AASLD 2012: Telaprevir Twice-daily Works as Well as Every 8 Hours, Safe for Hep C Patients with Cirrhosis

The HCV protease inhibitor telaprevir (Incivek) taken twice-daily with pegylated interferon plus ribavirin is as likely to produce sustained virological suppression as the approved 3-times-daily schedule, with similar safety and tolerability even for people with advanced liver fibrosis, according to study findings presented last week at the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases Liver Meeting (AASLD 2012) in Boston.

AASLD 2012: Sofosbuvir + GS-5885 + Ribavirin Shows High Early Response Rates for Genotype 1 HCV

The hepatitis C virus polymerase inhibitor sofosbuvir produces high rates of sustained virological response for genotype 1 patients when combined with ribavirin and the HCV NS5A inhibitor GS-5885, according to data from the ELECTRON trial presented at the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases Liver Meeting (AASLD 2012) this week in Boston.

AASLD 2012: Simeprevir Safe and Effective for Hepatitis C Patients With Cirrhosis

The HCV protease inhibitor simeprevir (formerly TMC435) is generally safe and well-tolerated in people with advanced liver fibrosis or cirrhosis, and improves sustained response rates when added to pegylated interferon and ribavirin, researchers reported at the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases Liver Meeting (AASLD 2012) last week in Boston. Related presentations showed that simeprevir is not implicated in drug-drug interactions with immunosuppressive agents or oral contraceptives.

AASLD 2012: Sofosbuvir + Daclatasvir Dual Regimen Cures Most Patients with HCV Genotypes 1, 2, or 3

A 12-week once-daily regimen of 2 direct-acting hepatitis C drugs -- sofosbuvir (formerly GS-7977) and daclatasvir (formerly BMS-790052) -- produced sustained virological response rates for treatment-naive patients in the 90% to 100% range, and appeared effective regardless of HCV subtype, IL28B pattern, or use of ribavirin, according to a late-breaker presentation at the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases Liver Meeting (AASLD 2012) this week in Boston. The developers are not planning further studies of this combination, however, leaving its fate uncertain.

Coverage of 11th International Congress on Drug Therapy in HIV Infection

HIVandHepatitis.com coverage of the 11th International Congress on Drug Therapy in HIV Infection (HIV11), November 11-15, 2012, Glasgow, Scotland.

Conference highlights include experimental antiretroviral drugs, ART strategies, manging side effects, HIV-related non-AIDS conditions, treatment as prevention and PrEP, HIV/HCV coinfection, and the search for a cure for HIV.

Full listing by topic

HIVandHepatitis.com HIV11 conference section

AASLD 2012: Daclatasvir + Asunaprevir + BMS-791325 Cures Hard-to-treat Hepatitis C Patients

Twelve weeks of treatment with a 3-drug combination of new hepatitis C direct-acting antivirals that included neither pegylated interferon nor ribavirin led to sustained virological response 12 weeks after completion of treatment (SVR12) in up to 94% of previously untreated patients with hepatitis C genotype 1 in a preliminary Phase 2 trial with 16 patients, Gregory Everson from the University of Colorado reported at the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases Liver Meeting (AASLD 2012) this week in Boston.

AASLD 2012: Interferon-free Faldaprevir + BI 207127 Safe and Effective for Hepatitis C Patients with Cirrhosis

The first major data on interferon-free hepatitis C treatment in people with cirrhosis shows that treatment using BI 201335 -- now known as faldaprevir -- and BI 207127 with ribavirin can be safe, and proved effective in up to 69% of patients, according to results from the SOUND-C2 study presented this week at the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases Liver Meeting (AASLD 2012) in Boston.

AASLD 2012: Reducing Ribavirin, Adding EPO Both Manage Anemia in Hep C Patients on Boceprevir

Chronic hepatitis C patients being treated with boceprevir (Victrelis) plus pegylated interferon and ribavirin can effectively manage drug-induced anemia, either by ribavirin dose reduction or addition of erythropoietin (EPO), without compromising treatment effectiveness, according to a presentation at theAmerican Association for the Study of Liver Diseases Liver Meeting (AASLD 2012) this week in Boston.