Hello folks, hope everyone is healthy and happy. I shall be away for a short time, the family is flying away to the Magic Kingdom! Nana, along with the short people will be sharing time with Mickey and his friends.

See you all when I get back, be well.

Tina

Summary from AASLD 2014 for Hepatitis C - Main points of discussion with current HCV therapy

Summary from AASLD 2014 for Hepatitis C
Boston 7-11 November 2014

Feedback from the real-world: do HCV cure rates in real-life patient cohorts hold what clinical trials promised?

Jurgen K. Rockstroh M.D., Professor of Medicine
University of Bonn, Germany

Correspondence:
Prof. Dr. J.K. Rockstroh
Department of Medicine I
University of Bonn
Sigmund-Freud-Str. 25
53105 Bonn
Germany
Tel.: +49-228-287 16558
FAX: +49-228-287 15034
e-mail: juergen.rockstroh@ukb.uni-bonn.de

Introduction

After this year EASL it appeared as if numerous interferon- and ribavirin-free DAA combinations were emerging which all promised HCV cure rates above 95% and that other than cost and treatment access issues the revolution of HCV therapy was taking place at an incredible pace leaving little room for further optimization. One of the frequently raised caveats however, was the lack of data in the so-called more difficult to treat "real-life patients" with higher rates of previous non-response to IFN-based therapies and cirrhosis. Also data on more challenging patient groups with additional comorbidities such as renal impairment or from the transplant setting were still scarce. Which role would ribavirin play in the future? How short could HCV treatment duration possibly become?

Clearly there were still many questions floating around from clinical practice. Therefore, this year AASLD was met with high expectations and interest as first data from the increasing use of DAA based HCV therapy from clinical practice outside of clinical trials was to be presented. A great summary on all HCV data was presented at AASLD (reviewing a proud number of 423 HCV presentations including 44 orals and 379 posters on HCV related topics) from Professor Fried and can be assessed through the AASLD website (1). The following conference report aims at covering the main HCV trials and clinical relevant HCV management issues presented at AASLD in Boston from 6-11 November 2014. It does not aim at completeness as the number of presentations on HCV therapy was higher than ever and covering all would produce an unreadable report but rather aims at capturing the main points of discussion with current HCV therapy.

Continue reading @ NATAP

Daclatasvir for hepatitis C: Added benefit not proven

Daclatasvir for hepatitis C: Added benefit not proven

The drug daclatasvir (trade name Daklinza) has been available since August 2014 for the treatment of adults with chronic hepatitis C (CHC) infection. The German Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG) examined in a dossier assessment whether this new drug offers an added benefit over the appropriate comparator therapy.

The drug manufacturer presented data for patients without cirrhosis of the liver who are infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype 1, and for patients with HCV genotype 4. However, these data are unsuitable in various aspects to prove an added benefit.

The manufacturer dossier contained no data at all for three further patient groups with HCV genotype 1 infection (pretreated patients, untreated patients with cirrhosis of the liver, and patients with HIV coinfection) as well as for patients with HCV genotype 3 (with compensated cirrhosis and/or treatment-experienced).

Different virus types cause inflammation
Hepatitis C viruses can trigger inflammation in the liver. If this becomes chronic, cirrhosis can develop and organ function progressively deteriorates. Moreover, the risk of liver cancer (hepatocellular carcinoma, HCC) increases. Daclatasvir aims to inhibit the reproduction of HCV by interfering with viral DNA replication. Experts assume that if no viruses are detectable in the blood over a sustained period after treatment (sustained virologic response, SVR), the risk of secondary disease is reduced.

There are six different main types (genotypes) of the hepatitis C virus, which are subdivided into more than 60 subtypes. The effectiveness of different drugs is not the same against all viruses.

Comparison with dual therapy or triple therapy
Depending on the type of virus, the clinical picture and the course of the disease, daclatasvir is used in dual therapy together with the virostatic drug sofosbuvir, in triple therapy with the virostatic drugs sofosbuvir and ribavirin, or in triple therapy with peginterferon alfa to enhance the immune system and ribavirin. According to the approval, treatment duration differs for certain patient groups (12 to 48 weeks).

