We begin with updates from the liver meeting, held in Boston at the John B. Hynes Veterans Memorial Convention Center from Friday, November 7, through Tuesday, November 11. New research will be presented over the next couple of days which include fatty liver disease, complications of cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma, and hepatitis C, with late-breaking data on interim results from ongoing interferon-free, ribavirin-free clinical trials.
AASLD In The News - Check Back For Updates
Updated Nov 10 - 9:00am
AASLD Index
Comprehensive data investigating HCV interferon-free, ribavirin-free regimens presented at the liver meeting is now available on the website.
Updated daily, categorized by genotype and pharmaceutical company, with links to breaking news, clinical data, commentary and slide-sets from premier Hepatitis C websites.
Hepatitis C New Drug Research: Conference Reports
Advances for Practitioners - New Treatments for Hepatitis C - The Liver Meeting® 2014
New Treatments for Hepatitis C Moderator Hugo Rosen, MD, FACP talks to AASLD TV about this exciting session concerning current and emerging regimens for treatment of HCV as well as how to identify patients at risk of developing HCV-related hepatocellular carcinoma.
Merck’s Four-Week Hepatitis C Regimen Fails to Top Gilead
Merck & Co. (MRK) won’t move forward with an ultra-short hepatitis C regimen that attempted to cut treatment durations in half by combining two of its drugs with another from Gilead Sciences Inc.
Patients in the mid-stage, 102-person trial got Merck’s experimental drugs grazoprevir and elbasvir, along with Gilead’s Sovaldi, for as little as four weeks, with the length of treatment based partly on how severe their infection was.
In patients whose livers weren’t already badly damaged by the virus, 38.7 percent were cured in four weeks and 86.7 percent were cured in six weeks, according to data to be presented at the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases conference in Boston.
That’s well below the 90 percent-plus cure rates seen with longer treatments. Merck won’t take the four-week course into a new round of testing, said Eliav Barr, the company’s vice president of infectious diseases...
Reuters
Merck 4-week hep C regimen with Gilead's Sovaldi comes up short
Nov 9 (Reuters) - An attempt by Merck & Co to shorten hepatitis C treatment to just four weeks by adding Gilead Sciences Inc's huge selling Sovaldi to its own oral two-drug combination came nowhere near the desired efficacy due to a high rate of relapses, according to interim data from a midstage study.
Several companies have been working to find ways to further reduce the number of weeks of treatment needed, while keeping cure rates above 90 percent.
A just approved pill called Harvoni that combines Sovaldi with another Gilead drug requires eight weeks of treatment for many patients, and longer for tougher to treat patients.
In the ongoing Merck trial of previously untreated patients, only 38.7 percent had no detectable sign of the liver destroying virus after four weeks of treatment with Sovaldi and Merck's grazoprevir/elbasvir combination. Nineteen of the 31 patients in the four-week treatment arm relapsed prior to the planned end of the study, which is 12 weeks after completion of dosing.
The preliminary data was set to be presented on Monday at the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD) meeting in Boston.
The best result so far in the multi-arm, three-drug study called C-Swift was observed with eight weeks of treatment of patients with cirrhosis in which 94.7 percent had no detectable virus. They will be deemed cured if the virus has not reappeared 12 weeks after stopping treatment.
With a six-week regimen in non-cirrhotics, 86.7 percent of patients had no sign of virus up to 8 weeks after completing treatment, according to the interim results.
"These findings will inform the design of larger studies aimed at understanding the potential of short-duration triple therapy across multiple patient types," Dr. Eric Lawitz, the study's lead investigator, said in a statement.
The three drugs each work in a different way to help prevent the virus from replicating. But following failure of the 4-week experiment, Merck said it will turn its attention to studying a combination of three of its own drugs in development rather than involving the Gilead medicine in future studies.
The hepatitis C field has been moving at a lightning pace. Only a handful of years ago, patients needed 48 weeks of treatment with drugs that had harsh side effects and only cured about 40 percent of patients.
The new all-oral treatments eliminate the need for injectable interferon and its flu-like side effects, as well as another older drug called ribavirin that caused anemia and other problems, while dramatically increasing cure rates and reducing treatment duration.
