Hepatitis C

The panelists discuss the evidence that is weighed when determining whether or not to include a particular therapy on their regimens.

Achillon's NS5A inhibitor is being evaluated with Gilead's Sovaldi in treatment-naive hepatitis C patients.

Merck this week notified the FDA that it will stop selling its Victrelis medicine in the US by the end of this year, although the drug will remain available in other countries.

Interferon-free combination therapy in hepatitis C patients who undergo liver transplantation can eliminate the virus, according to 2 studies published in Gastroenterology.

Health insurer Anthem Inc has reached a deal under which Gilead Sciences Inc's hepatitis C drug Harvoni will be the primary treatment for patients infected with the most common strain of the liver-destroying virus.

Gilead Sciences' hepatitis C drugs Sovaldi and Harvoni are the poster children for out-of-control drug costs, but competition from AbbVie's drug may place downward pressure on these prices.

A new study in Hepatology highlights the need to raise awareness among healthcare professionals and at-risk populations about appropriate hepatitis C testing, referral, support, and care.

Being promised a 100% reimbursement, Gilead will now make the drug available to HCV patients in France at 60% of the cost in the United States.

According to the report, sofosbuvir for hepatitis C infections and new cancer drugs were the drivers of the high spending costs, a 7% jump over the previous year.

A late afternoon talk on the third day at The Liver Meeting 2014, evaluated the influence of some of the newer antiviral agents on "brain fog," a phenomenon quite commonly observed in hepatitis C virus-infected patients, especially among those with mild disease.

The efficacy of oral antivirals for hepatitis C infection is a moot point. The prevailing discussion now delves into the best combinations that can target different viral genotypes, access to these combination regimens, and the subsequent dent in the budget of the patient, the health plan, or the care provider-as the case may be.

Medicare costs, Department of Veterans Affairs budgetary costs, and the economic impact on the developing world-these were some of the topics discussed at the evening session, Health Economics and Cost-Effectiveness, on the third day at The Liver Meeting 2014, held in Boston, Massachusetts, November 7 to 11, 2014.

Amidst discussions on liver care, transplants, and infections was a session on Value-Based Medicine in Hepatology, on the third day at The Liver Meeting 2014, an annual event by the American Association for the Study of Liver Disease, held in Boston, Massachusetts, from November 7 to 11, 2014. Presenters saw a huge turnout for the session, a sign of increased interest in value-based care.

A pattern is emerging in the hepatitis C virus treatment realm-of the newly approved agents, the sofosbuvir- and simeprevir-based regimens are gaining traction. A poster session on approved therapeutic agents on November 9, 2014, at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Study of Liver Disease, proved this again.

Bashar A. Aqel, MD, Mayo Clinic, Phoenix, Arizona, presented results from phase 2 of the COSMOS (Combination Of SiMeprevir and sOfosbuvir in hepatitis C virus genotype 1 infected patients) trial.

While the cost of hepatitis C treatment continues to be a major topic of debate-with the approval of simeprevir (Olysio), sofosbuvir (Sovaldi), and now the combination, sofosbuvir and ledipasvir (Harvoni)-those in favor of the treatment provide a strong research-based argument. The cost-debate is global, as shown by this cost-effectiveness study conducted in Italy.

While the cost of novel hepatitis C drugs has been rigorously debated, real-world data on the safety and efficacy of these drugs has now started showing up. A white paper released by CVS Health Research Institute in September of this year reported that in addition to the downward trend in utilization of sofosbuvir, which has cure rates of more than 95%, high discontinuation rates are being observed.

The high cost of Gilead Science's hepatitis C drug Sovaldi is causing Medicaid to come up with new ways of handling drug costs, according to Matt Salo, executive director of the National Association of Medicaid Directors.

Gilead Sciences' Harvoni represents the first once-a-day, complete treatment pill approved by the FDA to treat the hepatitis C virus (HCV). And for some patients, the drug will be less expensive than Gilead's other HCV treatment, Sovaldi.

While still being on the receiving end for the high cost of sofosbuvir, Gilead's combination pill for Hepatitis C (sofosbuvir + ledipasvir) was today approved by the FDA.

The approval follows an accelerated assessment by the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP).