October 10, 2012

Hepatitis C Can Be Successfully Treated in Injection Drugs Users with or without HIV

Published on Wednesday, 10 October 2012 00:00 Written by Liz Highleyman

HIV negative and HIV positive chronic hepatitis patients in Vancouver with a history of injection drug use -- most of whom were on methadone maintenance -- achieved sustained response rates with interferon-based therapy similar to those of non-users, researchers reported at the 52nd Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy (ICAAC 2012) last month in San Francisco.

Sharing syringes and other drug equipment is an efficient way to transmit hepatitis C virus (HCV) and HIV, and a large proportion of people with a history of injection drug use are infected with one or both viruses.

Although injection drug users (IDUs) are estimated to account for at least half of existing and more than 75% of new cases of hepatitis C in North America, only a minority have received treatment. Many clinicians are hesitant to treat current and past IDUs due to concerns about adherence, dealing with side effects, or simple prejudice. Current guidelines, however, state that this population should not be routinely denied treatment and should instead be evaluated on an individual basis.

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