Hepatitis C News

The introduction of direct-acting antivirals was a significant step toward hepatitis C. Physicians, researchers and medical associations have continued to focus on developing methods and programs to treat as many patients with HCV as possible, especially injection drug users who have a high prevalence for transmission.

As direct-acting antivirals become more affordable, they also become accessible to more patients with hepatitis C, without treatment delays. These powerful drugs, which were once provided only to the sickest of HCV patients, are now a treatment option for HCV cases at all stages.

The Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network and United Network for Organ Sharing board of directors approved a set of policy amendments designed to reduce geographic differences in liver transplant access and distribution.

For patients with hepatitis C genotype 4, treatment with ravidasvir and sofosbuvir, with or without ribavirin, was safe and effective regardless of cirrhosis or previous interferon-based treatment experience.

New data showed that the VAP score — a novel noninvasive liver fibrosis staging model derived from aspartate aminotransferase, platelet count and von Willebrand factor antigen — outperformed other validated noninvasive methods among patients with chronic hepatitis C.

Patients with hepatitis C genotype 1 who achieved sustained virologic response after direct-acting antiviral treatment had significant improvement or reversal of insulin resistance, according to a recently published study.

Liver transplantation is a necessity for many chronic liver diseases, including hepatocellular carcinoma, chronic hepatitis C, and alcoholic liver disease. Over the past year, researchers and physicians have reported changes among the leading indications on the liver waitlist and improvements in transplantation outcomes.

An 8-week course of Harvoni for hepatitis C virus infection in both black and nonblack patients was a cost-effective alternative to a 12-week course, according to researchers.

Sustained virologic response after direct-acting antiviral treatment for hepatitis C significantly improved liver stiffness from baseline to end of treatment, and continued to improve liver stiffness among those with progressive fibrosis at 24 weeks posttreatment, according to recently published data.

A recently published study showed that patients with chronic hepatitis C have an increased risk for chronic kidney disease. Additionally, HCV treatment appeared to improve survival among patients with chronic HCV and patients on hemodialysis compared with untreated patients.