Depending on patient characteristics, the options for the comparator therapy are dual therapy with peginterferon alfa and ribavirin, or triple therapy consisting of peginterferon alfa and ribavirin plus a protease Inhibitor (boceprevir or telaprevir). The Federal Joint Committee (G-BA) specified a different appropriate comparator therapy for each of six different subindications:

For treatment-naive adults with chronic HCV genotype 1 infection without cirrhosis, and for treatment-experienced patients with HCV genotype 1, the G-BA specified both dual therapy and triple therapy as appropriate comparator therapy.

In four further subindications, daclatasvir was to be compared only with dual therapy: 1) in treatment-naive HCV patients with genotype 1 and cirrhosis, 2) in patients with HCV genotype 1 and additional HIV infection, 3) in patients with HCV genotype 3 infection with compensated cirrhosis and/or treatment-experienced, and 4) in patients with HCV genotype 4 infection.

However, the manufacturer only presented data for treatment-naive adults with chronic HCV genotype 1 infection without cirrhosis and for patients with HCV genotype 4 infection.

Incomplete study pool for HCV genotype 1
Since studies for the direct comparison were lacking, the manufacturer presented an indirect comparison for HCV genotype 1 patients without cirrhosis in its dossier. Using a "historical" comparison of individual arms of different studies, it aimed to derive conclusions on the superiority of daclatasvir versus the triple therapy. The manufacturer did not meet the requirements for the dossier, however: A search in trial registries was not conducted. In addition, the inclusion and exclusion criteria for the choice of studies were unsuitable. At least one relevant study was lacking in the study pool because of this.

The Bayesian Benchmarking Analysis (BBA) additionally cited was used to determine the minimum threshold a study would have to reach in order to show a statistically significant superiority of daclatasvir. The manufacturer did not meet the requirements for the dossier in this analysis either: The search was limited to a period of time up to 2012 and there was no search in trial registries. In addition, the analysis was restricted to the outcome "SVR" without addressing side effects of Treatment.

Genotype 4: unsuitable data due to lacking values
The manufacturer only evaluated one study of the two studies it presented for the direct comparison of daclatasvir in combination with dual therapy versus dual therapy alone in treatment-naive HCV genotype 4 patients. Due to treatment futility, there were treatment discontinuations in both study arms, and hence missing values in the outcome "SVR", the proportions of which differed greatly between the study arms. The imputation strategy for the values was unsuitable because its results were not robust and biased to the disadvantage of the appropriate comparator therapy.

The criteria for discontinuation in the appropriate comparator therapy did not comply with the Summary of Product Characteristics and were also not reasonable because they considerably shorten the treatment duration in a large proportion of patients thus causing a disadvantage for the comparator therapy with regard to the outcome "SVR". In summary, no suitable data were available for treatment-naive HCV genotype 4 patients either.

G-BA decides on the extent of added benefit
The dossier assessment is part of the overall procedure for early benefit assessments according to the Act on the Reform of the Market for Medicinal Products (AMNOG) supervised by the G-BA. After publication of the manufacturer's dossier and IQWiG's assessment, the G-BA conducts a commenting procedure, which may provide further information and result in a change to the benefit assessment. The G-BA then decides on the extent of the added benefit, thus completing the early benefit assessment.

Source: Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care

Class Action Lawsuit Challenges the Exorbitant Pricing of Gilead's Hepatitis-C Drug Sovaldi

Class Action Lawsuit Challenges the Exorbitant Pricing of Gilead's Hepatitis-C Drug Sovaldi

HAVERFORD, Pa., Dec. 9, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Chimicles & Tikellis LLP of Haverford, PA today announced that it has filed a lawsuit on behalf of the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority ("SEPTA") in federal court in Philadelphia, PA against Gilead Sciences, Inc. ("Gilead") related to the sale and pricing of its Hepatitis-C drug, Sovaldi®. Sovaldi is the first drug approved by the Food and Drug Administration for certain types of Hepatitis-C infections that does not need to be injected. It can reportedly cure about 90 percent of patients with the most common form of Hepatitis-C in three to six months, and can do so with relatively minor side effects compared to earlier available treatments.