(Reporting by Bill Berkrot; Editing by Chris Reese)
Interim Data from Proof-of-Concept Study of Merck’s Investigational Hepatitis C Treatment Grazoprevir/Elbasvir in Combination with a Nucleotide Inhibitor (C-SWIFT study) Presented at The Liver Meeting®
AASLD Index
Comprehensive data investigating HCV interferon-free, ribavirin-free regimens presented at the liver meeting is now available on the website.
Updated daily, categorized by genotype and pharmaceutical company, with links to breaking news, clinical data, commentary and slide-sets from premier Hepatitis C websites.
Hepatitis C New Drug Research: Conference Reports
Advances for Practitioners - New Treatments for Hepatitis C - The Liver Meeting® 2014
New Treatments for Hepatitis C Moderator Hugo Rosen, MD, FACP talks to AASLD TV about this exciting session concerning current and emerging regimens for treatment of HCV as well as how to identify patients at risk of developing HCV-related hepatocellular carcinoma.
Merck’s Four-Week Hepatitis C Regimen Fails to Top Gilead
Merck & Co. (MRK) won’t move forward with an ultra-short hepatitis C regimen that attempted to cut treatment durations in half by combining two of its drugs with another from Gilead Sciences Inc.
Patients in the mid-stage, 102-person trial got Merck’s experimental drugs grazoprevir and elbasvir, along with Gilead’s Sovaldi, for as little as four weeks, with the length of treatment based partly on how severe their infection was.
In patients whose livers weren’t already badly damaged by the virus, 38.7 percent were cured in four weeks and 86.7 percent were cured in six weeks, according to data to be presented at the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases conference in Boston.
That’s well below the 90 percent-plus cure rates seen with longer treatments. Merck won’t take the four-week course into a new round of testing, said Eliav Barr, the company’s vice president of infectious diseases...
Reuters
Merck 4-week hep C regimen with Gilead's Sovaldi comes up short
Several companies have been working to find ways to further reduce the number of weeks of treatment needed, while keeping cure rates above 90 percent.
A just approved pill called Harvoni that combines Sovaldi with another Gilead drug requires eight weeks of treatment for many patients, and longer for tougher to treat patients.
In the ongoing Merck trial of previously untreated patients, only 38.7 percent had no detectable sign of the liver destroying virus after four weeks of treatment with Sovaldi and Merck's grazoprevir/elbasvir combination. Nineteen of the 31 patients in the four-week treatment arm relapsed prior to the planned end of the study, which is 12 weeks after completion of dosing.
The preliminary data was set to be presented on Monday at the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD) meeting in Boston.
The best result so far in the multi-arm, three-drug study called C-Swift was observed with eight weeks of treatment of patients with cirrhosis in which 94.7 percent had no detectable virus. They will be deemed cured if the virus has not reappeared 12 weeks after stopping treatment.
With a six-week regimen in non-cirrhotics, 86.7 percent of patients had no sign of virus up to 8 weeks after completing treatment, according to the interim results.
"These findings will inform the design of larger studies aimed at understanding the potential of short-duration triple therapy across multiple patient types," Dr. Eric Lawitz, the study's lead investigator, said in a statement.
The three drugs each work in a different way to help prevent the virus from replicating. But following failure of the 4-week experiment, Merck said it will turn its attention to studying a combination of three of its own drugs in development rather than involving the Gilead medicine in future studies.
The hepatitis C field has been moving at a lightning pace. Only a handful of years ago, patients needed 48 weeks of treatment with drugs that had harsh side effects and only cured about 40 percent of patients.
The new all-oral treatments eliminate the need for injectable interferon and its flu-like side effects, as well as another older drug called ribavirin that caused anemia and other problems, while dramatically increasing cure rates and reducing treatment duration.
(Reporting by Bill Berkrot; Editing by Chris Reese)
Interim Data from Proof-of-Concept Study of Merck’s Investigational Hepatitis C Treatment Grazoprevir/Elbasvir in Combination with a Nucleotide Inhibitor (C-SWIFT study) Presented at The Liver Meeting®
BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Merck (NYSE:MRK), known as MSD outside the United States and Canada, today announced the presentation of interim data from the C-SWIFT study exploring the potential of a candidate triple-therapy regimen consisting of the fixed-dose combination of grazoprevir/elbasvir (MK-5172/MK-8742, MK-5172A), the company’s investigational NS3/4A protease inhibitor and NS5A inhibitor, in combination with sofosbuvir, a nucleotide (NS5B) inhibitor for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. Preliminary findings in treatment-naïve HCV genotype 1- (GT1) infected non-cirrhotic patients, following six and four weeks of treatment, and patients with cirrhotic disease, following eight and six weeks of treatment, will be presented by Dr. Eric Lawitz, vice president, scientific and research development, The Texas Liver Institute, San Antonio, TX and C-SWIFT lead investigator. This poster presentation is part of a late-breaking abstract session at the 65th American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD) Annual Meeting, also known as The Liver Meeting®.
