Hepatitis C News Update

South Dakota plans major ramp-up of hepatitis C treatment in prison “WASHINGTON — The head of South Dakota prisons is pledging to dramatically overhaul how the system treats hepatitis C in the coming year. South Dakota’s new hepatitis C policy for incarcerated people, which is not yet final or public, will treat all people with hepatitis C for the virus, regardless of the stage of their infection, Corrections Secretary Kellie Wasko told STAT in an interview Monday. The policy will also mandate that all people being booked into prison be tested for the virus, she added. “Everybody will be treated,” Wasko said. “That is the goal.”” Daily Dose: Universal DAA Therapy for all Persons with HCV “On January 6, 2023, we reported on a study published in the JAMA Internal Medicine that investigated and compared the risk of liver-related and nonliver complications as well as overall mortality between direct-acting antiviral (DAA)-treated and untreated patients with chronic hepatitis C (CHC).” Gut Microbiota Differs in HCV Patients, Healthy Individuals “A better understanding on the gut microbiota for patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV) could help explain the evolution of liver disease. A team, led by Biagio Pinchera, Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, University of Naples Federico II, evaluated current knowledge on the gut microbiota in patients with HCV and identified how DAA treatment impacted the progression of liver disease.” Increased Prevalence of STIs Among Patients Undergoing PrEP Testing “Higher rates of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) were observed in individuals undergoing diagnostic panels to begin pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for HIV when compared with the general population, according to the results of a study presented at the International AIDS Conference 2022.” Smartphone-based scleral imaging can identify jaundice in decompensated cirrhosis “Smartphone-based assessment of jaundice in patients with decompensated cirrhosis is feasible and accurate, mirroring levels of bilirubin and its correlations with clinical parameters, according to a study published online Dec. 27 in the Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology.” Hospitalists can help eliminate HCV “Curing hepatitis C virus (HCV) has become remarkably simple, but the drugs can only work their magic when patients with the infection are diagnosed. And that’s where hospitalists come in.” AHF Continues Hammering Gilead CEO over Drug Profiteering “Advocates blast Gilead’s drug pricing and policies, including illegal restrictions the drug company places for certain pharmacies on access to 340B drug pricing for Gilead’s branded hepatitis C treatments.”