Gilead has been selling a twelve week regimen of Sovaldi in the United States for approximately $84,000, or $1,000 per pill. This is significantly more than the original price projection for Sovaldi, and in sharp contrast to the prices at which the drug is being made available in other countries. Gilead recently announced its intention to make Sovaldi available in 91 developing countries at deeply discounted prices, and the drug is reportedly available in Egypt for 99% below the U.S. price. This obvious pricing paradox is under investigation by the Senate Finance Committee, which has questioned if the market for Sovaldi "is working efficiently and rationally," and whether "payors of health care….can carry such a load."

While there are some orphan drugs that are similarly expensive, they are typically limited to rare conditions that affect only a very small patient population. In those instances, charging high prices may be necessary to recoup amounts invested in research and development. In the case of Sovaldi, however, there are between 2.7 and 5.2 million people in the United States infected with Hepatitis-C, and 185 million people worldwide. The complaint alleges that, if left unchecked, Gilead's exorbitant pricing scheme has the potential to bankrupt segments of the U.S. healthcare system. According to the complaint, Gilead's pricing practices have also had the effect of pricing certain consumers and government programs out of the Sovaldi market, thus preventing sick patients from obtaining this critical drug. The complaint also cites reports that Gilead's pricing scheme has had a disproportionately high impact on minorities and those in lower income brackets (demographics that have had historically higher incidents of Hepatitis-C infections). Meanwhile, Gilead has recorded an astounding $8.5 billion in Sovaldi sales through the first three quarters of 2014 alone.

The complaint alleges that, under these extraordinary circumstances, Gilead's pricing cannot be justified by any patent rights it purports to have related to Sovaldi. The lawsuit seeks class action status on behalf of all persons and entities that have paid some or all of the purchase price of Sovaldi, and those who have been prevented from obtaining a needed Sovaldi regimen due to its excessive price. The complaint asserts causes of action for unjust enrichment, for violations of provisions in the Sherman Antitrust Act and Affordable Care Act, and based on a breach of contract theory.

CONTACT INFORMATION:
CHIMICLES & TIKELLIS LLP
Nicholas E. Chimicles (Nick@Chimicles.com)
Benjamin F. Johns (BFJ@Chimicles.com)
Joseph B. Kenney (JBK@Chimicles.com)
One Haverford Centre
361 West Lancaster Avenue
Haverford, PA 19041
Telephone: (610) 642-8500/(888) 805-7848
Fax: (610) 649-3633
www.chimicles.com (http://www.chimicles.com/)

For over 30 years Chimicles & Tikellis has pursued hundreds of securities, consumer and shareholder rights cases and recovered billions of dollars for their clients. The firm is nationally recognized, and their litigators hold many professional honors and distinctions.

SOURCE Chimicles & Tikellis LLP

PRNewswire

Will AbbVie's 3-DA regimen prove a compelling competitor to Gilead's Harvoni?

Physician Views: And then there were two – will AbbVie's 3-DA regimen prove a compelling competitor to Gilead's Harvoni?
(Ref: Physician Views Desk)
December 9th, 2014
By: Simon King

Later this month, the FDA is expected to approve AbbVie's oral '3-DA' product - comprising Viekirax (ombitasvir/ paritaprevir/ ritonavir) plus Exviera (dasabuvir) - for the treatment of genotype 1 hepatitis C patients. European approval is expected to occur in early 2015 following a positive recommendation from a European Medicines Agency committee last month.

Payers in the US are hoping that AbbVie will deliver festive cheer by announcing a notable 'sticker price' discount versus Gilead Sciences' Harvoni brand, which costs $94,500 for a 12-week supply. Analysts are increasingly certain, however, that such a scenario is unlikely to play out – although rebating will play a key role in driving uptake.