“These interim data provide a compelling proof-of-concept for the potential of an eight- or six-week triple therapy course in treatment-naive patients with genotype 1 disease, including cirrhotic patients,” said Dr. Lawitz. “These findings will inform the design of larger studies aimed at understanding the potential of short-duration triple therapy across multiple patient types.”
To date, the investigational triple therapy has shown response rates (sustained virologic response1 [SVR] at 4/8 weeks following therapy) ranging from 80 percent to 94.7 percent in cirrhotic and non-cirrhotic patients following six and eight weeks of treatment in this study, as shown in table 1. The four-week regimen resulted in sub-optimal efficacy.
Table 1
| ||||||||
Treatment
duration (weeks) |
Treatment-Naïve
Cirrhotic |
Treatment-Naïve
Non-Cirrhotic | ||||||
| 8 | 6 | 6 | 4 | |||||
| SVR4/8 | 18/19**
94.7%**
| 16/20
80%
| 26/30
86.7%
| 12/31
38.7%
| ||||
| Virologic Failure* | 1 | 4 | 4 | 19 | ||||
*All treatment failures were due to relapses.
**21 patients enrolled; two patients discontinued; 18/19 (modified intent-to-treat). Data includes week 8 follow up data for 99/102 patients (excludes 2 cirrhotic patients who discontinued). | ||||||||
In this study, the co-administration of grazoprevir/elbasvir and sofosbuvir was generally well-tolerated. The most common adverse events associated with the triple regimen were: headache (4%), fatigue (2%) and nausea (2%). One patient withdrew from the study for reasons unrelated to treatment.
“Our goal is to establish a simple, effective, well-tolerated regimen that is applicable across the diverse population of patients with HCV,” said Dr. Eliav Barr, vice president, infectious diseases, Merck Research Laboratories. “The preliminary data provide us with the confidence to initiate our C-CREST study to evaluate a triple combination comprising Merck’s investigational candidates from three major therapeutic classes of HCV medicines.”
About C-SWIFT
The C-SWIFT study enrolled a total of 102 treatment-naïve patients with HCV genotype 1 (GT1a and GT1b) infection at The Texas Liver Institute, San Antonio, TX. Treatment-naïve, non-cirrhotic patients were randomized to receive the fixed-dose combination of grazoprevir/ elbasvir (one pill containing 100 mg, 50 mg respectively) plus the nucleotide inhibitor sofosbuvir (400 mg) once daily for eight, six or four weeks. Similarly, treatment-naïve, cirrhotic patients were randomized to receive the investigational combination for either eight or six weeks. The primary endpoint of the study is the percentage of patients achieving sustained virologic response 12 weeks after the completion of therapy (SVR12). An additional analysis of patients with genotype 3 (GT3) HCV enrolled in the C-SWIFT study will be presented at a future scientific congress.
About C-CREST
Based upon the interim findings from C-SWIFT and data from the Phase 1 clinical trial for MK-3682, also presented at The Liver Meeting®, Merck plans to initiate Phase 2 clinical trials evaluating the efficacy and safety of two short-duration triple therapy regimens: MK-3682 in combination with grazoprevir/elbasvir; and MK-3682 in combination with grazoprevir and Merck’s investigational early-stage NS5A inhibitor MK-8408, in non-cirrhotic HCV patients. Part A of the Phase 2 studies is planned to evaluate eight weeks of therapy among non-cirrhotic HCV-infected patients, and Part B studies may evaluate shorter courses of treatment based on findings from Part A.
