Hepatitis C News

Direct-acting antiviral therapies Harvoni and Daklinza plus Sovaldi were both safe and highly effective among patients with chronic hepatitis C virus infection who received heart transplants, researchers in Taiwan reported.

Hepatitis C transmission rates were high in Australian prisons and significantly correlated with injection drug use, according to a presentation at the International Symposium on Hepatitis Care in Substance Users. Additionally, prisoners were doubtful of the long-term efficacy of treatment-as-prevention in the prison setting.

People with hepatitis C virus infection and a recent or current history of drug use who were enrolled in a multidisciplinary care program responded well to direct-acting antiviral therapy and achieved a high rate of SVR, according to data presented at the International Symposium on Hepatitis Care in Substance Users.

People who inject drugs have historically represented a population at high risk for hepatitis C virus. However, these patients are often wary of authority figures or entities that might draw attention to or monitor their behavior. This caution may negatively affect their incentive to pursue treatment. The significant side effects of interferon-based therapies — previously the standard of care for HCV —may deter patients even more than fear of authority, as the side effects include IFN-induced bone marrow depression, flulike symptoms, neuropsychiatric disorders, and autoimmune syndromes. These regimens are also complicated and time-consuming, requiring 6 months of injections and a great deal of adherence.

The approval of two new regimens for treating hepatitis C comes as a very welcome development in the field. It is great news for patients and providers because both regimens offer new options for therapy.


The population of patients coinfected with HIV and hepatitis C in the U.S. remains largely marginalized for one reason or another. They are opioid drug users, Medicaid recipients, men who have sex with men; often, they are all the above. The fact that there are medications in the marketplace that can control or cure their dual infections makes their predicament even more frustrating. These are people who, clinically speaking, should be leading normal, healthy lives. Yet they are not.

Opioid agonist therapy clinics represent an important conduit for people who inject drugs to receive information, screening and treatment for hepatitis C. Within these clinics, however, physicians and addiction specialists self-reported low competence regarding current HCV treatments. Additionally, policies that restrict treatment for current and recent drug users present an ongoing barrier.

People who inject drugs and are coinfected with hepatitis C and HIV more often initiated treatment with innovative strategies, such as peer mentoring or cash incentives, compared with those who received standard care only, according to data presented at the International Symposium on Hepatitis Care in Substance Users.

Light alcohol consumption did not influence liver fibrosis in women who were coinfected with HIV and hepatitis C virus, according to recently published findings in Clinical Infectious Diseases.

Alcohol dependence presents a significant barrier to hepatitis C treatment among patients with HIV compared with non-alcohol substance dependence, according to a presentation at the International Symposium on Hepatitis Care in Substance Users.