Strategically, however, AbbVie is more likely to promote the 3-DA regimen as being more suitable in cirrhotic patients, based on an assumption that the scale of the hepatitis C market will support multi-billion dollar revenues at a lower penetration rate.

However, while the cirrhotic population may provide an entry point for the 3-DA regimen, perception of AbbVie's superiority may diminish over the next few years as Gilead publishes further data for Harvoni in these patients, argue analysts at Deutsche Bank. A strong early performance for 3-DA may therefore be critical in establishing AbbVie in the hepatitis C market.

The label approved for 3-DA could be crucial in driving uptake. For example, there remains uncertainty as to whether AbbVie will receive approval for a 12-week duration of therapy in treatment-experienced patients with cirrhosis, an indication for which Harvoni use is only approved over a 24-week period. Debate is focused on whether the FDA takes the view that a minimum 95 percent sustained virological response (SVR) rate is required to grant approval; in Phase III studies, 3-DA demonstrated a 92 percent SVR over 12 weeks.

Another uncertainty is focused on whether the FDA feels it is necessary that 3-DA is dosed in combination with ribavirin in genotype 1a treatment-experienced and cirrhotic patients, and whether physicians also use ribavirin in treatment-naive genotype 1a patients (given the 7 percent delta in SVR rate demonstrated with and without ribavirin in Phase III studies).

Away from the label for AbbVie's 3-DA, other key issues that will shape usage focus on Gilead's competing therapy Harvoni. Specifically, how frequently physicians will use the drug in genotype 1 treatment-naїve patients over an eight-week (rather than 12 week) duration, thereby potentially limiting AbbVie's ability to compete on price, and just how significant a role Harvoni's convenience and compliance profile will play in limiting uptake of 3-DA. AbbVie's drug will require six tablets a day (four in the morning, two in the evening), while Harvoni requires one tablet a day.

To better ascertain how these factors may shape uptake of AbbVie's product, FirstWord is polling US and EU5-based gastroenterologists/hepatologists and infectious disease specialists with the following questions...

At peak, what percentage of total genotype 1 treatment-naїve patients who receive therapy with Gilead's Harvoni do you expect to treat for an eight-week (rather than 12 week) duration?

At peak, what percentage of genotype 1 treatment-experienced cirrhotic patients would you expect to treat with AbbVie's 3-DA regimen if its label necessitates a 24-week duration of therapy (also assuming ribavirin co-administration in genotype 1a patients)? – Phase III data demonstrated a SVR of 96 percent.

As a follow-up...what percentage of genotype 1 treatment-experienced cirrhotic patients would you expect to treat with AbbVie's 3-DA regimen, if its label necessitates a 12-week duration of therapy in this indication (also assuming ribavirin co-administration in genotype 1a patients)? – Phase III data demonstrated a SVR of 92 percent.

Do you have any concerns using ribavirin in combination with either AbbVie's 3-DA regimen or Gilead's Harvoni in treatment-experienced cirrhotic patients if this allows the duration of therapy to be reduced?

Just how important a role do you think the convenience/compliance advantage associated with Gilead's Harvoni (one tablet a day) will play in limiting the competitiveness of AbbVie's 3-DA regimen?

You will be able to read the results and analysis later this week.

Results and related analysis will be published for FirstWord Pharma PLUS subscribers to read, with the opportunity for non-FirstWord Pharma PLUS subscribers to purchase these findings. To be notified when poll results and analysis become available, please click here.

As always, FirstWord would very much like to receive your feedback and suggestions.

Note: FirstWord Polls are powered by MedePolls, a fast-turnaround service to conduct instant polls of up to five questions with guaranteed samples that include physicians from dozens of specialities and over 100 markets. To conduct this poll with a different audience, or an entirely different poll, contact us atinfo@firstwordpharma.com.

To read more Physician Views articles, click here.

December Newsletters: Hepatitis C—Past, Present & Future

December Newsletters: Hepatitis C—Past, Present & Future

Hello everyone, welcome to this month's collection of newsletters.

HCV advocate has published another must read issue.  I so enjoy reading HealthWise by Lucinda K. Porter, RN., this month her column is about Medicaid and insurance companies denying treatment access to patients, while exploring how this all came about, plus a look at current research.

