After 3-year research study, Celera Genomics announced having identified seven single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that predicts the risk of cirrhosis in patients with chronic hepatitis-C (CHC). The results were based on a study of samples from more than 1,500 individuals infected with CHC, ran through Celera's functional genome scan for SNPs. Results also showed that these 7 SNPs were more effective in predicting the likelihood of cirrhosis than an evaluation of clinical risk factors such as age, gender and daily alcohol consumption.

"This study confirms that the genetic makeup of each patient is the most important factor in determining which patients with chronic HCV are likely to develop fibrosis progression to cirrhosis," said Mitchell L. Shiffman, M.D., Professor of Medicine, Chief, Hepatology, Medical Director, Liver Transplant Program, Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center, and a collaborator and co-author of the study. "These data are very likely to change the way in which we evaluate and select patients for anti-viral therapy."

"Use of this information to select and treat the patients at highest risk for progression earlier may help prevent irreversible liver damage and improve patient compliance with therapy," said Kathy Ordoñez, President of Celera Genomics. "These results may also enable more cost-effective and timely demonstration of efficacy for new drug therapies by enriching trials with those individuals more likely to suffer from disease progression."

The results of the study will be presented at the 41st annual meeting of The European Association for the Study of the Liver, on April 28, 2006 in Vienna, Austria.

In a report published at the New York Times, Celera president was quoted saying that the company hope to license a laboratory test based on these study, and estimated the test to cost about $1,000. Add another one to the growing number of genetic diagnostic tests.

Read the full story: Genetic Test to Give Clues on Treatment of Hepatitis C