HCV New Drugs

Welcome to this months viral hepatitis newsletters & blog updates. Provided by a small group of unsung heroes focused on bringing crucial awareness to this silent epidemic.

In The News
Updated April 5, 2018
Hepatitis C - Interferon-free therapy did not increase the risk of liver cancer
LAY SUMMARY: We examined the risk of liver cancer among 857 patients with cirrhosis in Scotland who received hepatitis C antiviral therapy and achieved a cure. We compared the risk of first-time liver cancer in patients treated with the newest interferon-free regimens, to patients treated with interferon. After accounting for the different characteristics of these two treatment groups, we found no evidence that interferon-free therapy is associated with a higher risk of liver cancer.

TAGline Spring 2018: Activism and the elimination of HIV, HCV, and TB
Read today's news or a nice summary of notable headlines published in the latest issue of The Weekly Bull.

The following link is provided by Center for Disease Analysis Foundation
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100,000th Veteran treated by VA for Hepatitis C
Through innovative systems redesign, dedicated providers and engaged Veterans, VA recently began treatment for its 100,000th Veteran with hepatitis C (HCV). New highly effective medications are easy to take and cure hepatitis C in 95 percent of Veterans who take them – a huge improvement from past treatments.

On the ground, teams of providers and staff have worked to develop ways to get the word out over the past three years; new HCV treatments work, and most Veterans in VA care have answered “yes.”
Read the article: https://www.blogs.va.gov/VAntage/46979/100000th-veteran-treated-hepatitis-c/

Health Care Is an Investment, and the U.S. Should Start Treating It Like One
Anupam B. Jena Daniel M. Blumenthal Sachin Kamal-Bahl
"For instance, an insurer that covers HCV therapy for an individual could, in theory, be compensated by future insurers, even Medicare"
Consider, for example, the debate around the pricing of new Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) therapies. HCV is a chronic infectious disease that affects 3 million or more Americans. If untreated, HCV can cause liver dysfunction, liver failure, cirrhosis, and ultimately death. Until recently, the only available treatments for HCV were complex, multi-drug regimens with severe side effects and only modest efficacy. In the last half decade, however, several new HCV treatments have been developed with cure rates exceeding 90%. These new treatments typically cost $40,000-$50,000 per treatment course, but they have been shown to be cost effective over the long term, as they can help patients avoid terminal liver disease, which is extremely expensive to treat, and reduce morbidity and mortality due to progressive liver disease.
Co-infection with hepatitis C virus (HCV) occurs among some HIV-positive people due to shared routes of infection. HCV infects the liver and in many cases this causes chronic infection and inflammation within this organ. HCV also infects some cells of the immune system and chronic HCV infection causes inflammation and ...

Two deaths, 54 other cases of severe bleeding tied to fake weed in Illinois
Synthetic cannabinoids -- often called Spice, K2 or fake weed -- have been tied to 56 cases of severe bleeding, including two deaths, across Chicago and areas in central Illinois.... Though 17 of the recent cases were tied to synthetic cannabinoid products in Chicago, contaminated products could be statewide, the Department of Public Health noted. There also were five cases in Cook County, two in Kankakee County, 14 in Peoria County, 12 in Tazewell County and one in each of the counties of DuPage, Kane, McLean and Will. Two other cases are under investigation.

FDA
The items were shipped to locations in Alabama, Arkansas, Indiana, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas and Wisconsin.

