Chronic Hepatitis News

Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards, Secretary Rebekah Gee of the Louisiana Department of Health, Secretary James LeBlanc of the Louisiana Department of Corrections, and Asegua Therapeutics have agreed on a model to implement the health department’s innovative payment model for hepatitis C treatment, according to a press release.

Treatment with Sovaldi and ribavirin was well-tolerated and highly effective in children aged 3 years to less than 12 years in pediatric patients with hepatitis C genotype 2 or genotype 3, according to a study published in Hepatology.

While most countries in the European Union and the European Economic Area have reported a decline in acute hepatitis B rates over the last decade, reports showed an increase in physicians discovering cases of chronic hepatitis B, according to data published by the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control.

Chronic hepatitis B virus infection is associated with the risk for nonliver cancers, especially digestive system cancers, according to findings from a population-based cohort study published in JAMA Network Open.

In a recently published commentary, Chelsea Elwood, MD, from the University of British Columbia, and colleagues advised that Canadian guidelines should recommend universal screening for hepatitis C in pregnant women as they do for hepatitis B and HIV to reduce the risk for vertical transmission.

Although not currently licensed for patients undergoing dialysis for severe renal impairment, researchers found that treatment with Epclusa for hepatitis C was safe and effective in patients with end-stage renal disease.

The CDC released an educational web feature and other educational resources for Pride Month designed to increase the awareness of hepatitis A outbreaks among men who have sex with men that have occurred both in the United States as well as internationally. The resources also provide information about hepatitis vaccinations.

Patients who received interferon-based antiviral therapy for chronic hepatitis C had a significantly lower incidence rate of Parkinson’s disease compared with untreated patients, according to an analysis published in JAMA Neurology.

Researchers found that treatment with a combination of Viread and GS-4774, a yeast-based therapeutic vaccine, increased hepatitis B-specific T cell immune response in untreated patients with chronic hepatitis B.

Gilead Sciences Canada awarded a series of HCV Micro-Elimination Grants to 11 organizations focused on identifying individuals with hepatitis C in high-risk hard-to-reach populations throughout Canada and linking them to care, according to a press release.