Hepatitis C- Accurate, clinically relevant information for patients with viral hepatitis

Hepatitis C Information

Learning about HCV or deciding on a treatment plan after being diagnosed can be an overwhelming task.

Hours and hours of searching the Internet for accurate easy to understand information often ensues. Finding the right creditable web site with relevant information is invaluable.

Here are a few links pointing you in the right direction, starting with Clinical Care Options (CCO)

CCO Hepatology in Practice™ is a unique Web site designed to provide easy access to accurate, clinically relevant information to improve care for patients with viral hepatitis. The program was launched in 2011 and the contents are reviewed and updated on an ongoing basis.

This site is available for use after a free, one-time registration.
Click here register

The information available to patients at CCO is abundant, here are just a few topics of interest.

Hepatology - Management of Hepatitis C Infection

Released: 12/13/11

Last Reviewed: 12/13/11

In patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, the goal of therapy is virologic cure. Eradication of HCV RNA, which persists long-term off therapy, is referred to as a sustained virologic response (SVR). Although SVR is equivalent to virologic cure, the term cure has traditionally been avoided. Initially, there was concern that despite undetectable HCV RNA following treatment, there might potentially be dormant virus that could return in the future. However, long-term follow-up data show that patients with an SVR following treatment with peginterferon and ribavirin have a relapse rate < 1% after a mean of 1.8 years from the end of antiviral treatment,^{[Swain 2010]} and early data with protease inhibitor–based triple therapy indicate that SVR achieved in patients treated with telaprevir plus peginterferon and ribavirin is durable (< 1% relapse) through a median of 21 months of follow-up.^{[Sherman 2011b]} A further concern with the term cure is that underlying liver disease may not be fully reversed even if HCV infection is eradicated. Obtaining SVR is associated with decreases in all-cause mortality,^{[Backus 2011]} liver-related death, liver-related complications, the need for liver transplantation, and in the incidence of hepatocellular cancer.^{[Morgan 2010; Veldt 2007]} In patients without advanced fibrosis before treatment, SVR represents cure. For those with advanced fibrosis, particularly cirrhosis, SVR is a virologic cure associated with improved outcomes, but adverse events, particularly the development of liver cancer, may still occur. The positive outcomes observed are an effect of permanent HCV RNA eradication, as viral suppression by long-term HCV therapy without SVR does not have the same impact on clinical outcomes.[Shiffman 2009]

Protease Inhibitors

Released: 12/13/11

Last Reviewed: 12/13/11

In 2011, the novel agents boceprevir and telaprevir were approved by the US Food and Drug Administration and the European Medicines Agency for use in combination with peginterferon/ribavirin in treatment-naive and treatment-experienced patients chronically infected with genotype 1 hepatitis C virus (HCV). Both of these agents are NS3/4A inhibitors and act against an HCV-encoded serine protease that is required for cleavage of the viral polyprotein during and after translation. By preventing this important step in the viral lifecycle, both of these drugs potently inhibit HCV replication. Unfortunately, single mutations in the viral genome lead to high-level resistance to these agents, and so their use as monotherapy is not an option; boceprevir and telaprevir must each be given with peginterferon and ribavirin. The efficacy of each agent is discussed later, and indirect comparisons are made, as there have been no head-to-head trials comparing these 2 agents. For patients with non–genotype 1 HCV, the current standard of care remains dual therapy with peginterferon/ribavirin.......click here to continue

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CCO-Latest Hepatology Updates

1/12/12 - Hepatitis C Management in Special Populations
Updated to include new data on the pharmacokinetics of boceprevir coadministration with cyclosporine or tacrolimus

12/13/11 - Hepatitis C Virus Epidemiology, Pathogenesis, Diagnosis, and Natural History
Now available: Francesco Negro, MD, provides an in-depth review of past and current HCV transmission trends, the latest understanding of HCV pathogenesis, key assays and recommendations for the diagnosis of HCV, and the natural history of both acute and chronic HCV infection.

12/13/11 - Other Viruses That Affect the Liver
Now available: Joshua Levitsky, MD, MS, and Lisa B. VanWagner, MD, MS, outline the epidemiology, clinical presentation, diagnosis, and clinical management of the secondary and exotic hepatotropic viruses in patients with solid organ transplantations.

The Liver Meeting® 2011 Educational Webcast of selected sessions 
If you haven't yet explored the "LiverLearning" section available @ the AASLD web site you're missing out on the November meeting webcasts, video podcasts, abstracts and more. Free registration is required, start the process by clicking Here. 

Once this is accomplished click here to view webcasts and more.

Other HCV Sites:
These links will take you to the premier Hepatitis C sites and keep you informed with breaking news, clinical studies, new drugs, podcasts, newsletters, support, personal experiences, chat rooms, forums and more.