferon monotherapy fails to achieve virological clearance in most patients infected by hepatitis C.

However, the specialists conjectured, high-dose induction regimens might improve the initial clearance of virus. Also ribavirin might improve sustained response rates once clearance was achieved.

The specialists recruited 25 chronic hepatitis C patients who had not responded to standard dose interferon monotherapy. The study compared the efficacy and safety of re-treatment with an induction regimen of high-dose interferon alpha-2b either alone or with ribavirin.

Previous virological non-responders to standard dose interferon (3-5 MU three times weekly for 12 weeks) were randomised to receive one of two open-label regimens for 36 weeks.

Ten patients (Group A) received interferon alpha-2b 10 MU daily for 10 days followed by 5 MU daily for 74 days and then 5 MU three times weekly for 24 weeks. A further 15 patients (Group B) received the same regimen plus ribavirin 1000-1200 mg/day at day 11. All 25 patients were followed up for 24 weeks.

At the end of treatment, virological response was noted in one group A patient and in eight Group B patients. The sole responder in group A and three in group B relapsed on follow-up.

The apparent difference between the groups, with a 33 percent sustained response rate in Group B compared with none in Group A, nearly reached statistical significance.

Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics 2002; 16(3):381-388. "A randomized trial of high-dose interferon alpha-2b, with or without ribavirin, in chronic hepatitis C patients who have not responded to standard dose interferon"

Living with Hepatitis C
Fri Mar 22, 5:10 PM ET

By Randy Dotinga
HealthScoutNews Reporter

FRIDAY, March 22 (HealthScoutNews) -- Pamela Anderson announcement this week that she has hepatitis C is the talk of Tinseltown, but her future may not be that grim.

Many people infected with the liver disease go for decades without symptoms, experts say, and those who do become ill can turn to antiviral drug treatments that can be effective.

"Not everyone who gets hepatitis (C) dies from it. In fact, most people don't," says Frank Myers, an epidemiologist with Scripps Mercy Hospital in San Diego. Fifteen percent of hepatitis C patients actually get better on their own as their bodies eliminate the virus from their blood.

However, hepatitis C can ravage the liver and cause other symptoms. As many as 10,000 Americans die from the disease each year, while the side effects of drug treatment can be devastating.

Anderson, 34, says she suspects she was infected when she shared a tattooing needle with her ex-husband, rock star Tommy Lee. Anderson, a former star of the TV show "Baywatch," is undergoing outpatient treatment.

For his part, Lee, 39, claims he doesn't have the disease.

There are three major types of hepatitis -- A, B and C. All affect the liver, which acts a kind of clearinghouse for cholesterol, nutrients, blood-clotting products and other substances, says Dr. Kenneth Gould, an infectious disease consultant with the Southern California Permanente Medical Group in Los Angeles.

An estimated 4.5 million Americans are infected with hepatitis C, and it kills 8,000 to 10,000 people a year, making it only slightly less deadly than HIV which kills about 12,000 Americans annually.

Hepatitis C is a bloodborne virus, like HIV, which causes AIDS . However, unlike AIDS, hepatitis C seems to be much easier to transmit through shared needles and much harder to spread through sex.

The chances of HIV infection through a contaminated needle stick are estimated to be one in 333, while they're just one in 50 for hepatitis C, Myers says.

Viruses try to survive by developing different ways of infecting people, he explains.

"Each virus develops its own niche strengths and weaknesses," Myers says. "I don't think we know enough to know what hepatitis C gained by designing itself in a way that does not allow itself to easily be sexually transmitted."

Infection through tattooing is unusual because the sharing of needles is uncommon, Myers says. It could happen "only if the tattoo artist completely violated his or her training."

Even if both Lee and Anderson were found to have the same strain of hepatitis C, it would be difficult to determine exactly how it was transmitted, he says. Shared razors or even toenail scissors could spread the virus.

Once a person is infected with hepatitis C, the prognosis can vary. It's possible to live for 20 to 30 years without encountering symptoms, Gould says. In some cases, infected people aren't diagnosed until their blood is tested for some other reason.

"Many times, it's serendipitously found," he says.

Even if someone doesn't notice any signs of infection, hepatitis C is usually still at work. Often, Myers says, "the liver is slowly attacked by the virus, but (the patients) die of something else before the virus destroys their liver."

Hepatitis C scars and inflames the liver, potentially blocking circulation within the organ, Gould says. Liver cancer is also a possibility.

Only a few years ago, there was no treatment for hepatitis C. Now, doctors use antivirals such as interferon and ribavinin.

However, drug treatment can make patients feel like they have the flu and even cause anemia, so it's generally limited to those whose livers are already damaged, Gould says. The treatment typically takes six to 12 months.

"Most people don't opt for therapy because it's prolonged and somewhat difficult," he says.

There's also a risk that treatment may not vanquish the virus, Myers says. While blood levels of the virus disappear in nearly half of people on drug treatment, hepatitis C returns in about half of them.

Despite the limitations, Gould says, the future for hepatitis patients is much brighter than it was just a few years ago.

"We have improved knowledge, and there are options for therapy that weren't available previously," Gould says.