HCV / Hepatitis

Patients who have HCV infection are at high risk for arthralgia, myalgias, pruritus, neuropathy, and decompensated livers. Until recently the sole available treatment was interferon. After the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved ribavirin, patients who took ribavirin plus interferon responded better. Now, the FDA has approved a small selection of oral antivirals to treat hepatitis C.

Researchers have found that maintenance treatment with methadone or buprenorphine may help prevent hepatitis C infection among injection drug users, a population with the highest risk of infection of the virus.

The US Senate Finance Committee recently requested detailed pricing information on Sovaldi (sofosbuvir), its breakthrough oral treatment for hepatitis C.

Although it is widely understood that hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) are the leading causes of liver cirrhosis and liver cancer, an alarming number of HBV and HCV carriers have unhealthy habits that result in poor liver health.

Scientists have mapped the structure of a hepatitis C virus surface protein that is responsible for binding to host liver cells, leading to virus entry.

Saliva tests for detecting HCV infection may not be the best option for determining infection status.

Study results show hepatic decompensation is more common in people who have both HIV and hepatitis C virus (HCV) compared to those infected only with HCV, an indication that early HCV treatment among coinfected patients is needed.