| HCV News
Week Ending 11/23/14
Early access no cure-all for HepC
'It is not often we hear the word 'cure' mentioned in the development of a new class of drug, but the direct-acting antiviral (DAAs) agents for people with the hepatitis C virus (HCV) have that exact potential. Indeed, this revolution in treatment could mean the 'eradication' for the condition. The only barrier to achieving this will be the ability to access and afford these new therapies. The 'US$1,000 pill' tagline has, as you might expect, caused quite a stir among healthcare funders and media alike, with some experts describing the costs of the drugs "as breathtaking as their effectiveness".
It's Easier to Measure the Cost of Health Care than Its Value
'How can there be no licensed treatment or vaccine for Ebola, a disease with a very high death rate that has caused a global public health emergency? The answer is painful but clear: The profit potential from Ebola treatments was too small to interest large manufacturers...This brings us to hepatitis C, a chronic infectious disease affecting perhaps 3.2 million Americans.'
Study Shows Opioid Agonist Therapy May Prevent Spread of Hepatitis C Among Young Injection Drug Users
'Researchers have found that maintenance treatment with methadone or buprenorphine may help prevent hepatitis C infection among injection drug users, a population with the highest risk of infection of the virus. Opioid agonists such as buprenorphine are medications prescribed to treat opioid addiction.'
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