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Newcastle University researchers led by Professor Derek Mann analyzed a small clinical trial of losartan -- also known by the brand name Cozaar -- that is normally prescribed for hypertension, on 14 patients in Spain who had Hepatitis C.

The scientists said the illness was at an advanced stage causing fibrosis -- scarring in the liver -- which would usually have progressed to liver failure. The researchers found liver scars in half of the patients in the trial shrank, allowing the organ to repair itself.

"At the moment we have no proven effective way of treating people with chronic liver disease other than transplantation", Mann said. "This early stage trial has shown that we can shrink liver scarring in some patients and shows promise for a treatment that could make a huge difference to the lives of thousands of people."

The researchers said they now want to conduct several larger studies, initially involving patients with liver disease caused by obesity and then, later, liver disease caused by alcohol and hereditary and autoimmune diseases.

The research appears in the journal Gastroenterology.

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