Diagnostic Biomarkers for Drug-Induced Liver Injury

Licensing opportunity

Scientists in Scotland have developed a method for rapid diagnosis of patients who are thought to have taken an overdose of paracetamol. This promises to improve treatments and has cost-saving implications for healthcare providers.

Paracetamol overdoses are treated with a glutathione pro-drug, N-acetylcysteine (NAC). However, adverse reactions to this antidote are common, occurring in around 15 per cent of patients.

As the majority of patients will not develop organ injury, they may be over-treated with a potentially toxic antidote. Patients are given NAC intravenously over a period of approximately 20 hours. Once the NAC treatment is complete, further tests to assess the extent of any liver damage are conducted. At present, paracetamol induced organ damage may only be excluded after a minimum period of 20 hours.

The biomarkers would allow earlier diagnosis of patients and thus more rapid treatment, and reduce the cost of treating paracetamol overdoses

For more information, visit the project’s page at: http://www.university-technology.com/details/diagnostic-biomarkers-for-drug-induced-liver-injury