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Friday, July 14, 2017
News Recap
Local
New measures boost addiction treatment access in Victoria
New efforts to expand treatment for opioid users in Victoria are putting addiction specialists in hospital emergency departments and supporting family doctors who provide opioid substitution therapy for patients. The initiatives by Island Health and the Victoria Divisions of Family Practice are intended to dovetail with the work of the South Island Rapid Access Addiction Clinic that opened in the city early this year. The clinic offers streamlined access.
Comox Valley group shares support, cure info about Hepatitis C
In the Comox Valley a support group provides a safe space for people to get up-to-date information about the disease and treatment options. It is a place where people can go with their questions and concerns and get support from others who have had similar experiences. The group is sponsored by Positive Wellness North Island – North Island Liver Services.
Looking at the Twin Epidemics of HCV
Older and younger patients infected with hepatitis C (HCV) have different characteristics, and treatment needs to be tailored accordingly. The younger cohort needs much more comprehensive care if we are to eliminate hepatitis C; for the older boomer population, we need to diagnose them early in the course of disease, which means enhancing screening, and then treating them to prevent end-stage liver disease and liver cancer.
International
Norwegian hepatitis C patients wait for treatment due to medicine monopoly: report
Norwegian hepatitis C patients are waiting longer than they should for medical treatment due in part to a monopoly on its supply, according to a report. Between 15,000 and 20,000 Norwegians live with the chronic condition, which is treated with a 12-week course of medicine. The cost of a 12-week course of the Epclusa medicine in Norway is 540,000 kroner (57,000 euros), according to the Klassekampen newspaper.
Britain launches public inquiry into historic blood supply scandal
Approximately 2,400 people died beginning in the 1970s, others contracted diseases British Prime Minister Theresa May on Tuesday ordered a public inquiry into how contaminated blood was used to treat thousands in the 1970s and ’80s, killing 2,400 people, according to officials.
Warnings
Raw pork main cause of Hepatitis E infection in EU: official agency
BRUSSELS, July 11(Xinhua) — The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) said on Tuesday that consumption of raw or undercooked pork meat and liver is the most common cause of hepatitis E infection in the European Union (EU). EFSA said in its press release that domestic pigs are the main carriers of hepatitis E in the EU. Though wild boars can also carry the virus, meat from these animals is less commonly consumed.
HBV
Spring Bank Announces Collaboration with Gilead for Hepatitis B (HBV) Phase 2 Study Exploring Combination Treatment of SB 9200 and Vemlidy®
HOPKINTON, Mass., July 10, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Spring Bank Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:SBPH), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing novel therapeutics for the treatment of viral infections, inflammatory diseases, and certain cancers today announced a second clinical trial collaboration with Gilead Sciences, Inc. for a clinical study examining the use of Spring Bank’s oral selective immunomodulator, SB 9200, co-administered with Gilead’s Vemlidy®.