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Friday, December 2, 2016
News Recap
Top of the news is that both Canada (Information Update – Direct-acting antivirals, used for hepatitis C, may reactivate hepatitis B) and Europe (EU health regulator warns some hep C drugs could reactivate hep B) are warning of the possibility of HBV reactivation from HCV DAA therapy. The first warnings came out in April 2016 at EASL and then the US FDA issued warnings in October 2016. In a press release, Health Canada said that it is working with manufacturers to strengthen the prescribing information for these drugs with a new warning about this risk.
While access to the new drugs is increasing in New Zealand, the same cannot be said for Canada. In New Zealand DAA treatment will be available for free in the Waikato and wider Midland area next year (NZ: New drugs for treating hepatitis C will be available to people living in the Waikato and wider Midland area for free), but until then more and more patients who can’t afford treatment have been turning to Dr. James Freeman’s FixHepC Buyers Club and getting cured (NZers turn to generic Hepatitis C meds). But in Canada treatment is still restricted (DAA treatment restricted for Canadian hepatitis C patients), and despite all of our advocacy efforts, there is no turnaround in sight for this deplorable policy. NOTE: It is possible for Canadians who do not qualify for PharmaCare coverage to get treated via Dr. Freeman’s club. It is not free: a cure can be had for around $2000 CDN. In BC we have found 2 specialists who are willing to participate in the monitoring of patients for the Australian eRedemption trial. If you live in BC and want to go this route, please contact us at info@hepcbc.bchep.org
Meanwhile, more bad news for those who have both HCV and chronic kidney disease. A new study highlights the effect of untreated hepatitis C virus infection on chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients showing that HCV leads to a more precipitous decrease in kidney function, a decline more likely to become end-stage renal disease (ERD) (Hepatitis C Damage Doesn’t Stop at the Liver, Renal Failure Risk Seen).