Viral hepatitis in practice

Viral hepatitis in practice - 2009

Summer 2009, Volume 1 Number 2

Spring 2009, Volume 1 Number 1

A summery of the EASL guidance on chronic hepatitis B management
Geoffrey Dusheiko
pp 1-4
The objective of the 2009 European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL) Clinical Practice Guidelines (CPGs) was to issue a timely statement of the optimal treatment of hepatitis B virus (HBV). These guidelines take advantage of the advent of new therapies for hepatitis B, including new potent nucleoside/nucleotide analogues, which, to date, have not been associated with high levels of genotypic and phenotypic resistance.

Comment: A look at hepatitis strategies
Geoffrey Dusheiko
pp 3-3
This first edition of Viral hepatitis in practice contains several concise reviews of therapy of hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV): an introductory article on HBV antiviral therapies, a review of HIV and HBV co-infection, a summary of agents in development for the treatment of HCV, and an outline of the recent European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL) guidelines on the management of HBV.

HIV and hepatitis B co-infection: a review
Alastair Miller
pp 5-6
The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that in 2007 there were around 33 million people worldwide living with HIV infection, and 350 million living with hepatitis B virus (HBV). Routes of infection are similar (sexual transmission, blood/ body fluid contact and vertical infection), but HBV is 50–100 times more infectious. Co-infection is, therefore, to be expected.

An introduction to hepatitis B agents
Sarah Knighton
pp 7-9
Seven drugs are currently licensed in the UK for the treatment of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. These can be categorised as either immunomodulatory agents – interferon alfa (IFN-a, IntronA, Schering-Plough, UK and Roferon, Roche, UK) and pegylated interferon alfa (PEG IFN-a 2a, Pegasys, Roche, UK) – or nucleoside/nucleotide analogues, such as lamivudine (Zeffix, GSK, UK), adefovir (Hepsera, Gilead, UK), entecavir (Baraclude, Bristol-Myers Squibb, UK), tenofovir (Viread, Gilead, UK) and telbivudine (Sebivo, Novartis, UK). Rather than looking at treatment strategies and efficacy of these therapeutic agents, this article will provide an introduction to their pharmacology.

The future of hepatitis C treatment
Kathryn Nash
pp 10-11
Around 200,000 people in the UK and 170 million worldwide are chronically infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV) and at risk of complications of chronic liver disease. The main goal of therapy is the prevention of cirrhosis, liver failure and hepatocellular carcinoma by eradication of the virus.

Viral hepatitis in practice was previously supported by Gilead Sciences from 2015 to 2016, by Gilead Sciences and Janssen in 2014, by Gilead Sciences and Roche Products in 2013 and by Gilead Sciences from 2009 to 2012.

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ISSN 2041-1162 (Print) ISSN 2045-7863 (Online)