Hepatitis C: prescribing challenges in the era of new direct-acting antivirals

2019 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 80-85
Author(s):  
Lindsay Chalmers
Keyword(s):  
Hepatitis C ◽  
Treatment Options ◽  
New Drugs ◽  
World Health ◽  
Side Effect Profile ◽  
Direct Acting Antivirals ◽  
Public Health Burden ◽  
The World ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
Direct Acting

Hepatitis C is a chronic but curable disease. The World Health Organization has recognised the huge public health burden that untreated and undiagnosed hepatitis C can cause worldwide and has set a target to eliminate the disease by 2030. The treatment landscape is rapidly evolving, and newer therapies are more effective and have an improved side effect profile. Treatment has become widely available and prescribers have a myriad of new drugs to become familiar with. This article will focus on the more novel therapies, guidelines and treatment options and the challenges facing the prescriber in the age of direct-acting antivirals.

scholarly journals A hepatitis C-vírus (HCV) három évtizede a felfedezéstől a globális elimináció lehetőségéig: a transzlációs kutatás sikere

2018 ◽  
Vol 159 (12) ◽  
pp. 455-465 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alajos Pár ◽  
Gabriella Pár
Keyword(s):  
Hepatitis C Virus ◽  
Hepatitis C ◽  
Health Sector ◽  
World Health ◽  
Direct Acting Antivirals ◽  
Treatment Plans ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
Direct Acting ◽  
Evidence Based Guidelines

Abstract: More than 25 years after the discovery of hepatitis C virus, the development of the direct acting antivirals can lead to the regional or long-term global elimination of the virus with over 90% efficacy. This is the success of basic and clinical translational research. Yet, some unsolved challanges remain, such as the great number of unidentified patients who are not aware of their condition, the limited access to the therapy due to the high prices of the drugs, and the treatment of resistance-associated variants. In addition, the lack of vaccine is also an obstacle. In 2016, the World Health Organization (WHO) developed the first global health sector strategy for the elimination of viral hepatitis by 2030. Its evidence-based guidelines are primarily targeted at the national hepatitis programme managers who are responsible for the national testing and treatment plans. According to these recommendations, it is of basic importance to perform focused risk-based testing in higher-risk populations and after diagnosis to start treatment as “cure as prevention”, furthermore, to limit the risk of reinfection. We review the events of the HCV story from the discovery to these days, including virology, epidemiology, pathogenesis, diagnosis and therapy. Orv Hetil. 2018; 159(12): 455–465.

Treatment Options in COVID-19: The Role of Bioavailable Antiviral Ribonucleoside Analog on NHC in vitro

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lara Bittmann
Keyword(s):  
World Health Organization ◽  
Clinical Picture ◽  
Treatment Options ◽  
World Health ◽  
Wuhan City ◽  
The World ◽  
Novel Coronavirus ◽  
Health Organization

On December 31, 2019, WHO was informed of cases of pneumonia of unknown cause in Wuhan City, China. A novel coronavirus was identified as the cause by Chinese authorities on January 7, 2020 and was provisionally named "2019-nCoV". This new Coronavirus causes a clinical picture which has received now the name COVID-19. The virus has spread subsequently worldwide and was explained on the 11th of March, 2020 by the World Health Organization to the pandemic.

scholarly journals Management and Treatment of Hepatitis C: Are There Still Unsolved Problems and Unique Populations?

Viruses ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (6) ◽  
pp. 1048
Author(s):  
Virginia Solitano ◽  
Maria Corina Plaz Torres ◽  
Nicola Pugliese ◽  
Alessio Aghemo
Keyword(s):  
Hepatitis C ◽  
Previous Treatment ◽  
World Health ◽  
Current Evidence ◽  
Decompensated Cirrhosis ◽  
Drug Side Effects ◽  
Efficacy And Safety ◽  
Current Scenario ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
Direct Acting

Direct-acting antivirals (DAA) have revolutionized the treatment of patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, possibly leading to HCV elimination by 2030 as endorsed by the World Health Organization (WHO). However, some patients belonging to the so-called unique or special populations are referred to as difficult-to-treat due to unreached sustained virological response, potential drug side effects or interactions or co-morbidities. Several years after the DAA introduction and on the basis of excellent findings in terms of efficacy and safety, some doubts arise around the exact meaning of the special population designation and whether this group of patients actually exists. The aim of this review is to discuss and analyze current evidence on the management and treatment of the so-called “unique populations”. We placed particular emphasis on patients with decompensated cirrhosis, chronic kidney disease (CKD), coinfections, rare genotypes, and previous treatment failure, in order to provide physicians with an updated overview of the actual problems and needs in the current scenario.