Make sure you check out the winter issue of Hep Magazine, read a lovely article by Tim Murphy featuring 10 devoted HCV advocates, including Mr. Franciscus. A big thank you to all the men and women recognized for their hard work. These amazing people have saved lives by providing awareness, prevention, support and education.

Enjoy!

HCV Advocate Newsletter

The HCV Advocate newsletter is a valuable resource designed to provide the hepatitis C community with monthly updates on events, clinical research, and education

HCV Advocate Newsletter:
December 2014

In This Issue:

Alan Franciscus, Editor-in-Chief

This year’s American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD) conference was nothing short of amazing for the incredible information about hepatitis C (HCV) treatment—the cure rates were in the range of 80 to 100%. The high rates even included people who we would normally characterize as having negative predictors of treatment response—cirrhosis, prior null responders, pre- and post liver transplant patients, genotype 3 and others. In part 1 of our AASLD coverage, we will feature the current drugs to treat HCV as well as some of the drugs in the pipeline.. 

Read more...


Lucinda K. Porter, RN

December’s "Snapshots" typically features abstracts presented at the recent Liver Meeting. The research presented here was gathered from conference posters, presentations and abstracts. It represents part of the story and unless and until the studies reviewed here are published in peer-reviewed journals, the data and conclusions are considered preliminary. 

Read more...


Lucinda K. Porter, RN

With this issue, the HCV Advocate completes 17 years of serving the hepatitis C community. When I wrote the first HealthWise column, I still had hepatitis C (HCV). Two failed treatments later, I participated in a clinical trial and am now cured. The medication that cured me, Harvoni (sofosbuvir/ledipasvir) is now available to others with genotype 1. If anyone told me in 1998 that we’d cure nearly everyone with HCV with as little as 8 to 12 weeks of treatment and mild side effects, I am not sure I’d believe it. We have come a long way. 

Read more...

Connect With HCV Advocate

 

Living Well with Hepatitis B

HBV Advocate: for accurate, timely and cutting-edge information on HBV treatment and vaccines.

HBV Journal Review

December Issue

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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.

Winter Issue: HEP MAGAZINE

Index

We Are the Champions
by Oriol R. Gutierrez Jr.
I'm honored to introduce the Hep 10. These 10 men and women are longtime HCV advocates.

The Importance of Confirming Hep C Tests
by Benjamin Ryan
Individuals who test positive for hep C antibodies but who don’t get a confirmation through a genetic screen may fall through cracks in the health care system.

Hep C-Related Liver Disease Differs by Race
by Benjamin Ryan
If you have hep C virus (HCV), your likelihood of developing cirrhosis or liver cancer may be linked to your race.

Success for '3D' Combo in Those Coinfected With HIV
by Benjamin Ryan
Twelve weeks of AbbVie’s "3D" regimen cured 93.5 percent of those with genotype 1 of hep C who were coinfected with HIV, including those with cirrhosis, in a recent Phase II/III trial.

Hep C Is Up in Rural Injection Drug Users
by Benjamin Ryan
As prescription drug abuse leads more Americans on a path to heroin, new cases of hep C are rising among young people in non-urban areas of the eastern United States.

Hep C Treatment Guidelines Prioritize Care
by Benjamin Ryan
The American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases and the Infectious Diseases Society of America have issued a new chapter of their hep C treatment guidelines that instructs clinicians on how to prioritize treatment among patients.

The Hep 10
by Tim Murphy
Meet 10 fierce HCV advocates who are raising awareness about the virus and making sure everyone has access to care and treatment.

The Hep 10 Resources
A list of online hepatitis C resources

Click here to read a digital version of this issue.

Headlines
December 05, 2014
Viread Effectively Combats Hepatitis B for at Least 8 Years
Viread (tenofovir) is highly effective at suppressing hepatitis B, even after an eight-year period.

December 03, 2014
Hep C Hospitalizations and Related Costs Are On the Rise
Hospitalizations because of hepatitis C have steadily increased in recent years, posing a significant financial burden to the U.S. health care system.

