Sovaldi-Based Hep C Regimens Less Successful in Real World

The real-world cure rates offered by Sovaldi (sofosbuvir)–based hepatitis C virus (HCV) regimens have not been as good as those seen in clinical trials, at least among a group of veterans with genotypes 1 or 2, Healio reports. Publishing their findings in Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics, researchers analyzed data from the Veterans Affairs Clinical Case Registry for HCV on 4,026 vets treated for hep C with 12-week Sovaldi–based regimens.

A total of 3,203 of the vets had genotype 1 and 823 had genotype 2.

Gilead Sciences’ Harvoni (ledipasvir/sofosbuvir) has superseded Sovaldi–based regimens (Sovaldi is also a Gilead drug) as the treatment of choice for those with genotype 1. So this study’s findings may not be applicable to the current realities of hep C treatment among that group, especially since this study looked in part at the results of regimens including interferon, which causes flu-like side effects. Interferon has largely been edged out of the hep C arsenal.

However, 12 weeks of Sovaldi plus ribavirin is still the top-recommended regimen for treatment-naive people with genotype 2, which makes  this study more relevant to that population’s current concerns.

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Iran: Hepatitis C drug to be released

TEHRAN, Sep. 08 (MNA) – Deputy health minister has reported on the entry of home-made Hepatitis C drug to the country’s pharmaceutical market next week noting that it has been produced by Iranian knowledge-based companies.

“The Sofosbuvir drug is used to treat hepatitis C cases; previously it was imported from other countries and priced at $100 per tablet but the indigenous version will be available at the price of 10 dollars per tablet,” said Reza Malekzadeh at a press conference on knowledge-based companies reminding that, “in terms of quality, this drug fully complies with foreign ones and there is no difference in terms of efficiency or treatment of the disease.”

He also reported the production of two other combination drugs to treat hepatitis C in the country adding that they are currently at laboratory stage and will soon be released. “There are now drugs that can treat hepatitis C and there exists the possibility of eradication of the hepatitis C virus in the country in near future; hepatitis C has a three-month course of treatment and patients should take one tablet per day for full treatment,” added Malekzadeh.

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Medicines Patent Pool looks at hepatitis C

Greg Perry, Executive Director of the Medicines Patent Pool, told delegates at the World Hepatitis Summit in Glasgow this week that the organisation was considering how it could act to speed up and expand access to direct-acting antivirals for lower- and middle-income countries, where around 85% of people with hepatitis C are estimated to live.

The Medicines Patent Pool was established with the support of UNITAID, the international drug and diagnostics purchase fund for HIV, tuberculosis and malaria, to negotiate voluntary licensing agreements with pharmaceutical companies that would allow widespread access to low-cost antiretroviral drugs for HIV treatment. The Medicines Patent Pool was also designed as a mechanism to overcome barriers to the development of fixed-dose drug combinations of products from more than one manufacturer, for efficient delivery of treatment in lower- and middle-income countries.

Since its launch in 2010 the Medicines Patent Pool has negotiated voluntary licensing agreements with all the major pharmaceutical companies that allow some or all of their antiretroviral products to be copied by generic manufacturers for sale at greatly reduced prices in lower- and middle-income countries.

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Study’s Findings Could Help Expand the Donor Pool for Liver Transplantation

Organ donation after circulatory death (DCD), in which transplant organs are taken from donors after ay period of no blood circulation or oxygenation, is often considered inferior to donation after brain death, in which circulation and oxygenation are maintained until organs are removed for transplantation. Currently, the use of livers from DCD donors remains controversial, particularly with donors with advanced age.

A new study of DCD liver transplantations conducted at the Cleveland Clinic from 2005 to 2014 found no significant correlation between donor age and organ survival, however. The results suggest that stringent donor and recipient selection may ameliorate the negative impact of donor age in DCD liver transplantation.

“Aged DCD organs are generally underutilized by many transplant surgeons because of the higher risk of transplant organ failure; however, by eliminating other risk factors, aged DCD organs can greatly help expand the donor pool for life-saving liver transplantation,” said Dr. Koji Hashimoto, co-author of the Liver Transplantation study.

Source:  http://ca.wiley.com/WileyCDA/PressRelease/pressReleaseId-120486.html

What’s behind Hepatitis C increase in Franklin County?

GREENFIELD — As Hepatitis C rates have risen sharply in Franklin County, neighboring Hampshire County has seen a slower trend and a lower rate, tempered perhaps by prevention efforts.

Franklin County’s rate of 131 newly discovered Hepatitis C cases per 100,000 residents in 2014 was just under the statewide rate of 134, while Hampshire County trailed with a rate of 73. This is a population-adjusted measure, using numbers collected by the Mass. Department of Public Health. In simple numbers, Franklin County had 94 new cases in 2014 and Hampshire County 116.

Greenfield saw 40 newly discovered cases of the blood-borne liver disease in 2014, while its larger sister to the south saw 29. Northampton’s population of 28,549 at the last census outnumbered Greenfield 3 to 2.

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Australia: Region has third highest hepatitis C numbers in NSW

"Only an estimated 1.7% of the population living with the blood-borne virus have accessed treatment."

THE Northern Rivers continues to have one of the highest number of hepatitis C cases in the state with 233 new notifications last year.

Figures from the NSW Hepatitis B and C Strategies 2014 annual data report rank the Northern NSW Local Health District third in the state with 79 hepatitis C notifications per 100,000 people.

Northern NSW Local Health District HIV and related programs manager Jenny Heslop said most of the 233 people notified had likely been living with hepatitis C for many years.

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Anger at hepatitis C trial with call for money to be spent on cures

A MEDICAL trial to teach hepatitis C sufferers how to avoid infecting their children with the virus has been criticised as fearmongering and a waste of desperately needed health funding.

The State Government will partly fund the trial, called Families Living Healthily with hepatitis C, which aims to teach sufferers how to better prevent transmission of the bloodborne virus.

More than 5000 Tasmanians have been diagnosed with hep C, but medical experts believe many more people unknowingly carry the liver-destroying virus in their blood.

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