http://www.medscape.org/viewarticle/759762

New hepatitis C treatment approved Published on Sunday 18 March 2012 15:53 Some of the 14,000 or so people in East Anglia with hepatitis C could benefit from a new treatment targeting those with the genotype 1 strain of the disease. The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (Nice) has recommended the use of the Incivo (telaprevir) treatment for those who have genotype 1 chronic hepatitis C, if they suffer from liver disease and have not yet been treated or if they have been treated unsuccessfully. It is estimated that 45% hepatitis C patients in the UK are infected by the genotype 1 strain. The health body's report into the drug, which has been developed by Janssen, said the treatment "represents a cost-effective use of NHS resources" and is "clinically more effective" than current standard treatments in clearing the virus. Two other medications would be combined with Incivo (telaprevir) during treatment. Janssen says the new drug offers 58% of previously untreated patients and 66% of patients who have relapsed the potential to halve their treatment duration to six months. There are 201,051 hepatitis C sufferers in England, and 14,701 in East Anglia. Graham Foster, professor of hepatology at Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry, said: "We have approved new treatments which significantly increase these patients chances of clearing the virus and offers some patients a shorter treatment duration. "We must now ensure that patients are in a position to access the new antiviral treatments which offer them a very good chance of clearing the virus." NICE will now issue final guidance to the NHS in May, and it is expected telaprevir will be included in this. The NHS then have three months to ensure the medication is available for patients. Copyright (c) Press Association Ltd. 2012, All Rights Reserved.

Share inShare 3.17.12 | Deanna Pogorelc Watchful waiting v. new meds for hepatitis C (Best of MedCitizens) Every week, MedCity news highlights the best of its MedCitizens: syndication partners and MedCity News readers who discuss life science current events on MedCityNews.com. Now here’s the best of what YOU had to say: New Hep C meds may override watchful waiting for patients with no symptoms. “What should we advise patients with HCV who feel perfectly well? Of course, patients should make the call after they have been informed of the risks and benefits of treatment. In my experience, after this discussion, none of these patients wants to proceed. Hopefully, I am meeting my obligation to present the issues to them fairly. I am certainly aware of my bias, and do my best to compartmentalize it.” ADVERTISEMENT Cleveland biomedical companies growing, hiring talent. “Strengths in the Imaging, Orthopedic, Neurodevice, and Cardiovascular clusters are most prominent in the region’s industry. Deriving from these clusters are newer sectors in Biomaterials, Health IT, Biosensors and Regenerative Medicine.” CMS’s Physician Compare website gets even the basics wrong. “You see, according to the government’s database, I’m not a cardiac electrophysiologist. That’s right. I do not practice cardiac electrophysiology and never have. Instead, I am just a general cardiologist. Never mind that I have searchable credentials and billings to prove it. And if that’s not enough, according to the same database, I have offices in 254 locations (I’m not kidding). Something as simple as my vocation and office locations are already completely screwed up.” Drug testing welfare recipients is no substitute for treatment, education. “Forcing welfare recipients to pass a drug test before receiving benefits is a hot button issue that’s up for debate in many state legislatures. The USA Today’s letter section does a good job of presenting different sides of the issue.” Walgreens and SureScripts plan to deliver public health data electronically to providers. “Yesterday, Surescripts announced a national approach to sharing clinical summaries and public health data via its Clinical Interoperability Network.”