December 01, 2014
FDA Requests More Data on BMS’s Hep C Drug Daclatasvir
The FDA has requested additional data from BMS about the hepatitis C drug daclatasvir’s use in combination with other direct-acting antivirals.

> More Hep News

Connect With Us On Twitter and Facebook

 

 

Liver Lowdown is the monthly general interest e-newsletter of the American Liver Foundation.

December Newsletter

The American Liver Foundation is making news on topics including liver wellness, disease prevention, screening and treatment.

FEATURE: PRIMARY BILIARY CIRRHOSIS

This month we focus on primary biliary cirrhosis, an autoimmune disorder that commonly strikes people between the ages of 35 and 60. A leading liver specialist answers our readers’ frequently asked questions. We welcome your thoughts and comments and invite you to share your experiences.

READ MORE

PATIENT PROFILE

At age 32, New Jersey resident Carolyn Evans was diagnosed with primary biliary cirrhosis, a startling diagnosis for a woman so young and healthy who had no family history of liver disease. She shares her brave and remarkable story here.

READ MORE

HAPPENINGS

There is always a lot going on at the American Liver Foundation. During the last month, we weighed in on liver transplant organ allocation, hosted an awards gala, held liver health and wellness seminars and hosted several Flavors and Liver Life Walk events throughout the country. We welcome you to join us.

READ MORE

IN THE NEWS

The American Liver Foundation is making news on topics including liver wellness, disease prevention, screening and treatment.

READ MORE

RECIPE OF THE MONTH

Looking for a delicious recipe to try tonight? We have one for you! Have a recipe to share? We would love to hear from you.

READ MORE

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

ALF hosts a number of events throughout the year to support liver disease awareness. Check our events calendar and find one to participate in.

READ MORE

View All Newsletters

Check Us Out On Twitter and Facebook

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HepCBC Hepatitis C Education and Prevention Society

HepCBC’s MONTHLY NEWSLETTER

The hepc.bull, has been “Canada’s hepatitis C journal” since the late 1990′s and has been published nonstop since 2001. The monthly newsletter contains the latest research results, government policy changes, activities and campaigns you can get involved in, articles by patients and caregivers, and a list of support groups plus other useful links.

December Newsletter 

In This Issue

CDEC - Recommendations for Direct-Acting Antiviral Agents (DAAs) for Chronic Hepatitis C (CHC) Genotype 1

AASLD 2014 SNIPPETS

HepCBC News

NOW RECRUITING: CLINICAL TRIALS

View all newsletters, here. 

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Caring Ambassadors

The primary goal of the Caring Ambassadors Program is to help individuals with challenging health conditions to become ambassadors for their own health. We are here to help you—that is now and always will be our singular focus

December 2014 Literature Review

Monthly Pubmed Review of the most relevant research on HCV

Index

CLINICAL TRIALS, COHORT STUDIES, PILOT STUDIES 1 - 5
BASIC AND APPLIED SCIENCE, PRE-CLINICAL STUDIES 5 - 6
HIV/HCV COINFECTION 6-14
COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE 14
EPIDEMIOLOGY, DIAGNOSTICS & MISCELLANEOUS WORKS 15-19
LIVER CANCER 20-23

Begin here.....

Caring Ambassadors is excited to announce the release of Hep C Discussion Point™.  Try this free powerful and interactive online tool for people living with hepatitis C !

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GI & Hepatology News

GI & Hepatology News is the official newspaper of the AGA Institute and provides the gastroenterologist with timely and relevant news and commentary about clinical developments and about the impact of health-care policy. The newspaper is led by an internationally renowned board of editors.

View Current Issue (Vol. 8 No. 12 December 2014): PDF | Interactive Issue

View DDW 2014: The AGA Report: PDF | Interactive Issue

Connect With AGA

  

NYC Hep C Task Force

The New York City Hepatitis C Task Force is a city-wide network of service providers and advocates concerned with hepatitis C and related issues. The groups come together to learn, share information and resources, network, and identify hepatitis C related needs in the community. Committees form to work on projects in order to meet needs identified by the community. 