MK-3682 (formerly IDX21437) Data Presentation at AASLD Annual Meeting
MK-3682 is an investigational oral prodrug HCV nucleotide analogue NS5B polymerase inhibitor. Phase 1/2a clinical trial results for MK-3682 are scheduled to be presented in a poster session (Abstract #1974) at The Liver Meeting®. HCV infected subjects (24 GT1 and 20 GT2/3) were randomized to receive placebo or 50, 150 or 300 mg of MK-3682 daily for seven days. Following initial pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic analysis, enrollment into the 50 mg and 150 mg treatment groups was discontinued due to a small reduction in viral load. In the 300 mg arms, the mean maximum viral load reductions from baseline for 7-day dosing were 4.6 and 4.1 log10 IU/mL in GT 2 (n=3) and GT 3 subjects (n=7), respectively. In GT1a (n=3) and GT1b subjects (n=5), the mean maximum viral load reductions from baseline for 7-day dosing were 4.8 and 3.9 log10 IU/mL respectively.
To date, no discontinuations due to an adverse event and no drug-related serious adverse events have been reported. Most adverse events were mild or moderate in intensity, with no apparent dose effect. There were no clinically significant abnormalities reported in routine blood and urine biomarker panels and physical examinations. Initial results from this study were previously announced by Idenix Pharmaceuticals in April 2014.
About Grazoprevir/Elbasvir
Grazoprevir/elbasvir (MK-5172/MK-8742, MK-5172A) is an investigational, oral, once-daily, fixed-dose combination chronic HCV treatment, consisting of grazoprevir, an investigational oral, once-daily HCV NS3/4A protease inhibitor, and elbasvir, an investigational oral, once-daily HCV NS5A replication complex inhibitor. In October 2013, Merck announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted Breakthrough Therapy designation to grazoprevir/elbasvir for treatment of chronic HCV infection. Breakthrough therapy designation is intended to expedite the development and review of a candidate that is planned for use, alone or in combination, to treat a serious or life-threatening disease or condition when preliminary clinical evidence indicates that the drug may demonstrate substantial improvement over existing therapies on one or more clinically significant endpoints.
Patients with decompensated liver cirrhosis who were transferred from hospitals to a transplant center faced worse outcomes, researchers suggested here.
AASLD 2014: Sustained Response to HCV Treatment Reduces Mortality, Liver Cancer, Liver Transplants
People who achieve sustained virological response (SVR) when treated with interferon-based therapy for hepatitis C have a lower risk of death, are less likely to develop liver cancer, and need fewer liver transplants than those who were treated but not cured, according to results from a meta-analysis of more than 34,000 patients presented at the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD) Liver Meeting this week in Boston.AASLD 2014: Sustained Response to HCV Treatment Reduces Mortality, Liver Cancer, Liver Transplants
Combination therapy offers quicker, less toxic eradication of hep C in liver transplant patients
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- All patients with hepatitis C who receive a liver transplant will eventually infect their new livers. These transplanted organs then require anti-viral treatment before they become severely damaged. But traditional post-transplant hepatitis C therapy can take up to a year, is potentially toxic and can lead to organ rejection.
Mayo Clinic Study Reveals New Drugs to Treat Hepatitis C in Post Liver Transplant Patients
Surakit Pungpapong, M.D., transplant hepatologist and associate professor of medicine at Mayo Clinic in Florida, talks about his latest study, how two new oral medications, used post –liver transplant – are safe and beneficial in the treatment of Hepatitis C and require only 12 weeks of treatment instead of up to one year.
While the cost of hepatitis C treatment continues to be a major topic of debate—with the approval of simeprevir (Olysio), sofosbuvir (Sovaldi), and now the combination, sofosbuvir and ledipasvir (Harvoni)—those in favor of the treatment provide a strong research-based argument. In a recent issue of Evidence-Based Immunology and Infectious Disease, we heard both sides of the discussion.1,2 Disease complications—cirrhosis, end-stage liver disease, hepatocellular carcinoma, and liver transplantation—cost the US healthcare system approximately $6.5 billion annually, expected to touch $9.1 billion by 2024.3 At $1000 per dose, sofosbuvir alone will cost $84,000 for the typical 12 weeks of therapy in the United States, while its combination with ledipasvir is estimated at $94,500
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- All patients with hepatitis C who receive a liver transplant will eventually infect their new livers. These transplanted organs then require anti-viral treatment before they become severely damaged. But traditional post-transplant hepatitis C therapy can take up to a year, is potentially toxic and can lead to organ rejection.
