Hepatitis C News

Results from a national survey showed that hepatitis C prevalence was higher in the West and Appalachian states between 2013 and 2016 compared with other areas, as reported in JAMA Network Open.

Extrahepatic cancer was more common in patients with hepatitis C and was the leading cause of death in patients who achieved sustained virologic response compared with the general population, according to results of a French cohort study.

Sovaldi-based therapy was safe and effective in as short as 8 weeks for treating hepatitis C in patients with cancer and may induce remission of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, according to a recently published study.

Researchers documented a small number of cases of sexually acquired hepatitis C virus infection among men who have sex with men, or MSM, taking pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP, for HIV prevention. The cases underscore a need for HCV prevention efforts and enhanced HCV surveillance among MSM who use PrEP, they said.

Treatment with either pegylated interferon with ribavirin or direct-acting antivirals for hepatitis C correlated with a significantly lower risk for cardiovascular disease, especially among patients who achieved sustained virologic response, according to a study published in Gastroenterology.

Mavyret demonstrated 97% sustained virologic response in a large, real-world cohort of patients with hepatitis C over an 8-week course and extended 12-week to 16-week courses, according to recently published data.

The Medicines Patent Pool signed a royalty-free license agreement with AbbVie to enable quality-assured manufacturers to develop and sell generic medicines including Mavyret, according to a press release.

Results from a retrospective review of patients infected with hepatitis C in childhood revealed that those with perinatal infection developed cirrhosis earlier than other risk groups, according to a recently published study.

Experts have argued that the United States prison population provides an opportunity to address the hepatitis C virus epidemic because inmates have a high prevalence of infection and are readily reachable for testing and treatment, but recent data show most are not receiving the care they need.

The United States is in the midst of an opioid epidemic, which has led to an increase in acute hepatitis C virus cases. Infectious Disease News asked Mandy Altman, MPA, CCHP, director of the National Hepatitis Corrections Network and correctional health program manager for the Hepatitis Education Project, if the opioid epidemic is having an effect on the rates of HCV in U.S. prisons and jails.