Efficacy of Stronger Neo-Minophagen C compared between two doses administered three times a week on patients with chronic viral hepatitis.

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

A daily injection of glycyrrhizin (Stronger Neo-Minophagen C (SNMC) containing 40 mg glycyrrhizin in a 20 mL ampoule) lowers alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels in patients with chronic viral hepatitis.

METHODS:

The therapeutic effects of intermittent administration of SNMC three times a week for 12 weeks were evaluated and compared between two doses (40 and 100 mL) in a randomized clinical trial.

RESULTS:

Overall, the therapeutic response was better in the 53 patients allocated 100 mL than the 59 who were allocated to have 40 mL SNMC (P = 0.0243). At the completion of SNMC treatment, ALT levels decreased more extensively in the patients on 100 mL than those on 40 mL SNMC (-29 vs-50% in comparison with the baseline value, P = 0.0002). Minor side-effects occurred in both the patients on 100 mL (20%) and those on 40 mL (12%), but they did not require any therapies.

CONCLUSIONS:

Intermittent SNMC would be efficient in suppressing ALT levels in patients with chronic viral hepatitis in a dose-dependent manner. Taken along with infrequent and very mild side-effects, long-term intermittent SNMC would benefit patients with chronic hepatitis by maintaining their quality of life with easier compliance.

• Authors: Kazuhiko Miyake, Toshiro Tango, Yasuhiko Ota, Keiji Mitamura, Makoto Yoshiba, Makoto Kako, Shigeki Hayashi, Yusei Ikeda, Norimasa Hayashida, Shogo Iwabuchi, Yuzuru Sato, Toshiaki Tomi, Naoya Funaki, Naoaki Hashimoto, Tomoyuki Umeda, Jun Miyazaki, Katsuaki Tanaka, Yasuo Endo, Hiroshi Suzuki
• Journal: Journal of gastroenterology and hepatology (J Gastroenterol Hepatol) Vol. 17 Issue 11 Pg. 1198-204 (Nov 2002) ISSN: 0815-9319 [Print] Australia
• PMID: 12453280 (Publication Type: Clinical Trial, Comparative Study, Journal Article, Randomized Controlled Trial)
• Copyright: Copyright 2002 Blackwell Publishing Asia Pty Ltd

Chemical References

• Antiviral Agents
• Glycyrrhizic Acid
• Alanine Transaminase

Topics

• Alanine Transaminase (metabolism)
• Antiviral Agents (administration & dosage, therapeutic use)
• Female
• Glycyrrhizic Acid (administration & dosage, therapeutic use)
• Hepatitis, Chronic (drug therapy)
• Hepatitis, Viral, Human (drug therapy)
• Humans
• Liver Function Tests
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Statistics, Nonparametric
• Treatment Outcome