Division of Experimental Therapy of Viral Hepatitis

 Division Lead — Ivan I. Tokin, PhD

 Phone: +7 (812) 499–15–48

 E-mail: ivan.tokin@influenza.spb.ru

The Division of Experimental Therapy of Viral Hepatitis, created in 2004, acts as an out– and inpatient clinic for patients diagnosed with viral, non–infectious hepatitis and gastroenterological pathologies. Certified medical staff carries out laboratory tests, liver biopsies and virological assays to accurately diagnose hepatitis, evaluate its’ activity, quantity, genotype and present mutations, and prescribe custom treatment in accordance with the European Association for the Study of the Liver’ (EASL) recommendations. Patients with no response to previous therapy are readmitted for treatment with domestically produced gamma–interferon «Ingaron». Recently, an Fibromax (Fibrotest) biomarker test for assessing liver damage, developed by Biopredictive, France, was adopted. Fibromax is non–invasive and uses blood serum tests, while having the same prognostic value as liver biopsy. It allows easier tracking of therapeutic efficacy of prescribed antiviral drugs and substituting them if necessary. The Division conducts trials of novel domestic and foreign antiviral preparations with proven safety record. Patients are eligible for free participation in the trials under the supervision of the medical unit’s staff.

A joint Russian–Italian Centre for Infectious Diseases was formed on the base of the Division in 2005, under the guidance of Franco de Rosa, president of the Russian–Italian Society of Infectiologists and a foreign member of Russian Academy of Medical Sciences (RAMS). The Centre facilitates international medical research and knowledge sharing.