Hepatitis C

As the worldwide disease burden increases and the need for expanded access to care rises concomitantly, primary care clinics utilizing an interdisciplinary staffing model offer a promising alternative to treating patients with hepatitis C (HCV).

Watchful waiting in patients with chronic hepatitis C (HCV) genotype 1 infection may increase the number of advanced liver disease cases, according to a poster presented at the 2013 American Association for the Study of Liver Disease (AASLD) meeting held in Washington, DC.

Case study presented at CHEST 2013 details the experience of a patient with hepatitis C who, after undergoing liver transplant, died after developing a serious lung infection and other complications.

Results from a clinical trial designed to evaluate the effectiveness of a hepatitis C educational program delivered by the Hepatology Centers of Educational Expertise, a hepatologist-led working group dedicated to educating healthcare professionals on the latest developments in the management of chronic liver disease.

Case study results indicate boceprevir-based triple therapy could be a viable treatment option for patients with acute hepatitis C virus who fail to respond to standard treatment.

A large majority of patients with chronic hepatitis C cleared their virus after receiving triple therapy of pegylated interferon, ribavirin, and boceprevir for 24 weeks. No patients in the study cohort discontinued treatment due to medication-related side effects.

Shortening IFN-free combination treatment of chronic HCV to 16 weeks and eliminating the induction dose of deleobuvir reduces viral load and treatment-induced side effects, according to a recent clinical trial.

Study finds men with HIV and chronic HCV infection are more likely to receive treatment than women. The same study also indicates Caucasians with HIV and HCV co-infection are more likely to receive treatment than their African-American counterparts.

Study finds there are often long delays between diagnosis and referral for treatment by a specialist for patients with hepatitis C, and also long delays from the time of referral to initiation of treatment.

Recently released testing guidelines and expanded access to insurance coverage under the ACA may improve awareness and treatment among HIV-positive, economically underserved, and minority populations that are disproportionately impacted by viral hepatitis infection.

In addition to recommending antiretroviral therapy for all HIV-infected individuals to reduce the risk of disease progression, the revised document also offers guidance on initial treatment regimens, early HIV infection, drug-resistance testing, and more.

A unique program that focuses on specific neighborhoods in Philadelphia with high hepatitis C and HIV/AIDS infection rates provides free testing, works with local leaders to destigmatize testing, and connects infected individuals with needed health care services.

Researchers discussed new HIV vaccine developments in protecting antibodies capable of neutralizing many different strains of the virus and reviewed the comorbidity of HIV and hepatitis C virus (HCV).

To help physicians take a step towards more personalized treatment for patients infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV), the US Food and Drug Administration today approved a fully automated test that can distinguish the seven major HCV genotypes in an infected patient.

Andrew J. Muir, MD, MHS, said having more antiviral hepatitis C drugs in the pipeline could spur more people to accept treatment and improve patient outcomes.

The most important treatment outcome in hepatitis C is sustained virological response, due to its impact on reducing the risks of liver-related mortality, hepatocellular carcinoma, and hepatic decompensation. The degree of baseline liver disease, IL28B genotype, and HCV genotype are important determinants of response to treatment.

Hepatocellular carcinoma is the fastest rising cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States. However, there are several stages along the way from healthy liver to malignant transformation that offer opportunities for detection and intervention.

Study results presented at The Liver Meeting 2012 show the experimental treatment leads to high rates of viral clearance in patients with hepatitis C, even in those with compensated cirrhosis.

According to study results presented at The Liver Meeting 2012, combination treatment with ribavirin and the uridine nucleotide analog sofosbuvir achieved high rates of sustained viral response in a range of patients with hepatitis C.

The development of direct acting antivirals has led to significant improvement in treatment outcomes for many patients with hepatitis C. New research has also improved management of treatment-related anemia, helped streamline standard therapy, and identified promising new approaches to interferon-free treatment.

Study results presented at The Liver Meeting 2012 show that administering two direct-acting antivirals results in a high rate of sustained virologic response in patients with hepatitis C who failed previous treatment with ribavirin/peginterferon.

Data presented at The Liver Meeting show that treatment with a combination of three direct-acting antivirals plus ribavirin achieved virus control in almost all patients with hepatitis C in a phase II study.

Boceprevir and telaprevir offer improved clinical benefits to patients with hepatitis C, but a variety of racial, genetic, and other biological factors can influence treatment outcomes.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) has been referred to as a "stealth virus" because most people who develop chronic hepatitis C don't know they are infected.

The medical community welcomed two new direct-acting antiviral (DAA) agents for HCV-telaprevir (Incivek, Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated) and boceprevir (Victrelis, Merck & Co., Inc.)-with an excitement that hadn't been seen since 1990.

It's always hard to know how many new therapies will make it all the way through a drug development pipeline.There are 12 combination therapies in phase II trials, 19 individual agents in phase II, and five more in phase III.

"IL-28B receptor polymorphism is an important predictor of SVR in patients treated with pegylated interferon and ribavirin," said Binu John, MD at the Cleveland Clinic.

Bret Lashner, MD, MPH, FACG, shares his thoughts about the first day of the 47th Annual Gastroenterology Update at the Cleveland Clinic, including the recent developments with inflammatory bowel disease and hepatitis C therapy.

A group of French scientists have announced promising results of a vaccine for the debilitating hepatitis C virus.