The incidence of hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection has been steadily increasing across the countries of the European Union and European Economic Area (EU/EEA) with 21 081 cases reported in the EU/EEA over the last decade. According to data published by ECDC, the number of confirmed ...

Rapid risk assessment: Hepatitis A outbreak in the EU/EEA mostly affecting men who have sex with men, 3rd update, 28 June 2017 Since June 2016, 1 500 confirmed hepatitis A (HAV) cases and 2 660 probable or suspected cases have been reported in the EU, predominantly ...

At its June meeting, the European Medicines Agency’s Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) recommended for approval a generic version of Atripla – Efavirenz/Emtricitabine/Tenofovir disoproxil Mylan (efavirenz/emtricitabine/tenofovir disoproxil) for the treatment of HIV infection. Summary of opinion for Efavirenz/Emtricitabine/Tenofovir disoproxil Mylan is available here. [gview ...

Outcomes from a large 10 year hepatitis C treatment programme in people who inject drugs: No effect of recent or former injecting drug use on treatment adherence or therapeutic response. People who inject drugs (PWID) are historically viewed as having “difficult to treat” hepatitis C disease, ...

Hepatitis and other drug-related infectious diseases will be the focus of ‘Hepatitis week’, taking place at the EU drugs agency (EMCDDA) in Lisbon from 12–16 June 2017. The initiative will bring together some 100 specialists from: EU Member States, candidate and potential candidate countries to ...

On 8 June 2017, Alliance for Public Health (Alliance) hosted a meeting with representatives of the WHO assessment mission on viral hepatitis, attended by representatives of Alliance, the Ministry of Health of Ukraine, the Public Health Center of the Ministry of Health, and the US ...

Hepatitis B and C virus infections are associated with a considerable burden of disease in Europe. ECDC undertook a survey to assess needs and priorities prior to developing guidance on testing and screening for hepatitis B and C in the EU/EEA, and to update the existing ...

In May 2016, the World Health Assembly endorsed the Global Health Sector Strategy (GHSS) on viral hepatitis 2016–2021. The GHSS calls for the elimination of viral hepatitis as a public health threat by 2030 (reducing new infections by 90% and mortality by 65%). This WHO Global ...

As chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) drug development approaches the end-game following the launch of the first pan-genotypic regimen Epclusa (; Gilead), recent and upcoming advances in chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) treatment emerged as an important focus of the International Liver Conference (ILC) 2017, ...

The Canadian Task Force on Preventive Health Care recommends against screening for chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) in adults at low risk in a guideline published in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal). “Given the lack of direct evidence that mass screening is beneficial and that patients ...

A big data study of hepatitis C and more than 500 patients with the virus has opened the way for a better understanding of how the virus interacts with its human hosts. Researchers at the University of Oxford have for the first time developed a method ...

Women, especially those 50 years or older, with overt acute hepatitis B were significantly more likely to develop decompensation, according to the results of a recent study. “This is an unexpected finding. The results suggest that HBV preventive measures are even more important for females,” Ming-Ling ...

On 31 March 2017, WHO for the first time prequalified a generic active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) for hepatitis C – sofosbuvir. Sofosbuvir is an essential ingredient for new, highly effective medicines to treat hepatitis C called direct active antivirals (DAAs). The prequalified product’s manufacturer is ...

High drug pricing for interferon-free direct acting antiviral regimens (up to US$93 000 per 12 week course) has limited broad implementation in the vast majority of settings, with restrictions based on liver disease stage generally introduced to reduce budget impact. Other restrictions, including those based on ...

Patent opposition aims to increase affordable access to hepatitis C drug sofosbuvir for millions Rome/Geneva, 27 March 2017 – The international medical humanitarian organisation Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has today filed a patent challenge on the hepatitis C drug sofosbuvir with the European Patent Office (EPO) ...

Patients receiving long-term tenofovir therapy for hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection have an increased risk for abnormalities in bone metabolism, such as low serum phosphate, according to a study published in the Annals of Hepatology.1 Tenofovir, a first-line antiviral agent for HBV, is generally well-tolerated, although ...

The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices voted today (February 22) in favor of a single-dose alternative to 3-dose revaccination for infants born to hepatitis B surface antigen-positive mothers who failed to respond to the initial hepatitis B vaccination series. In a 13-1 vote, with one recusal, ...

Overview Testing and diagnosis of hepatitis B (HBV) and C (HCV) infection is the gateway for access to both prevention and treatment services, and is a crucial component of an effective response to the hepatitis epidemic. Early identification of persons with chronic HBV or HCV infection ...