New Hep C Treatment Being Tested

REHOVOT, Israel - U.S. health officials estimate that more Americans will die during this decade of hepatitis C (HCV) infection than AIDS.

Officials at XTL Biopharmaceuticals Ltd. are trying to make a difference in these statistics. After successfully passing Phase IA clinical trails earlier this year with their drug XTL-002, researchers have announced the commencement of a Phase IB clinic study. The drug is a fully human, high-affinity monoclonal antibody that has reduced the viral levels of HCV virus.

The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates some 170 million people worldwide suffer from chronic HCV. There are 4 million carriers of the virus in the United States alone.