Issue: November 2017
October 04, 2017
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AASLD, IDSA update HCV guidance for resistance, new drug approvals

Issue: November 2017
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The AASLD and the Infectious Diseases Society of America have updated their guidelines and resources for the diagnosis and treatment of hepatitis C virus infection, according to a press release.

Michael S. Saag, MD
Michael S. Saag

The updated guidelines, posted on their website HCVguidelines.org, will reflect recent FDA drug approvals of Mavyret (glecaprevir/pibrentasvir, AbbVie) and Vosevi (sofosbuvir/velpatasvir/voxilaprevir, Gilead Sciences), include a primer on HCV resistance, and provide direction on treating people after kidney transplantation and managing HCV in pregnant women and children, according to the release.

“The new AASLD-IDSA Hepatitis C Guidelines are a refreshing update to one of the most useful tools on the internet for those treating hepatitis C in practice,” Michael S. Saag, MD, associate dean for global health at University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine, Jim Straley Chair in AIDS research, director of the Center for AIDS Research and Co-Editor in Chief of HCV Next, said in an interview. “The tables are well designed, the information easy to access, the website is easy to navigate, and the text provides solid scientific back up to the recommendations.”

More specifically, the HCV resistance primer will offer terminology, guidance on when to provide resistance testing and approaches to overcoming resistance, the release stated. Updated recommendations for kidney transplant patients includes how to use direct-acting antiviral (DAA) therapy in patients who have undergone kidney transplant, per the release. Additions will offer guidance on testing, treating and monitoring pregnant women and children with HCV as well as information for counseling parents, according to the release.

“With the recent release of two novel, pangenotypic regimens, clinicians have been wondering how these new treatment options fit into existing practice,” Saag told Healio.com/Hepatology. “The updated Guidelines provide clear direction on how and when to use these newer agents, while at the same time ‘modernizing’ the regimen options from ‘yesteryear’ (literally, 1 year ago … which is a lifetime in hepatitis C drug development). All in all, a great update with accurate, well-thought out recommendations for every genotype, fibrosis stage and clinical scenario in the treatment of hepatitis C.” – by Savannah Demko

Disclosures: Saag reports consulting for and receiving research grants from Bristol-Meyers Squibb, Gilead, Merck, Proteus and ViiV.