Hepatitis C News

Merck will record an intangible asset impairment charge of $2.9 billion related to its uprifosbuvir research program for the treatment of hepatitis C, according to a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission report.

AbbVie received a positive opinion for 8-week treatment of genotype 1b chronic hepatitis C with combination Viekirax plus Exviera from the European Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use of the European Medicines Agency, according to a press release.

Vitamin D decreased hepatitis C cell replication and appeared significantly associated with rapid virologic response in anti-viral therapy, according to study results published in Hepatology Research.

Ontario will become the first Canadian province to reimburse for Zepatier in the treatment of chronic hepatitis C, effective Feb. 28, 2017, followed by British Columbia on Mar. 21, 2017, according to a press release from Merck.

The aspartate transaminase-platelet ratio index and Fibrosis-4 score were effective non-invasive markers to monitor fibrosis and correlated to the presence of esophageal varices in hemophilic patients coinfected with HIV and hepatitis C, according to a new study.

SEATTLE — Incidence rates of acute hepatitis C virus are expected to decrease substantially over the coming years in the Netherlands, according to a speaker here.

SEATTLE — Researchers used model projection to predict that direct-acting antiviral agent-based treatments could nearly eradicate hepatitis C virus-HIV coinfection in France within the next decade, according to a speaker here.

As real-world data on direct-acting antiviral therapies emerge, signs indicate that the overwhelmingly positive sustained virologic response rates reported in clinical trials will hold firm.

Amid the overwhelmingly positive response to direct-acting antivirals post-2011 came a handful of data sets suggesting a negative drug–drug interaction with proton pump inhibitors. However, the studies were, at best, moderately conclusive.

A recent report questioning the safety of direct-acting antivirals in the treatment of hepatitis C garnered much attention due to its coverage in the New York Times; enough attention that our patients who have read the Times article have begun to question these treatments, including even some who have already been cured and are needlessly concerned about the potential for late-appearing side effects.