Hepatitis C News

In a follow-up analysis of participants in clinical trials, researchers found that patient-reported outcome scores increased in patients who achieved sustained virologic response after treatment for hepatitis C, whereas scores decreased in those who did not.

Scaling up access to direct-acting antivirals, or DAAs, is the most cost-effective intervention for reducing hepatitis C virus among people who inject drugs when only health sector costs are considered, according to findings from a computer simulation study.

Most patients with hepatitis C in Africa have genotypes outside of the common and easily cured genotype 1a and genotype 1b, which has led to a suboptimal rate of sustained virologic response.

Results from an extension study of the PREVAIL trial showed that hepatitis C virus reinfection rates were low among people who inject drugs on opioid agonist therapy and higher among those reporting ongoing injection drug use, or IDU.

Findings from two phase 4 clinical trials demonstrated that participants’ injection drug use and risk behaviors decreased or remained stable during and following treatment for hepatitis C virus infection, which researchers said supports expanding HCV treatment to everyone, regardless of injection drug use.

Research published in the Journal of the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society suggests that a generic version of ledipasvir-sofosbuvir — marketed in the United States as Harvoni — is safe and effective for the treatment of teens with hepatitis C virus infection.

Decentralized treatment of hepatitis C using telemedicine clinics achieved a sustained virologic response rate of more than 90% regardless of genotype or presence of cirrhosis, according to a published study conducted in India.

Although subspecialization training encompassing two fellowships is almost unheard of, this experience is where I began my journey in infectious disease clinical practice. As a fourth-year medical student rotating on the pediatric infectious disease service, getting the opportunity to observe the breadth of disease in the category, gain a deeper understanding of “bugs and drugs” and hone my diagnostic skills from truly gifted physicians was awe-inspiring. What impressed me most was that all of the attendings I met were both excellent diagnosticians and had excellent general practitioner skills.

Harvoni joins other direct-acting antivirals in demonstrating safety and high efficacy in younger pediatric patients with chronic hepatitis C, specifically those aged 3 years to younger than 6 years, according to results published in Hepatology.

With $7 million from the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute, seven opioid treatment programs announced entry into an ongoing study of telemedicine for treatment of hepatitis C.