Mayo Clinic Study Reveals New Drugs to Treat Hepatitis C in Post Liver Transplant Patients
Surakit Pungpapong, M.D., transplant hepatologist and associate professor of medicine at Mayo Clinic in Florida, talks about his latest study, how two new oral medications, used post –liver transplant – are safe and beneficial in the treatment of Hepatitis C and require only 12 weeks of treatment instead of up to one year.
BOSTON, Nov. 9, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- The newest and most effective drugs for the treatment of hepatitis C have a cure rate of up to 98 percent, but the cost of these therapies has been controversial. Accurately assessing the cost of treating all patients with HCV in the US has yet to be determined.
“We were examining the impact of only the currently approved treatment for HCV in children—pegylated interferon (subcutaneous weekly injections by a caregiver) and oral ribavirin—on patients, caregivers, and families,” according to study co-author Rachel A. Annunziato, PhD, associate professor for clinical psychology, Fordham University, New York. “Results indicated that at baseline, caregivers were experiencing high levels of distress and family stress was elevated, while after treatment, family stress worsened.” According to Dr Annunziato, their results can have implications for other treatments that involve frequent invasive procedures to be administered by caregivers, as families may benefit from additional support when facing similar grueling treatment regimens.
What Does Social Media and Crowdsourcing Have to Do With Women and Liver Disease?
What Does Social Media and Crowdsourcing Have to Do With Women and Liver Disease?
BOSTON, Nov. 8, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Autoimmune hepatitis is a chronic liver disease that is found more frequently in women than men. Researchers at Indiana University studied the environmental exposures possibly related to autoimmune hepatitis and reported their findings at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases. "Interestingly, autoimmune hepatitis is quite far behind other autoimmune liver diseases in terms of environmental risk assessment," said Craig Lammert, MD, principal investigator on the study.
While the cost of novel hepatitis C drugs has been rigorously debated, real-world data on the safety and efficacy of these drugs has now started showing up. A white paper released by CVS Health Research Institute in September of this year reported that in addition to the downward trend in utilization of sofosbuvir, which has cure rates of more than 95%, high discontinuation rates are being observed. Overall discontinuation rates were around 8%, discontinuation rates among treatment-naïve patients were the highest at 8.7%, while patients who had been previously treated for hepatitis C, and presumably failed previous therapy, discontinued only 5.3% of the time.
Are US Veterans Being Appropriately Tested and Treated for Hepatitis B?
AASLD- BMS Daclatasvir+sofosbuvir achieves SVR12 in 90% of treatment-naïve/ 86% of treatment-experienced geno 3 patients
All AASLD - Media Updates
FDA Hepatitis Update: Changes to Olysio (simeprevir) label
Over at Healio the November issue of "HCV Next" is available with a look at a new study reporting decreased fibrosis scores in persons who achieved SVR using interferon-based therapy, an update on daclatasvir plus sofosbuvir regimen from the AASLD/EASL Special Conference, and HCV-associated non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, highlights are provided below.
New At Healio
Healio will be providing live coverage of this months "Liver Meeting."
VIDEO: New HCV era is 'exciting', but there is still 'work to do', expert says.
November 2014 print edition of HCV Next
"HCV Next" offers information on a range of topics, which include diagnosis, new combination therapies, side effects, drug/drug interaction, guidelines, fatty liver disease and more.
Table of Contents
COVER STORY
Prison Breakthrough
EDITORIAL
Recent News
Depression, illness uncertainty evident in chronic HCV patients on watchful waiting
FDA approves simeprevir to be used with sofosbuvir for HCV genotype 1
November Newsletter
In This Issue
In This Issue Support Groups
New HCV Treatment
Accessing Treatment
Financial Resources for HCV
Treatment Articles of Interest
Upcoming Events Desserts & Delights Photos
Clinical Trials HCV
Patient Survey
November 2014 Literature Review
Hep is an award-winning print and online brand for people living with and affected by viral hepatitis. Offering unparalleled editorial excellence since 2010, Hep and HepMag.com are the go-to source for educational and social support for people living with hepatitis.
You don't just end HCV treatment and wake up feeling like your old self, says John Rickman.
Hepatitis Rises 48% From 2006 to 2010 in U.S. Nursing Homes
Alleged Misuse of Sovaldi for Hepatitis C Genotype 4 in Egypt
Maine Governor LePage Blames Immigrants for Hepatitis
Express Scripts May Swap Sovaldi for Cheaper AbbVie Combo
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Hepatitis C and Flu Shots
By Lucinda K. Porter, RN
It's that time of year when each of us is confronted with a choice: should I get a flu shot? This decision is especially important to those living with a chronic condition, such as hepatitis C. Influenza, aka the "flu," affects an average of 5% to 20% of the United States' population. The flu is not just a bad cold - it is a potentially serious illness...
November 06, 2014 5:20 PM ET
The symptoms of the flu are familiar: fever, chills, cough, congestion, feeling very, very tired. If you're a healthy adult under 65, you'll most likely recover in a week or two.
But for those older than 65, things can get worse fast, says Dr. H. Keipp Talbot, an infectious disease specialist at Vanderbilt University...
AASLD-BMS Daclatasvir TRIO achieves 98% cure rate in treatment-naïve and 93% cure rate in treatment-experienced geno 1 patients w-cirrhosis when used with ribavirin
AASLD-Achillion Reports 100% SVR12 in a Phase 2 Combination Study With ACH-3102 and Sofosbuvir
JANSSEN HIGHLIGHTS ITS HEPATITIS C CLINICAL DEVELOPMENT IN ADVANCE OF AASLD
AASLD-Achillion Reports 100% SVR12 in a Phase 2 Combination Study With ACH-3102 and Sofosbuvir
JANSSEN HIGHLIGHTS ITS HEPATITIS C CLINICAL DEVELOPMENT IN ADVANCE OF AASLD
All AASLD - Media Updates
On November 6, the FDA approved Olysio by Johnson & Johnson to be used in combination with Gilead's Sovaldi, as an all-oral, interferon- and ribavirin-free treatment option for genotype 1 chronic hepatitis C infection.
FDA Hepatitis Update: Changes to Olysio (simeprevir) label
SIMEPREVIR (GALEXOS) now covered by BC PharmaCare!
Sofosbuvir/ledipasvir effective for relapsed hep C patients
Patients with chronic hepatitis C genotype 1 infection who relapse after sofosbuvir plus ribavirin may be successfully retreated with sofosbuvir plus ledipasvir, a new study demonstrated
After hepatitis C cure, companies target next big liver disease market
AASLD Publication
The Sunday issue of "The Liver Meeting Today" is now available.
Index
Sunday
Monday
Starzl Lecture Looks at Living Donor Liver Transplantation
The number of liver transplants from living donors in the United States still lags behind the number performed in other parts of the world, according to Jean C. Emond, MD, Vice Chair and Chi...
Read more
Endoscopy Course Covers GI Endoscopy for Cirrhotic Patients
More and more, gastrointestinal endoscopy is used routinely to screen and manage cirrhotic patients for common GI issues and to treat complications of advanced liver disease, such as varicea...
Read more
Liver Transplantation SIG Program Spotlights Successful Outreach Through Project ECHO
During Saturday’s special interest group half-day program on outreach in liver transplantation, three speakers described Project ECHO, a collaborative model of medical education and care man...
Read more
Patients with chronic hepatitis C genotype 1 infection who relapse after sofosbuvir plus ribavirin may be successfully retreated with sofosbuvir plus ledipasvir, a new study demonstrated
After hepatitis C cure, companies target next big liver disease market
AASLD Publication
The Sunday issue of "The Liver Meeting Today" is now available.
Index
Sunday
Monday
Sunday Topics Include
Postgraduate course examines inflammation and steatohepatitis
The link between inflammation and steatohepatitis came under scrutiny during a Saturday session of the AASLD postgraduate course on the Clinical Implications of Inflammation and Immunity in...
Read more
Postgraduate course examines inflammation and steatohepatitis
The link between inflammation and steatohepatitis came under scrutiny during a Saturday session of the AASLD postgraduate course on the Clinical Implications of Inflammation and Immunity in...
Read more
Starzl Lecture Looks at Living Donor Liver Transplantation
The number of liver transplants from living donors in the United States still lags behind the number performed in other parts of the world, according to Jean C. Emond, MD, Vice Chair and Chi...
Read more
Endoscopy Course Covers GI Endoscopy for Cirrhotic Patients
More and more, gastrointestinal endoscopy is used routinely to screen and manage cirrhotic patients for common GI issues and to treat complications of advanced liver disease, such as varicea...
Read more
Liver Transplantation SIG Program Spotlights Successful Outreach Through Project ECHO
During Saturday’s special interest group half-day program on outreach in liver transplantation, three speakers described Project ECHO, a collaborative model of medical education and care man...
Read more
Read more @ The Liver Meeting Today
In addition Clinical Care Options (CCO) just launched an interactive learning activity presented by Paul Y. Kwo, MD., reviewing strategies for the management of cirrhosis in persons with HCV, including treatment with recently approved drugs and several new DAAs soon to be approved; HCV Treatment With New Therapies in Patients With Cirrhosis.
In addition Clinical Care Options (CCO) just launched an interactive learning activity presented by Paul Y. Kwo, MD., reviewing strategies for the management of cirrhosis in persons with HCV, including treatment with recently approved drugs and several new DAAs soon to be approved; HCV Treatment With New Therapies in Patients With Cirrhosis.
Over at Healio the November issue of "HCV Next" is available with a look at a new study reporting decreased fibrosis scores in persons who achieved SVR using interferon-based therapy, an update on daclatasvir plus sofosbuvir regimen from the AASLD/EASL Special Conference, and HCV-associated non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, highlights are provided below.
November HCV Newsletters & Publications
New At Healio
Healio will be providing live coverage of this months "Liver Meeting."
VIDEO: New HCV era is 'exciting', but there is still 'work to do', expert says.
November 2014 print edition of HCV Next
"HCV Next" offers information on a range of topics, which include diagnosis, new combination therapies, side effects, drug/drug interaction, guidelines, fatty liver disease and more.Table of Contents
COVER STORY
Prison Breakthrough
EDITORIAL
The Increasing Role of Methadone Clinics for HCV Treatment, Education
Novel HCV Regimens Provide Hope for Managing Opiate Addiction
THE BIG PICTURE
Novel HCV Regimens Provide Hope for Managing Opiate Addiction
THE BIG PICTURE
HCV Tested in Space
Grant Awarded to Study HCV Among Young Adults in Southern Ohio
New HCV Guidance: How to Monitor Patients at Various Stages of Treatment
FDA Approves Sofosbuvir, Ledipasvir Combination
MEETING NEWS COVERAGE
Grant Awarded to Study HCV Among Young Adults in Southern Ohio
New HCV Guidance: How to Monitor Patients at Various Stages of Treatment
FDA Approves Sofosbuvir, Ledipasvir Combination
MEETING NEWS COVERAGE
High SVR Rates Seen with Genotypes 1, 4 in HALLMARK-QUAD Trial
Ribavirin Added to Daclatasvir, Sofobuvir Increases Adverse Events
HCV Screening at Teaching Clinic Failed to Meet CDC Recommendation
Mild Liver Disease Common at Lymphoma Diagnosis in Patients with HCV
IN THE JOURNALS
Ribavirin Added to Daclatasvir, Sofobuvir Increases Adverse Events
HCV Screening at Teaching Clinic Failed to Meet CDC Recommendation
Mild Liver Disease Common at Lymphoma Diagnosis in Patients with HCV
IN THE JOURNALS
Advanced Sequencing Detected Infection in Patients with HIV/HCV After Therapy
SVR After Therapy Reduced Inflammation, Fibrosis in HCV Patients
HCV Nucleotide Analogue Polymerase Inhibitor Associated with Cardiac Dysfunction
5 QUESTIONS
SVR After Therapy Reduced Inflammation, Fibrosis in HCV Patients
HCV Nucleotide Analogue Polymerase Inhibitor Associated with Cardiac Dysfunction
5 QUESTIONS
Recent News
Depression, illness uncertainty evident in chronic HCV patients on watchful waiting
FDA approves simeprevir to be used with sofosbuvir for HCV genotype 1
The HCV Advocate newsletter is a valuable resource designed to provide the hepatitis C community with monthly updates on events, clinical research, and education
In The November Issue:
Alan Franciscus, Editor-in-Chief
It was a slow second half of the month for HCV drug development. This is likely due to the upcoming American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD)conference in Boston, MA in November. There was, however, some important news that I will recap in this month’s edition. Read more...
Lucinda K. Porter, RN
This month, Lucinda discusses Hepatitis C in Prisons. Few are more ignored than people with HCV who are in jails and prisons. However, the incarcerated were not ignored by the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases and the Infectious Diseases Society of America, who assigned a high treatment priority to the incarcerated.
The Origins of the Hepatitis C Virus
Alan Franciscus, Editor-in-Chief
Where did HCV come from? While I was reading about the history of Ebola, I started thinking again about the origins of hepatitis C. Did hepatitis C, like Ebola, jump species to humans? When a virus jumps from an animal to a human, it is called zoonotic. This is important information because if there is a reservoir in another species it could mean that we may not be able to eradicate the hepatitis C virus completely.
Lucinda K. Porter, RN
Lucinda reviews studies on obesity and liver tissue aging, the relationship between HCV and increased heart size, the association between neurological problems at birth and the presence of maternal hepatitis B or hepatitis C, and liver injury from herbals and dietary supplements.
Hepatitis C & U.S. Hispanics
Alan Franciscus, Editor-in-Chief
There are an estimated 40 million Hispanics living in the United States. Hispanics are the largest and fastest growing minority group in the U.S. By the year 2050, 25% of the U.S. population will be of Hispanic origin. The number of Hispanics with hepatitis C (2.6%) is higher than the number of people with hepatitis C in the general population (1.3%).
Medicare to Cover One-Time Test for Baby Boomers
Alan Franciscus, Editor-in-Chief
Important information from the National Viral Hepatitis Roundtable: On June 2, 2014, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced that Medicare will cover hepatitis C testing at no cost to beneficiaries whom the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends be screened. Specifically, Medicare will cover a one-time test for beneficiaries who are born from 1945 through 1965 and ongoing tests for those who are at risk.
Patient Assistance Programs
Alan Franciscus, Editor-in-Chief
Spread the word: The new drugs to treat hepatitis C are very expensive. If your insurance or Medicare/Medicaid does not cover the medications there are patient assistance programs that can cover all of the costs or the co-payments. Many people and medical providers are not aware of these programs. If you are in need of these programs or know of others who are please pass along this information.
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Extrahepatic Manifestations of HCV
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You’re Cured! Now What?You don't just end HCV treatment and wake up feeling like your old self, says John Rickman.
Hepatitis Rises 48% From 2006 to 2010 in U.S. Nursing Homes
Alleged Misuse of Sovaldi for Hepatitis C Genotype 4 in Egypt
Maine Governor LePage Blames Immigrants for Hepatitis
Express Scripts May Swap Sovaldi for Cheaper AbbVie Combo
S/O Combo Good to Go
FDA finally approves Sovaldi and Olysio to treat hep C geno 1’s.
FDA finally approves Sovaldi and Olysio to treat hep C geno 1’s.
How people with hep C can find health insurance — or shop around for a better plan.
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November 2014 NYC Hep ABC Newsletter
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Advice for Fighting Flu This Season
With all the news about infectious diseases, people may get the idea that the flu isn’t all that serious. But we need to remember that it can be a very dangerous—even fatal—illness especially to the very young, the very old and the immune-compromised. Your best way to stay protected? Get the flu vaccine, and practice good hand hygiene to avoid transmitting it to others.
Learn more.
Podcast - Infectious diseases
Week of November 10, 2014
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Podcast - Infectious diseases
Week of November 10, 2014
Hepatitis C and Flu Shots
It's that time of year when each of us is confronted with a choice: should I get a flu shot? This decision is especially important to those living with a chronic condition, such as hepatitis C. Influenza, aka the "flu," affects an average of 5% to 20% of the United States' population. The flu is not just a bad cold - it is a potentially serious illness...
NPR
Flu Season Brings Stronger Vaccines And Revised AdviceNovember 06, 2014 5:20 PM ET
The symptoms of the flu are familiar: fever, chills, cough, congestion, feeling very, very tired. If you're a healthy adult under 65, you'll most likely recover in a week or two.
But for those older than 65, things can get worse fast, says Dr. H. Keipp Talbot, an infectious disease specialist at Vanderbilt University...
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CDC
Check out updates at the CDC for the current status or influenza in your state.
CDC
Check out updates at the CDC for the current status or influenza in your state.
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