Urgent steps needed to accelerate diagnosis of hepatitis-C

Rawalpindi : Having one of the highest prevalence rate of hepatitis-C in the world, Pakistan needs to work religiously both for treatment of patients and for screening of people if we want to eliminate the disease by 2030 as has been pledged by the World Health Assembly of which Pakistan is a signatory.

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Hepatitis C Treatments, 2 new products

Here are two new medicines that have just been approved by Health Canada on August 17th and offer more therapeutic options for treating physicians, depending on the specific case of each patient. (more…)

Hep C, a new one in Quebec: ZEPATIER

Capahc is pleased to annonce good new for people living with hepatitis C.
The province of Quebec is now reimbursing ZEPATIER® (elbasvir/grazoprévir) for hepatitis C patients. (more…)

Hepatitis C: Rapid antibody test

On January 17, 2017, Health Canada approved the use and sale of a point-of-care antibody test for screening people for exposure to hepatitis C virus (HCV). The test is called the OraQuick HCV rapid antibody test and is manufactured by Orasure Technologies in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. It will be distributed in Canada by KNS Canada. (more…)

Governments on Track to Eliminate Viral Hepatitis by 2030

194 Member States commit to eliminating viral hepatitis at World Health Assembly

LONDON, May 30, 2016 /CNW/ – On 28 May, 194 Member States made a historic commitment to eliminate viral hepatitis by 2030. At the 69th World Health Assembly, governments unanimously voted to adopt the first ever Global Viral Hepatitis Strategy, signalling the greatest global commitment in viral hepatitis to date. (more…)

Impact of direct anti-viral agents on inactivation/de-listing of liver transplant candidates listed for decompensated C cirrhosis: a European study

liver_clip_image003Background and Aims: Preliminary reports indicate that in Liver Transplant candidates listed for Hepatitis C virus (HCV) decompensated cirrhosis, Direct-Acting Antivirals (DAA) therapy may result in liver function improvement. Whether this clinical improvement translates into the delisting of some patients is presently unknown. Therefore, the major object of this study was to assess if and which patients can be first inactivated due to clinically improvement and subsequently delisted in a real life setting. (more…)

TECHNIVIE Approved for Genotype 4 Chronic Hepatitis C Infection

  • TECHNIVIE provides an opportunity to treat adults who have genotype 4 (GT4) chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection without cirrhosis, a population historically considered difficult–to-treat
  • TECHNIVIE is the first and only all-oral, interferon-free, direct-acting antiviral treatment approved in Canada for adult patients with GT4 chronic HCV infection
  • Approval is supported by a Phase II clinical trial of 135 chronic HCV GT4 patients, which demonstrated 100 percent sustained virologic response rates at 12 weeks post-treatment (SVR12) in patients who took TECHNIVIE with ribavirin (RBV)

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Tenofovir Helps Prevent Herpes Simplex Virus Type 2 Infection

herpesOriginally published in the New England Journey of Medecine

Salim S. Abdool Karim, M.B., Ch.B., Ph.D., Quarraisha Abdool Karim, Ph.D., Ayesha B.M. Kharsany, Ph.D., Cheryl Baxter, Ph.D., Anneke C. Grobler, Ph.D., Lise Werner, M.Sc., Angela Kashuba, Pharm.D., Leila E. Mansoor, Ph.D., Natasha Samsunder, B.Tech., Adrian Mindel, M.D., and Tanuja N. Gengiah, Ph.D. for the CAPRISA 004 Trial Group (more…)

Treatment with Ledipasvir and Sofosbuvir Improves Patient-Reported Outcomes

interferonTreatment with interferon (IFN) and ribavirin (RBV) significantly impairs quality of life and other patient-reported outcomes (PROs). Patient experience with IFN- and RBV-free anti-HCV (hepatitis C virus) regimens has not been reported. We assessed PROs in patients treated with ledipasvir and sofosbuvir (LDV/SOF) with and without RBV. (more…)

AbbVie Receives Health Canada Approval of HOLKIRA TM PAK for the Treatment of Chronic Genotype 1 Hepatitis C

holkiraNew all-oral, short-course (12 weeks), interferon-free treatment available in Canada for genotype 1 hepatitis C patients
– In Phase 3 clinical trials, HOLKIRA PAK (with or without ribavirin) cured an overall 97 percent of GT1 HCV patients; additionally, 98 percent of patients completed treatment
– HOLKIRA PAK was evaluated in more than 2,300 patients in over 25 countries, demonstrating consistently high cure rates across a large and diverse patient population

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PENDOPHARM ANNOUNCES PRIORITY REVIEW OF NEW THERAPY TO SUPPORT TREATMENT OF PATIENTS WITH HEPATITIS C

IBAVYR pillsMontreal (Quebec), March 31, 2014 – New hepatitis C (HCV) treatment regimens have advanced rapidly in recent years, including the recent Health Canada approval of interferon-free therapy.  To support patients to access these newest options, Pendopharm, a division of Pharmascience Inc., today announced that it has received a Priority Review designation from Health Canada for the first stand-alone ribavirin tablet for the Canadian market. (more…)

Action Hepatitis Canada NewsWire

ahc-logoTORONTO July 23 2014 /CNW/ – As we mark World Hepatitis Day (July 28th) people living with hepatitis C virus (HCV) have reason to feel hopeful. New cures for HCV are now available and more effective treatment options will hit the market in the future. Despite the increased hope there is concern. New cures are very expensive raising questions about patient access to treatment. (more…)