HCV / Hepatitis

In 2023, there were numerous developments in hepatitis C including the Biden Administration's new budget that put aside several billion dollars towards establishing a hepatitis C (HCV) program; the Cherokee Nation's Hepatitis C elimination program which has worked to increase screening and get people into the continuum of care; and how one clinician is bringing HCV care to the streets through her mobile clinics. Check out these stories and more from this year.

The first self-amplifying mRNA COVID-19 vaccine was approved in Japan; how email reminders fared in encouraging people with diabetes to get their influenza vaccines; in the latest RSV Roundtable, our panel discusses the addition of nirsevimab; and a biotech company is focused on the detection and diagnosis of viral diseases, with a particular interest in Long COVID.

The implementation of clinical and specialty pharmacy services significantly increased the rate of patients transitioning from tenofovir disoproxil fumarate to tenofovir alafenamide.

A clinician utilizes mobile clinics to bring a hybrid of primary and urgent care to marginalized populations and help people overcome barriers and gets them into the continuum of care.

Just 8.5% of eligible patients were screened for hepatitis C, and among them, 5.9% tested positive for HCV antibody and 3.0% had an active infection.

Infants with HIV could be spared from requiring lifetime ART if treated within hours of birth to disrupt formation of HIV viral reservoirs.

High cure rates underscore the effectiveness of the No One Waits (NOW) model in ensuring not only treatment initiation but also successful completion, ultimately reducing the burden of HCV in the studied population and possibly beyond.

Therapy development, management improvements, and public health initiatives have all helped to change the trajectory of health outcomes for many, but still millions of people remain behind and are not in the continuum of care.

Salem Hospital faces a class action lawsuit over potential hepatitis and HIV exposure to hundreds of patients. The lawsuit alleges negligence and emotional distress, with the hospital claiming a minimal infection risk.

Treatment with glecaprevir/pibrentasvir (G/P) demonstrated a virologic response at post-treatment week 12, which was superior to the prior efficacy threshold.

Biopharmaceutical company, Barinthus Biotherapeutics, studied its investigational immunization candidate, VTP-300, together with Arbutus Biopharma’s hepatitis B (HBV) therapeutic, imdusiran.

In this week's news, we covered the HCV elimination program, recent food recalls, live biotherapeutic products for recurrent C diff, and the availability of a monoclonal antibody for RSV prevention in infants.

Hepatitis B virus vaccination shown to to significantly improve survival rates for patients with chronic hepatitis C, nonalcoholic liver disease, and liver cirrhosis.

Tatyana Kushner, MD, MSCE, offers her insights on the Biden administration's hepatitis C elimination plan.

Madhumita Premkumar, MD, discusses a nationwide, cost-efficient eradication strategy she believes could benefit Americans' efforts to curb HCV.

At the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD) meeting held last week, Barinthus Biotherapeutics announced the presentation of data from its hepatitis B clinical trials.

The panelists discuss the importance of the role of task shifting in Hepatitis C care.

Experts discuss where we currently stand on the World Health Organization elimination goals for Hepatitis C virus.

CDC recommends HCV testing in these populations as a critical step to achieving national priority of eliminating HCV.

Use of antiviral therapy was linked to a decreased risk of multiple cardiovascular outcomes and mortality compared to patients not using antiviral therapy.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) looked at outbreak-related deaths and found a majority of decedents had existing preexisting conditions.

This week's stories include study data on 2 RSV vaccines for seniors; an update on C diff therapies; looking at Ending the HIV Epidemic initiative; and a study on Paxlovid and Long COVID.

Drawing parallels between liver health and everyday choices, such as diet, alcohol consumption, and drug use, can help individuals take responsibility for their actions and their overall well-being.

Learning about these barriers is the first step to overcoming them.

Emergency departments (EDs) are an important entry point into the health care system and have been identified as a location with opportunity for increased HIV diagnosis and management.

Interaction with providers increased testing but did not translate to treatment initiation.

With increased neutrophils during alcohol-related hepatitis, patients experience an increased risk of infection due to the impaired function of the neutrophils. A new study looks to uncover the mechanisms for which this hepatitis impacts the body.

This week's news included a new study that showed the association with Epstein-Barr virus reactivation and sets the need for an antiviral clinical trial with cardiopulmonary exercise testing as an endpoint; a clinician weighs in on the limited use of novel, gram-negative antibiotics; and the discussion around increasing hepatitis C testing for the pediatric population.

The antiretroviral, lenacapavir (Sunlenca 463.5 mg/1.5 mL injection), had reported resistance in only a minority of study participants according to the latest findings released at a conference.

Despite hepatitis C (HCV) incidence rates increasing, adequate screening for the virus continues to be a pressing challenge for public health officials.