DDW 2003: Tenofovir and Entecavir Effectively Suppress Hepatitis B Virus

The newer antivirals tenofovir (Viread) and entecavir (Baraclude) inhibit hepatitis B virus (HBV) replication more effectively than older agents, but good adherence is needed to maintain long-term viral suppression, according to a set of studies presented at the Digestive Disease Week meeting (DDW 2013) last month in Orlando.

Read more:

Coverage of the 2013 EASL International Liver Congress

HIVandHepatitis.com coverage of the 48th Annual Meeting of the European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL 2013) in Amsterdam, April 24-28, 2013.

Conference highlights include treatment for hepatitis B and C, new direct-acting HCV drugs, interferon-free hepatitis C therapy, management of liver disease complications, and prevention and treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma.

Full listing by topic

EASL 2013 conference section

4/27/13

Coverage of Digestive Disease Week 2013

HIVandHepatitis.com coverage of the 2013 Digestive Disease Week annual meeting (DDW 2013) in Orlando, Florida, May 18-21, 2013.

Conference highlights include direct-acting hepatitis C drugs, new strategies for using approved HCV protease inhibitors and interferon/ribavirin, and interferon-free regimens.

Full listing by topic

HIVandHepatitis.com DDW 2013 conference section

5/22/13

EASL 2013: Long-term Tenofovir Reduces Liver Cancer Risk in People with Chronic Hepatitis B

Long-term treatment with tenofovir (Viread) lowered the risk of developing hepatocellular carcinoma among people with chronic hepatitis B, with a notable divergence from expected rates after about 5 years, according to a report presented at the at the EASL International Liver Congress (EASL 2013) this week in Amsterdam.

Read more:

EASL 2013: Do Asian Patients Respond Better to Pegylated Interferon for Hepatitis B?

Some Asian people with chronic hepatitis B treated with pegylated interferon may experience better outcomes on certain measures than Caucasians, though overall response rates are similar, according to a comparative analysis presented at the EASL International Liver Congress(EASL 2013) last month in Amsterdam. The study also showed that early hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) decline is a predictor of treatment response in some patients.

Read more:

EASL 2013: International Liver Congress Kicks Off with Hep C New Drug Highlights

The EASL International Liver Congress is now underway at the Amsterdam RAI congress center. At a Wednesday press conference, EASL officials gave a preview of some of the hepatitis C treatment highlights -- both augmentation of interferon-based therapy and interferon-free regimens -- to be presented at the meeting, which runs through Sunday.

Read more:

EASL 2013: Truvada Works Best for Immune-Tolerant Hepatitis B Patients -- But Do They Need Treatment?

A combination of tenofovir and emtricitabine (the drugs in Truvada) suppressed hepatitis B virus (HBV) replication more than tenofovir alone over 4 years for people with inactive or immune-tolerant disease, researchers reported at the EASL International Liver Congress (EASL 2013) this week in Amsterdam. The benefits of treatment at this early stage, however, remain uncertain.

Read more:

Heavy Alcohol Use Increases Liver Cancer Risk in Hepatitis B Patients with Cirrhosis

Heavy drinking can add to the already elevated likelihood that people with liver cirrhosis related to hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection will develop hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), according to a study published in the April 2013 Journal of Hepatology.

Read more: