Dramatic Increase in HCV Cure Rate Among Veterans

Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics
Original Article
Transformation of hepatitis C antiviral treatment in a national healthcare system following the introduction of direct antiviral agents
DAAs resulted in a 21-fold increase in the number of patients achieving HCV cure. Treatment rates in 2015 were limited primarily by the availability of funds. Further increases in funding and cost reductions of DAAs in 2016 suggest that the VA could cure the majority of HCV-infected Veterans in VA care within the next few years.

Media Coverage of this Article
Medscape Medical News
Dramatic Increase in HCV Cure Rate Among Veterans
Jennifer Garcia
| March 15, 2017
Use of direct-acting antiviral drugs (DAAs) has led to a 21-fold increase in the cure rate for hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections among patients treated in the Veterans Affairs (VA) healthcare system between 1999 and 2015, according to a new study.

"Considering that HCV infection is the most common cause of cirrhosis and liver cancer in the VA and the United States, that the benefits of SVR are long-lasting and that HCV clearance reduces the risk of liver cancer by 76% and all-cause mortality by 50%, the potential public health benefits of large-scale HCV treatment are great," write Dr Ioannou and colleagues.
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