scholarly journals HCV Detection, Discrimination, and Genotyping Technologies

Sensors ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 18 (10) ◽  
pp. 3423 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shrikant Warkad ◽  
Satish Nimse ◽  
Keum-Soo Song ◽  
Taisun Kim
Keyword(s):  
Hepatitis C ◽  
Hcv Infection ◽  
World Health ◽  
Clinical Samples ◽  
Infected People ◽  
Advantages And Disadvantages ◽  
Highly Sensitive ◽  
The World ◽  
Health Organization

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 71 million people were living with Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection worldwide in 2015. Each year, about 399,000 HCV-infected people succumb to cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma, and liver failure. Therefore, screening of HCV infection with simple, rapid, but highly sensitive and specific methods can help to curb the global burden on HCV healthcare. Apart from the determination of viral load/viral clearance, the identification of specific HCV genotype is also critical for successful treatment of hepatitis C. This critical review focuses on the technologies used for the detection, discrimination, and genotyping of HCV in clinical samples. This article also focuses on advantages and disadvantages of the reported methods used for HCV detection, quantification, and genotyping.

scholarly journals A review of post infectious pulmonary fibrosis in the era of COVID-19 and potential treatment options

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (40) ◽  
pp. 37-46
Author(s):  
Medha Ghose ◽  
Maehali Patel
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Pulmonary Fibrosis ◽  
Treatment Options ◽  
World Health ◽  
Potential Treatment ◽  
Pulmonary Injury ◽  
The World ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
Post Infectious

On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) released a statement characterizing COVID-19 as a pandemic that has, as of October 2020, caused almost 36 million confirmed global cases and over 1 million deaths. One of the long-term complications suggested by researchers is fibrosis. It has been hypothesized that the combination of ongoing pulmonary injury caused by COVID-19 and the inability to promptly repair damage results in interstitial matrix widening and eventual compression and destruction of alveoli and capillaries. Here we focus on pathogenesis, risk factors, different infectious causes of fibrosis along with COVID-19, and potential treatment options that might reduce its effects. Key words: COVID-19, pulmonary fibrosis, mechanism, treatment

Bioactive Natural Medicinal Plants in South Indian Western Ghats and Their Pharmacological Importance

2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 62-69
Author(s):  
M. Tamizharasi ◽  
R. Rajila ◽  
D. Beula Shiny ◽  
J. Vijila Jasmin ◽  
T. Kumaran
Keyword(s):  
Medicinal Plants ◽  
Western Ghats ◽  
New Drugs ◽  
World Health ◽  
Plant Resources ◽  
Medical Products ◽  
Primary Health ◽  
South Indian ◽  
The World ◽  
Health Organization

Awareness of traditional knowledge and medicinal plants can play a key role in the utilization and discovery of natural plant resources. Plants became the basis of medicine system throughout the world for thousands of years and continue to provide mankind with new remedies. Researchers generally agree that natural products from plants and other organisms have been the most consistently successful source for ideas for new drugs. The world health organization estimates that 80% of the population living in the developing countries relies exclusively on traditional medicine for their primary health care. More than half of the world's population still relies entirely on plants for medicines, and plants supply the active ingredients of most traditional medical products. The review shows the south Indian medicinal plant products has been used by people to treat various health ailments.

scholarly journals TB Elimination Requires Discovery and Development of Transformational Agents

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (7) ◽  
pp. 2605 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christian Lienhardt ◽  
Mario C. Raviglione
Keyword(s):  
Rapid Detection ◽  
Susceptibility Testing ◽  
Drug Susceptibility ◽  
Drug Susceptibility Testing ◽  
New Drugs ◽  
World Health ◽  
Drug Resistant ◽  
The World ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
Combination Regimens