December 2014

Highlights In This Issue
Finding alternatives to opioids for service members and veterans in pain. Heller scientist Mary Jo Larson wins $3 million to evaluate alternatives to highly addictive prescription painkillers. BrandeisNOW. See info on Hep C in Vets.

How Yoga and Meditation Help People With Hepatitis C. 

CNN Health.

Why I Stopped Late-Night Drinking & Started Early Morning Meditation. 

Russell Simmons. Mind, Body, Green.

View complete newsletter...........

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Bloggers Corner

Ranting About Hepatitis C Care
By Lucinda K. Porter, RN

I’d be wealthy if I had a dollar for every time someone with hepatitis C complained about their medical care and wrote, “Sorry to be ranting, but I am so frustrated.” My reply is, “Stop apologizing. It’s OK to rant. Please everyone, rant away. Get it out of your system.”

Hepatitis C Treatment: Advocating for Yourself

By Lucinda K. Porter, RN

I am cheating this week, and posting material written by a Hep Forum member. I asked her if I could publish it because I think it is practical and useful, and I want people who are trying to get hepatitis C treatment to have this information. It was written by Elizabeth Faraone, who advocated for herself, and just started treatment. 

SOVALDI–THE FIRST DAY OF THE REST OF MY LIFE

Posted on December 7, 2014 by asknod

This is my first day post-Sovaldi in the 168-day treatment regimen

HIV and ID Observations 

Paul Sax, M.D. 

A little spin around the internet brings us these ID/HIV tidbits, all of them designed to go well with holiday music, egg nog, and potato pancakes, plus a can’t-miss video clip: Flu vaccine match with circulating virus doesn’t look so great. This could mean it’s going to be a tough flu season, but estimates of flu season....

Karen Hoyt

There is something glorious about vegetable juice and protein shakes for a healthy liver. Glorious? Yeah, it deserves that description. I don't expect any of you to be doing a high leg kick while knocking back your Wonder Juice. That's ok. I'll do it alone. I do know that many of you share my love of shaking up a meal. Maybe a shimmy dress would be more appropriate.

Dental Care

By Joe Burke
Those living with Hepatitis C and/or HIV can develop multiple oral hygiene related issues stemming from improper dental care. Issues ranging from mouth ulcers to the gum disease gingivitis, an irritation and inflammation of the gum line are prominant. People living with Hepatitis C are prone to tooth decay, suffer loss of self-esteem due to poor oral aesthetics and have difficulty with diet due to poor oral health, all leading to a compromised quality of life. An effective preventive care program for a patient diagnosed with HCV is critical and should be an important goal for the dental practitioner.

Healthy You

A monthly newsletter from the National Institutes of Health, part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

December Issue

If you’re feeling stressed out over supposedly fun things—like holiday gatherings or vacations—it might be time to reassess. Learning healthy ways to cope with stress may help your health. Read more about stress and health.

Continue to December News

Featured Website

Go4Life
This interactive site helps adults, ages 50 and older, to fit more physical activity into their days. A science-based exercise guide, videos, success stories, motivational tips, and free materials can help you get ready, start exercising, and keep moving.

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Stay well, see you all soon.

Tina

Pakistani Blood Transfusions Spreading Hepatitis, HIV: Official

Reuters Health Information

Pakistani Blood Transfusions Spreading Hepatitis, HIV: Official
By Katharine HoureldDecember 08, 2014

ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - Lax oversight of blood banks means about a fifth of patients in Pakistan who get regular transfusions have been infected with hepatitis, a top government health official said on Friday. Some also get HIV.

Pakistan's dangerously unregulated blood banks are in the spotlight after a charitable federation said 10 children getting transfusions for a blood disease contracted HIV.

About 22,000 children with thalassaemia, which causes low levels of protein in the blood, get regular transfusions, the Thalassaemia Federation of Pakistan said.

Government officials are investigating and have not confirmed the cases it cited.

