Novel And Combination Therapies For Hepatitis C Virus An Issue Of Clinics In Liver Disease

Dr. Pockros has created a clinically focused issue based on the CONO 2012 meeting, whereby he was able to have those presenters write articles for his issue. Therefore, the content for HCV in this issue reflects the most current knowledge. The issue is focused on basic/current information, current therapy and special populations, triple and quad combination therapies in development, and an article on second generation protease inhibitors. The reader can expect that this issue will provide thorough clinical reviews on the most current therapeutic options for HCV.

Dr. Pockros has created a clinically focused issue based on the CONO 2012 meeting, whereby he was able to have those presenters write articles for his issue. Therefore, the content for HCV in this issue reflects the most current knowledge. The issue is focused on basic/current information, current therapy and special populations, triple and quad combination therapies in development, and an article on second generation protease inhibitors. The reader can expect that this issue will provide thorough clinical reviews on the most current therapeutic options for HCV.

The Guest Editor presents state-of-the-art articles devoted to therapies for treatment of HCV. The novel therapies addressed in this issue include interferons, viral kinetics and anti-viral resistence, anti-fibrotics, immunotherapeutics, hepatoprotectants and caspace inhibitors, and cyclosporine analogues, to name a few.

Hepatitis C infection can be an acute or chronic illness and is the most common cause of liver disease in the US. It often goes undiagnosed until significant organ damage has occurred. This issue of the ID Clinics discusses the staging of liver disease, treatments for those newly diagnosed, and those who are dealing with chronic illness, along with managing drug therapy and virus resistance.

Clinical information about Hepatitis C is quickly outdated, so Dr. Poordad has assembled expert authors to provide state-of-the-art clinjcal reviews for hepatologists. This issue is uniquely organized to present articles based on therapeutic regimens for certain types of patients: Regimens for the Treatment-Naïve Patient; Regimens for Treatment of the Interferon-Failure Patient; Regimens for DAA Failure Patients; Regimens for the Cirrhotic Patient; Regimens for the Peri-Transplant Patient; Regimens for the HIV-Co-Infected Patient; and Next-generation Regimens: The Future of HCV Therapy. This presentation will be very clinically relevant for the practicing hepatologist.

Hepatitis B and C cause most cases of hepatitis in the United States and the world. The two diseases account for about a million deaths a year and 78 percent of world's hepatocellular carcinoma and more than half of all fatal cirrhosis. In 2013 viral hepatitis, of which hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) are the most common types, surpassed HIV and AIDS to become the seventh leading cause of death worldwide. The world now has the tools to prevent hepatitis B and cure hepatitis C. Perfect vaccination could eradicate HBV, but it would take two generations at least. In the meantime, there is no cure for the millions of people already infected. Conversely, there is no vaccine for HCV, but new direct-acting antivirals can cure 95 percent of chronic infections, though these drugs are unlikely to reach all chronically-infected people anytime soon. This report, the first of two, examines the feasibility of hepatitis B and C elimination in the United States and identifies critical success factors. The phase two report will outline a strategy for meeting the elimination goals discussed in this report.

Hepatitis C infection can be an acute or chronic illness and is the most common cause of liver disease in the US. It often goes undiagnosed until significant organ damage has occurred. This issue of the ID Clinics discusses the staging of liver disease, treatments for those newly diagnosed, and those who are dealing with chronic illness, along with managing drug therapy and virus resistance.