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CDA Foundation
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52 Million Children Suffering from Hepatitis
According to Polaris data, of 325 million confirmed patients worldwide, 52 million are minors, a number much higher than the 2.1 million children suffering from AIDS, according to recent statistics reported at the World Hepatitis Summit in Brazil. According to Raquel Peck, CEO of World Hepatitis Alliance, most infected infants and children are not diagnosed, prioritized, or treated effectively. Twenty-one countries are responsible for around 80% of pediatric hepatitis C infections, with the highest prevalence rates generally found in developing countries. Of the 52 million, more than 90% have hepatit is B. However, the study showed that compared to hepatitis C, new hepatitis B infections among children are declining, from approximately 4.7% prevalence in the pre-vaccination era of the early 1980s to 1.3% in 2016. Data released at the summit indicated that 84% of countries offer Hepatitis B vaccines, but only 39% provide birth doses (Link 1, Link 2).
News & Reports
* Public Health England has published an updated report on Hepatitis C in the North West alongside its annual Hepatitis C in England report. The report shows an estimated 16,000 out of 40,000 (40%) of people infected with hepatitis C in the North West remain undiagnosed.

POZ
April/May 2018 Issue
April Newsletter
In this issue
Tick Tock: Your Body Clocks
Circadian rhythms can influence eating habits, digestion, and metabolism (how our body uses and stores energy), too. Researchers have found that eating later in the day, closer to when melatonin is released, can disrupt the body’s natural rhythms. This can lead to increased body fat and weight gain, which are often associated with obesity, heart disease, and diabetes.
Begin here....

Health Capsule
Learn About Obesity and Cancer Risk
Featured Website
Healthy Teeth, Gums, and Mouths

Blog Updates

Al D. Rodriguez Liver Foundation
Lifestyle Mindfulness for Your Liver
April 3, 2018
Healthy lifestyle remains the best defense against non-alcoholic liver disease
Do you know that you or a loved one may suffer from non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD)? You may not have heard of such disease — but NAFLD has become the most common cause of chronic liver disease in the United States, slowly making its way as the next global epidemic.

AGA Blog
Does Pioglitazone Have the Same Effects on NASH in Patients With vs Without Diabetes?
Dr. Kristine Novak
Patients with prediabetes and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) benefit nearly as much from pioglitazone therapy as those with type-2 diabetes, researchers report in the April issue of Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology. The diabetes drug reduced fibrosis in non-diabetic patients with NASH, the clinical study found, although to a lesser extent than in patients..

Hep Blogs
Hepatitis C Treatment in Latvia
By Greg Jefferys
Over the past three years I have been very aware of the situation for Hepatitis C treatment in Latvia because on some levels the situation has evolved in a very good way. Let me give you a little background.

Hepatitis C Report: State of Medicaid Access
By Lucinda K. Porter, RN
Hepatitis C State of Medicaid Access report measures access to hepatitis C treatment for Medicaid enrollees in the United States

Viral Hepatitis: We Can Eliminate the Burden of Stigma
Going Through Rough Relationships After Diagnosis
By Kimberly Morgan Bossley - March 30, 2018
Many with hepatitis C experience rough relationships after diagnosis. For myself, I went through a horrible divorce that really left me feeling alone, afraid, unattractive, and frankly sick. (All while in the middle...

Top 5 Tips for Panic Attacks
By Karen Hoyt - March 29, 2018
Somehow, I made it through years of living with hepatitis C. I looked like a tired, achy, stressful, smoker girl. The virus was weakening my liver, but I was undiagnosed. The damage...

Working When Chronically Ill: Workplace Accommodations and Navigating Disability Issues
By Editorial Team - March 28, 2018
Depending on the nature of an individual’s chronic condition and how it impacts their daily life, they may or may not want to be in the workforce. Additionally, and depending on personal...

Harvard Health Blog
Are you taking too much anti-inflammatory medication?
Robert H. Shmerling, MD
You might call them pain relievers. You might take them for back pain, headache, or arthritis. Your doctor calls them “NSAIDs,” which stands for nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Whatever you call them and for whatever reason you take them, NSAIDs are among the most popular medications worldwide.

ACP Internist Blog
Be proactive about managing hepatitis B
By Charlotte Huff
Reports and other guidance on both hepatitis B virus prevention and treatment all have reprised a common theme: Clearly vulnerable individuals are too often missed.

Clinical Guidelines
Cardiovascular Disease and Risk Management: Review of the American Diabetes Association Standards of Medical Care in Diabetes 2018 
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