Poor oversight of blood supply is a problem for all needing regular transfusions, said Javed Akram, head of the state-run Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences.

In addition to Pakistan's thalassaemia patients, 250,000 kidney patients need regular blood transfusions, Akram said.

"Of all patients requiring regular blood transfusions for survival, about 20 percent have hepatitis B or C. A few also have HIV," he said. "They are desperate for blood. Most of them can't get it safely."

As many as 20% of such patients had hepatitis B and C, while about 1% had been infected with HIV, he estimated.

The World Health Organization says 13 million Pakistanis have hepatitis B or C and about 85,000 have HIV/AIDS.

The government had no plans to test the hundreds of thousands of people who may have received infected blood because the problem was too entrenched, Akram said.

He said most patients his hospital saw went to eight different blood banks, on average, for transfusions. Many blood banks buy supplies from drug addicts who need cash, he added.

Pakistan has many private blood banks, but oversight is lax. So children like 12-year-old Waqas, whose family asked that his full name not be used, get infected. He has HIV.

"When I don't go to school and I'm not feeling well, my friends ask me 'where were you?'," he said, squirming in an oversize pinstripe suit. "I tell them I had a fever."

Some banks test for diseases with cheap kits and miss two-thirds of infections, said Hasan Abbas Zaheer, of the Safe Blood Transfusion Program. The capital, Islamabad, is the only place that regularly inspected or licensed blood banks, he said.

Akram said it would be hard to identify banks selling infected blood since patients used so many.

"This has been a problem for a long time," he said. "The government only cares about it when the cameras are focused on it."

From Landing on a Comet to Curing Hep C: Final Round Candidates for Top 2014 Science Breakthrough

From Landing on a Comet to Curing Hep C: Final Round Candidates for Top 2014 Science Breakthrough

By James Maynard, Tech Times | December 6, 4:14 PM

The greatest scientific breakthrough of 2014 could be a new advance toward curing hepatitis C, landing on a comet for the first time, or three other advances made in the last year.

Science has been one of the most prestigious journals in the world for over a century, and their nominations for the greatest advance of 2014 have been narrowed down to five finalists. Medical advances cover three of the finalists in the contest, along with a discovery in genetics and landing on Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko.

In one of the five advances of 2014 being considered for Breakthrough of the Year is the discovery that blood from young mice can revitalize the muscles and brains of older animals. This could hold promise that a similar technique could be used to treat human patients with diseases and disorders related to aging. Medical researchers are already studying the use of blood plasma from young donors to treat Alzheimer's disease.

Type 1 diabetes could soon be treated using stem cells capable of producing insulin.

"The recipe is complex, and the cells-made from embryonic stem cells or reprogrammed adult cells - would still face rejection by diabetics' immune system if transplanted into patients. But the achievement brings a possible stem cell-based treatment for diabetes a step closer," Science publishers stated on the contest Web page.

Hepatitis C may soon be cured using a pair of new treatments that directly fight the virus have reached the market. Previous treatment for the disease involved weekly injections of interferon and almost a year of taking oral doses of ribavirin. New treatment methods could completely cure patients of the disease, although costs could reach $1000 for each dose of the medicine.

For the first time in history, biologists have created new "letters" in the genetic code.

"Researchers have expanded the DNA repertoire beyond the G-C and A-T pairs found in nature by creating a pair of novel letters, X bound to Y. This year they managed to insert these extra letters into living bacteria," Science editors stated in a profile on the discovery. Researchers will next attempt to use the new genetic code to create new amino acids.

The Philae lander touched down on the surface of a comet for the first time, although the landing did not go as planned. The vehicle bounced off the surface of the icy body twice before coming to rest, upright, but in hibernation mode. The spacecraft could come back to life in 2015, as the comet approaches the Sun.

The general public is being asked to participate in voting for the most significant advance in science to be announced during the last 12 months. Votes may be registered on the Web site for the journal Science through December 9.

Source - http://www.techtimes.com/articles/21543/20141206/landing-comet-curing-hep-c-final-round-candidates-top-2014.htm#ixzz3L9i8l96J