Many of you, especially in the UK will have undoubtedly heard of the collapse of Fabrice Muamba. A Bolton Wanderer's football player, who at the time was playing in a FA cup football match watched by thousands. But is this a one-off or are we scratching at the surface with what happened?

Recent media spotlight

Separate Study Links Acute-on-Chronic Liver Failure to High Short-Term Mortality 

 Two studies presented at the International Liver Congress(TM) 2012 show the true impact that liver disease has across Europe. One highlights the financial cost of liver disease to the community and the second highlights the high mortality rates associated with cirrhosis.

The Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) has issued a positive opinion for ferumoxytol, a new intravenous (IV) iron therapy with a proposed indication for the treatment of iron deficiency anaemia (IDA) in adult patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). 

Ferumoxytol is an IV iron therapy with a proposed indication for the treatment of IDA in adult patients with CKD. Its structure and formulation allows for the administration of 510 mg in a shorter time frame than existing IV iron preparations. Ferumoxytol significantly increases Hb levels in CKD patients both on dialysis and in patients not on dialysis compared with oral iron. Clinical trials have also highlighted that ferumoxytol is well tolerated.

Synairgen plc , announces positive data from its Phase II clinical trial. This pioneering trial investigated the potential for SNG001 (inhaled interferon beta) to protect asthmatics from respiratory virus infections (principally the common cold) that can spread to the lung, which are a major cause of worsening asthma symptoms. It is estimated that viral infection is associated with up to eight out of ten asthma-related emergency department visits. 

There are 5.4 million asthmatics in the UK (Asthma UK) and 25.7 million in the USA (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention).

Nnew data presented today at the International Liver Congress(TM) 2012 shows the gut microbiota's causal role in the development of diabetes and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), independent of obesity[1]. Though an early stage animal model, the French study highlights the possibility of preventing diabetes and NAFLD with gut microbiota transplantation - the engrafting of new microbiota, usually through administering faecal material from a healthy donor into the colon of a diseased recipient.[2]  

Santaris Pharma A/S, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery and development of RNA-targeted therapies, will present final data from a Phase 2a trial showing that miravirsen given as a four-week monotherapy treatment provided robust dose-dependent anti-viral activity with a mean reduction of 2 to 3 logs from baseline in HCV RNA (log10 IU/mL) that was sustained well beyond the end of therapy. These final clinical data are being presented at the International Liver Congress™ 2012, the annual meeting of the European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL), taking place on April 18 - 22 in Barcelona, Spain.

Abbott and Enanta Pharmaceuticals announced data from "Co-Pilot," an interferon-free, Phase 2 study of Abbott's direct-acting antiviral medicines for the treatment of hepatitis C (HCV) that found that more than 90 percent of patients new to HCV treatment achieved sustained viral response through 12 weeks (SVR12). Results were released today at a press conference at the International Liver Congress 2012 (ILC 2012), the annual meeting of the European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL), in Barcelona, Spain, and will also be presented in an oral platform presentation at the latebreaking trials session on Saturday, April 21.