New Hepatitis C Infections in U.S. Tripled Over Past 5 Years, CDC Says

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released new data last week showing that the number of new hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections reported to the agency nearly tripled between 2010 and 2015. A related study saw a rising rate of hepatitis C among pregnant women -- increasing the likelihood of mother-to-child HCV transmission -- while another showed that many states are not doing all they could to reduce new infections.

EASL 2017: Hepatitis C Treatment Allows 1 in 4 to Come Off Liver Transplant Waiting List

Around a quarter of people with hepatitis C and decompensated cirrhosis came off liver transplant waiting lists in Europe after direct-acting antiviral (DAA) treatment, and very few had any subsequent liver-related problems during 15 months of follow-up, Luca Belli reported on behalf of the ELITA study investigators at the EASL International Liver Congress last month in Amsterdam.

PAS 2017: Sofosbuvir Plus Ribavirin Cures Teens with Genotype 2 or 3 Hepatitis C

A 2-drug regimen of sofosbuvir (Sovaldi) and ribavirin taken for 12 weeks led to sustained virological response in all treated adolescents with hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype 2, while a 24-week course cured all but one teen with harder-to-treat genotype 3, according to a presentation at the 2017 Pediatric Academic Societies Meeting last week in San Francisco.

Coverage of the 2017 EASL International Liver Congress

HIVandHepatitis.com coverage of the 2017 International Liver Congress, annual meeting of the European Society for the Study of the Liver, April 19-23, 2017, in Amsterdam.

EASL 2017: Triple Combination Cures Most Hepatitis C Patients with Prior DAA Failure

Almost all people with genotype 1 hepatitis C who were previously unsuccessfully treated with a course of interferon-free direct-acting antiviral therapy achieved sustained response when retreated with a 3-drug combination being developed by Merck, researchers reported at the EASL International Liver Congress last month in Amsterdam.

Coverage of the 2017 Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections

HIVandHepatitis.com coverage of the 2017 Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections, February 13-16, 2017, in Seattle.

Antiretroviral Therapy and Treatment Strategies

• Several New Candidates in HIV Drug Pipeline Discussed at Conference
• Dolutegravir Monotherapy Fails to Maintain Viral Suppression
• Integrase Inhibitors May Increase Risk of IRIS in Late Presenters for HIV Treatment
• New HIV Capsid Inhibitors Show High Potency and Prolonged Activity in Early Studies
• Treatment-as-Prevention Study Sees Substantial Drug Resistance, but No Impact on HIV Therapy
• Monoclonal Antibodies Show Promise for HIV+ People with Few Treatment Options
• New NNRTI Doravirine Shows Good Efficacy in Phase 3 Study
• Efavirenz/Tenofovir/Emtricitabine Less Likely to Cause Adverse Birth Outcomes
• Dual Antiretroviral Regimen Maintains Durable HIV Suppression after Switch
• Integrase Inhibitor Bictegravir Matches Dolutegravir for First-Line HIV Treatment
• Infants Treated Within Days of Birth Can Clear HIV Reservoir Rapidly

HIV Cure Research

• Timothy Brown, the Berlin Patient, Celebrates a Decade Cured of HIV
• How Does Vedolizumab Antibody Therapy Lead to Sustained Viral Remission?
• Bone Marrow Transplant Patient Off ART for 288 Days Without HIV Rebound
• Spanish HIV Vaccine Induces Control Off ART in Nearly 40% of Recipients
• Infants Treated Within Days of Birth Can Clear HIV Reservoir Rapidly

HIV Prevention

• Bacterial Vaginosis Does Not Affect Efficacy of Oral PrEP in Women
• STI Rates Among PrEP Users Are High, But Evidence that PrEP Increases Them Is Inconclusive
• Unique Case of PrEP Failure Without Drug Resistance Reported in Amsterdam
• STI Prophylaxis in PrEP Users Reduces Syphilis and Chlamydia, but Not Gonorrhea

HIV-Related Conditions and Complications

• Better Depression Care Could Improve Outcomes for HIV Treatment Programs
• Long-Term Darunavir/Ritonavir Modestly Increases Risk of Cardiovascular Disease
• Bone Density Improves in People Who Switch from Tenofovir DF to Tenofovir Alafenamide
• Studies Look at Brain and Cognitive Changes in People with HIV As They Age
• Stopping Smoking Cuts Risk of Some Cancers Quickly in People with HIV
• Treatment or Watchful Waiting for Cervical Abnormalities in Women with HIV?

HIV Epidemiology and Access to Care

• HIV's Milder Cousin May Be Less Mild than Previously Thought
• Accelerated Linkage to HIV Care Improves Retention by a Third
• Treat and Treat Study Shows Second Phase Is Finding More People with HIV
• Finding Men with HIV -- and Keeping Them in Treatment
• 1 in 5 HIV+ Men in U.K. Who Say They Are Heterosexual Caught HIV from Another Man
• Simple Risk Score Can Identify Gay Men Who May Have Acute HIV Infection
• Peer Navigators Improve Linkage to HIV Care and Retention in South African Study
• Point-of-Care Testing Improves Infant HIV Diagnosis Rate, Treatment, and Retention
• Will There Be a New Wave of HIV Among People Who Inject Drugs in the U.S.?
• How Should HIV Self-Testing Be Provided?
• Time with Transmissible HIV Viral Load Has Fallen By Three-Quarters Since 2000
• Science, Community, and Political Will Can End HIV Epidemic, Says New York Commissioner
• New HIV Infections Fall in the U.S. but Disparities Remain
• Changes In Viral Suppression Over Time Reveal Disparities in HIV Care
• A Combination of Factors Has Reduced HIV Infections in Hard-Hit Part of Africa

Hepatitis C and HIV/HCV Coinfection

• Hepatitis C Treatment Can Be Provided Successfully at Syringe Exchange Sites
• Higher than Expected HCV Prevalence Among HIV-Negative Gay Men in Amsterdam PrEP Program
• DAA Therapy Cures HIV/HCV Coinfected People with Decompensated Cirrhosis or Transplants
• Are HIV/HCV Coinfected People Cured with DAAs at Increased Risk for Liver Cancer?
• Glecaprevir/Pibrentasvir for HCV Can Be Safely Administered with Common Antiretrovirals
• New HCV Infections Among HIV+ Gay Men Drop By Half After DAA Roll-Out in Netherlands

Tuberculosis

• Prednisone Reduces Risk of Developing TB-IRIS after Starting Antiretroviral Treatment
• Isoniazid Preventive Therapy for TB Reduces Risk of Death for People Living with HIV
• Triple Tuberculosis Regimen Beats XDR-TB in First Trial

EASL 2017: Generic Hepatitis C Drugs Continue to Produce High Cure Rates

Treatment with generic versions of direct-acting antiviral drugs (DAAs) for hepatitis C continues to produce similar cure rates to those reported in clinical trials of brand-name drugs, James Freeman reported last month at the EASL International Liver Congress in Amsterdam.

Coverage of the 2017 EASL International Liver Conference

HIVandHepatitis.com coverage of the 2017 International Liver Congress, annual meeting of the European Society for the Study of the Liver (EASL), April 19-23, 2017, in Amsterdam

Full coverage listing by topic

International Liver Congress website

4/30/17