AASLD 2016

aidsmap news from AASLD 2016

• Liver cirrhosis and decompensation still on the rise among people with hepatitis C

  Hepatitis C symptoms and diagnosis
  Liz Highleyman | 31 January 2017

  Complications of advanced liver disease including cirrhosis and hepatic decompensation have risen over the past decade among people with chronic hepatitis C, according to study findings presented at the 2016 ...

• Is DAA treatment for hepatitis C reducing the need for liver transplants?

  Hepatitis C treatment
  Liz Highleyman | 27 January 2017

  People successfully treated for hepatitis are less likely to need liver transplants and less likely to die while on a transplant waiting list, according to studies presented at the 2016 ...

• Sofosbuvir-based therapy achieves excellent SVR12 rates among people who inject drugs in Ukraine

  Hepatitis C treatment
  Michael Carter | 07 December 2016

  People who inject drugs (PWID) can have an excellent response to sofosbuvir-based therapy for hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, Ukrainian research presented to the recent 2016 AASLD Liver Meeting shows. Overall, 93% of people had ...

• Hepatitis C virus infection is rising among gay and bisexual men in San Diego

  Hepatitis C transmission and prevention
  Liz Highleyman | 05 December 2016

  The prevalence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection among HIV-positive men who have sex with men in San Diego has increased over the past 15 years, especially among men who do not ...

• Sofosbuvir/ledipasvir is effective for people with HIV/HCV co-infection in real-world clinical practice

  Hepatitis C treatment
  Liz Highleyman | 28 November 2016

  The sofosbuvir/ledipasvir (Harvoni) co-formulation used in real-world clinical practice produced good sustained virological response rates similar to those seen in clinical trials for HIV-positive people with hepatitis C co-infection, according to a pooled ...

• Grazoprevir triple regimen demonstrates high cure rates, even for hard-to-treat people

  Hepatitis C treatment
  Liz Highleyman | 25 November 2016

  A new three-drug co-formulation containing Merck's grazoprevir plus the investigational agents MK-3682 and ruzasvir was highly effective for people with hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotypes 1, 2 or 3, with sustained response rates ...

• People with HIV/HCV co-infection see good cure rates in real-world practice in Madrid

  Hepatitis C treatment
  Liz Highleyman | 23 November 2016

  More than 90% of HIV-positive people treated with direct-acting antivirals for hepatitis C – including many with liver cirrhosis – achieved sustained virological response and few discontinued treatment due to side-effects, showing that ...

• 8-week triple DAA combo cures most people with genotype 1-6 hepatitis C

  Hepatitis C treatment
  Liz Highleyman | 21 November 2016

  A three-drug regimen of sofosbuvir, velpatasvir and voxilaprevir taken for 8 weeks demonstrated an overall sustained virological response rate of 95% for previously untreated people with all hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotypes, while ...

• Birth cohort screening and linkage to care for HCV treatment still weak in United States

  Hepatitis C symptoms and diagnosis
  Keith Alcorn | 18 November 2016

  Grave weaknesses in hepatitis C screening and linkage to care are still widespread in the United States and threaten to leave a large proportion of baby boomers with hepatitis C untreated, presentations ...

• AbbVie pangenotypic combination cures 98% or above across genotypes

  Hepatitis C treatment
  Keith Alcorn | 16 November 2016

  AbbVie’s combination of glecaprevir and pibrentasvir cured at least 98% of people with hepatitis C in three large clinical trials covering five out of six genotypes of the virus, and is ...

• AbbVie pangenotypic combination cures almost all hard-to-treat people with HCV genotype 3

  Hepatitis C treatment
  Keith Alcorn | 16 November 2016

  AbbVie’s pangenotypic combination of glecaprevir and pibrentasvir cured almost all of the hardest-to-treat genotype 3 patients – those with cirrhosis and/or previous treatment experience – in a phase II trial, and looks suitable ...

• US Veterans Affairs and Australia show potential for rapid elimination of hepatitis C

  Hepatitis C treatment
  Keith Alcorn | 15 November 2016

  If sufficient money is available to pay for direct-acting antivirals (DAAs), the US Veterans Affairs (VA) could cure the majority of veterans under its care of hepatitis C within three years, and ...

• Tenofovir alafenamide approved for hepatitis B, works well with less effect on bones

  Hepatitis B
  Liz Highleyman | 15 November 2016

  Tenofovir alafenamide (TAF), a new lower-dose pro-drug, matches the older tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) for antiviral activity against hepatitis B virus (HBV) but causes less bone mineral loss, according to a report this ...

• Grazoprevir/elbasvir + sofosbuvir highly effective for hard-to-treat genotype 3 hepatitis C patients

  Hepatitis C treatment
  Liz Highleyman | 14 November 2016

  A triple regimen of grazoprevir/elbasvir (Zepatier) plus sofosbuvir (Sovaldi) without ribavirin cured 96% of previously untreated and 97% of treatment-experienced people with hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype 3 and liver cirrhosis, matching ...

• Liver cancer risk reduced after hepatitis C treatment, but vigilance needed for aggressive cancers in months after treatment

  Hepatitis C treatment
  Keith Alcorn | 14 November 2016

  People who are cured of hepatitis C after a course of direct-acting antiviral (DAA) treatment do not have a higher risk of developing liver cancer (hepatocellular carcinoma), and probably have a reduced ...

• Real-world responses to HCV treatment among US veterans match best clinical trial results

  Hepatitis C treatment
  Keith Alcorn | 14 November 2016

  Direct-acting antiviral (DAA) treatment is curing people of hepatitis C infection in clinics at similar rates to those seen in clinical trials, and there don’t seem to be major differences between drug regimens, ...