The World Health Organization (WHO) End Tuberculosis (TB) Strategy has set ambitious targets to reduce 2015 TB incidence and deaths by 80% and 90%, respectively, by the year 2030. Given the current rate of TB incidence decline (about 2% per year annually), reaching these targets will require new transformational tools and innovative ways to deliver them. In addition to improved tests for early and rapid detection of TB and universal drug-susceptibility testing, as well as novel vaccines for improved prevention, better, safer, shorter and more efficacious treatments for all forms of TB are needed. Only a handful of new drugs are currently in phase II or III clinical trials, and a few combination regimens are being tested, mainly for drug-resistant TB. In this article, capitalising on an increasingly rich medicine pipeline and taking advantage of new methodological designs with great potential, the main areas where progress is needed for a transformational improvement of treatment of all forms of TB are described.

scholarly journals World Health Organization Essential Medicines List: Multiple sclerosis disease-modifying therapies application

2020 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
pp. 153-158
Author(s):  
Jennifer McDonell ◽  
Kathleen Costello ◽  
Joanna Laurson-Doube ◽  
Nick Rijke ◽  
Gavin Giovannoni ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Multiple Sclerosis ◽  
Essential Medicines ◽  
World Health ◽  
Public Health Burden ◽  
Health Burden ◽  
Disease Modifying Therapies ◽  
The World ◽  
Disease Modifying ◽  
Health Organization

Introduction: The World Health Organization (WHO) publishes a biennial Essential Medicines List (EML) to assist governments in low-resource settings to prioritize their spending on medicines. Currently, no medicines on the EML have a multiple sclerosis (MS) indication. Multiple Sclerosis International Federation (MSIF) prepared an application for inclusion of MS disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) for the 2019 EML together with the regional Committees for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (TRIMS) and the World Federation of Neurology. Rationale: The MSIF taskforce categorized 15 DMTs according to their efficacy and risk profiles to ensure the ability to treat as many different clinical scenarios as possible. Three DMTs were selected: glatiramer acetate, fingolimod, and ocrelizumab. Outcome: The WHO Expert Committee did not recommend the addition of any of the DMTs to the EML. They acknowledged the public health burden of MS, the need for effective and affordable MS medications, and the high volume of letters received in support of the application but requested a revised application. Discussion: Despite the negative outcome, the repeated recognition of MS as a global public health burden is sending a powerful message to governments globally that a range of affordable and good quality medications need to be available to health systems and people affected by MS.

scholarly journals French hepatitis C care cascade: substantial impact of direct-acting antivirals, but the road to elimination is still long

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Cécile Brouard ◽  
Josiane Pillonel ◽  
Marjorie Boussac ◽  
Victor de Lédinghen ◽  
Antoine Rachas ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hepatitis C ◽  
Antiviral Treatment ◽  
Hcv Infection ◽  
World Health ◽  
Direct Acting Antivirals ◽  
Substantial Impact ◽  
Chronic Hcv Infection ◽  
Chronic Hcv ◽  
Direct Acting ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Background Hepatitis C virus (HCV) elimination by 2030, as targeted by the World Health Organization (WHO), requires that 90% of people with chronic infection be diagnosed and 80% treated. We estimated the cascade of care (CoC) for chronic HCV infection in mainland France in 2011 and 2016, before and after the introduction of direct-acting antivirals (DAAs). Methods The numbers of people (1) with chronic HCV infection, (2) aware of their infection, (3) receiving care for HCV and (4) on antiviral treatment, were estimated for 2011 and 2016. Estimates for 1) and 2) were based on modelling studies for 2011 and on a virological sub-study nested in a national cross-sectional survey among the general population for 2016. Estimates for 3) and 4) were made using the National Health Data System. Results Between 2011 and 2016, the number of people with chronic HCV infection decreased by 31%, from 192,700 (95% Credibility interval: 150,900-246,100) to 133,500 (95% Confidence interval: 56,900-312,600). The proportion of people aware of their infection rose from 57.7 to 80.6%. The number of people receiving care for HCV increased by 22.5% (representing 25.7% of those infected in 2016), while the number of people on treatment increased by 24.6% (representing 12.1% of those infected in 2016). Conclusions This study suggests that DAAs substantially impact CoC. However, access to care and treatment for infected people remained insufficient in 2016. Updating CoC estimates will help to assess the impact of new measures implemented since 2016 as part of the goal to eliminate HCV.

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