New Case of Hep. C at Doctor's Office

Update: New Case of Hepatitis C Added to Ongoing Results of Testing for Bloodborne Virus Exposure 
Source: Public Health Department

The Santa Barbara County Public Health Department is continuing an investigation of Dr. Allen Thomashefsky’s medical office, and is recommending that former patients get tested for Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C and HIV. The Health Department has received and analyzed information associated with the laboratory test results of former patients. As of May 4, 2015, a total of 248 tests have now been reported. A new case of Hepatitis C has been identified and the cumulative results are as follows:

• 7 patients have tested positive for Hepatitis C Of these 7 patients
    -  6 of these are believed to represent a new, or acute, diagnosis of Hepatitis C
    -  1 is believed to represent a prior, or chronic, infection of Hepatitis C
• 1 patient tested positive for Hepatitis B and has been determined to be a prior, existing infection 
• 0 patients have tested positive for HIV 
• 240 patients are negative or not infected with Hepatitis B and C, or HIV

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Newest Hepatitis C Drug Without Interferon Achieves 93 Percent Cure Rate

Researchers unsure whether the new hepatitis C drug’s entry into the U.S. market will drive down prices.

Another pharmaceutical company appears headed to market with a drug that cures hepatitis C genotype 1, without interferon and ribavirin, in just 12 weeks.

Research published today in The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) showed a combination of Bristol-Myers Squibb drugs daclatasvir, asunaprevir, and beclabuvir cured hepatitis C in 93 percent of 112 study participants with cirrhosis who had not previously been treated.

The drug combination also eliminated the hepatitis virus in 87 percent of 90 participants who had treatment in the past that didn’t work. When ribavirin was added, the success rate climbed to 93 percent.

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Hepatitis C: Why people born 1945-1965 should get tested

The month of May is designated as Hepatitis Awareness Month.

During May, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Douglas County Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health work to shed light on this hidden epidemic by raising awareness of viral hepatitis and encouraging individuals to get tested.

Douglas County Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health encourages you to take a five-minute online assessment developed by the CDC, which provides a personalized report on hepatitis testing and vaccination recommendations. To complete the assessment, visit www.cdc.gov/hepatitis/RiskAssessment or talk to your health care provider about hepatitis testing and your risks.

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India: Mylan launches hepatitis-C Sovaldi tablets in India

HYDERABAD: Pharma giant Mylan NV today said its subsidiary Mylan Pharmaceuticals has launched Gilead Sciences' Sovaldi (sofosbuvir 400mg tablets) in the country.

Sovaldi is used for the treatment of chronic hepatitis-C infection as a component of a combination anti-viral treatment.

It is estimated that around 12 million people are chronically infected with hepatitis-C in India, Mylan said in a release.

In February this year, Gilead appointed Mylan as its exclusive distributor of Sovaldi in India.

Read more at: http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/47148108.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst

Entering Leg 2 of syringe exchange triathlon

With law enacted, implementation adheres to prescribed steps

Indiana is about to legalize syringe exchange. This herculean bipartisan effort, led by Rep. Ed Clere, R-New Albany, enacted evidence-based public health policy in a state with a long-starved public health system.

As triathlons go, the syringe exchange legislative process was a tough first leg that will be followed by a second leg of policy implementation and a final leg of impact evaluation. We are now at T1 – that transition between Legs 1 and 2. And Leg 2 will be challenging.

Syringe exchange is part of a comprehensive public health effort to reduce HIV and hepatitis C among drug-injecting populations. Programs “exchange” sterile for used syringes, and link participants to screening and treatment for Hepatitis C and HIV, as well as substance abuse treatment. Studies over the past 30 years have demonstrated their effectiveness at reducing hepatitis C and HIV.

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Egypt: Locally manufactured Sovaldi to be released soon

CAIRO: The Egyptian market will receive a new batch of the hepatitis C treatment medication Sovaldi next June after being manufactured locally, Youm 7 reported Sunday.

Pharmed Healthcare Executive Director, Mohamed Mabrouk, said that his firm will deliver 500,000 bottles after being manufactured with local chemical materials.

“This step will give the Egyptian market an unprecedented motive,” he said.

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Pakistan: Every 10th Pakistani suffering from hepatitis

LAHORE - Every 10th person in the country is suffering from one type of hepatitis or the other and the viral infection varies in severity from a self-limited condition with total recovery to a life-threatening or lifelong disease.

Over 20 million people in Pakistan are infected with hepatitis B and C virus including around 15 million with C and five million with B and the disease is swelling at an alarming rate, medical experts say.

“Owing to lack of preventive measures and treatment facilities, hepatitis prevalence in Pakistan is the highest on the globe.

• Every 10th person is infected with hepatitis.
• Over 1.
• 5 lakh hepatitis patients die annually.
• As such over 400 people are losing life to hepatitis every day.
• Every year, over 1.
• 5 lakh Hepatitis patients are added to the existing patient load,” said senior consultant and Principal Gujranwala Medical College Prof Aftab Mohsan.

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