Hepatitis C News

Men who have sex with men presenting with hepatitis C genotype 1 infection and HIV-1 coinfection did not experience increased rates of sustained virologic response after treatment with telaprevir plus pegylated interferon and ribavirin vs. those assigned therapy with pegylated interferon and ribavirin alone, according to data from a pilot study presented at AIDS 2016.

Merck announced the European Commission granted marketing authorization for Zepatier to treat adult patients with chronic hepatitis C virus genotype 1 and 4 infection, with or without ribavirin, according to a company news release.

Circulating plasma levels of the micro RNA let-7 were associated with hepatic fibrosis progression in patients with chronic HCV, according to recent findings published in Hepatology.

World Hepatitis Day is today, and to date, nearly 5.7 million people in the United States are living with hepatitis B or C virus infection, according to the CDC. On a global scale, 1.4 million deaths per year are attributed to acute infection and hepatitis-related liver diseases, according to WHO. Both organizations launched strategic plans this year to help eliminate the burden of viral hepatitis.

Researchers from the Netherlands developed a new risk score that accurately predicted the risk for acute HCV infection in men with HIV who have sex with men, according to an abstract presented at AIDS 2016.

In patients with hepatitis C, both atorvastatin and fluvastatin use were associated with a dose-dependent reduction in both cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma, according to recent findings published in Hepatology.

Women of childbearing age in Kentucky and nationally had increased rates of hepatitis C virus detection between 2011 and 2014, according to new data published in MMWR. The rate of children born to mothers with the infection also increased, indicating potential increased risk for mother-to-child transmission.

If international donors place larger orders, novel direct-acting antivirals to treat hepatitis C could be mass-produced for under $90 per person, according to an abstract presented at AIDS 2016.

The FDA has approved a new drug application for Viekira XR — an extended-release, coformulation of the active ingredients in Viekira Pak — for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C virus infection genotype 1, according to a press release from the manufacturer.

The American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases and the Infectious Diseases Society of America have released updated guidelines on their website for the treatment of hepatitis C virus infection, according to a press release.