Hepatitis/MASH

Study finds HIV suppression reduces hepatitis C viral replication over time.

New drugs to treat hepatitis C herald a new era of higher cure rates, but with these new treatment options comes an increased need for patient support and adherence counseling.

With the recent approval of new hepatitis C treatments, payers are increasingly concerned with controlling costs in this category through policies that may affect treatment decisions.

The high cost of treating hepatitis C with sofosbuvir (Sovaldi) has received a lot of attention in the literature.

A multicenter study will examine whether a drug used to treat rheumatoid arthritis can improve kidney transplant patients' health.

Screening of newborn children for hepatitis C and new, more effective hepatitis C treatments may virtually eliminate the disease in the United States by 2036.

New therapies can cost patients $84,000 for a standard 12-week course of therapy.

Stephen Vogt, PharmD, Chief Executive Officer and President of BioPlus Specialty Pharmacy, discusses the ongoing debate surrounding the high price of Hepatitis C treatments versus the efficacy of the drug.

A study finds that patients co-infected with hepatitis C and HIV who are receiving antiretroviral therapy are 80% more likely to have serious liver disease than those with hepatitis C alone.

The cost of specialty drugs is driving increases in overall unit cost, according to an annual Catamaran Corporation report.

An analysis of several phase III clinical trials suggests that health-related quality-of-life scores decrease less when patients receive sofosbuvir therapy than interferon therapy.

Hepatitis C treatment guidelines have been updated to include several new drugs.

Therapies for hepatitis C, cancer, and orphan conditions are among the specialty drugs expected to receive approval in 2014.

In a phase II trial, combination treatment with simeprevir and sofosbuvir yields functional cure rates exceeding 90% in patients receiving 12 weeks of therapy-even among difficult-to-treat patients.

By offering quick and convenient tests for diseases such as influenza, HIV, and hepatitis C, community pharmacies could help improve prevention and treatment.

Bristol-Myers Squibb submitted NDAs for daclatasvir and asunaprevir. Although asunaprevir is limited to treatment of genotype-1 HCV, a combination of daclatasvir with sofosbuvir may be useful in a range of HCV genotypes.

Efficacy of standard dose can be suboptimal in patients with hepatitis C, study shows.

Patients with co-infection are 80% more likely to have serious liver disease than patients with hepatitis C alone, study finds.

Of the 3 to 4 million Americans with chronic HCV infection, only 13% to 18% have received treatment. Understanding the current guidelines in HCV treatment and understanding the current role of direct-acting antiviral agents is an important priority for pharmacists.