Friday, June 16, 2017
News Recap
Brenda’s Story
Brenda and her husband were forced onto a journey they never wanted to take. Hepatitis C complications put her into a long coma and almost took her life. With luck, love, a generous stranger's liver, and a new hep C cure, she is not only alive but has returned to life with incredible strength and energy. She hopes her story will convince all baby boomers to get tested for hep C, for everyone who has he...
Friday, June 9, 2017
News Recap
Somebody Pinch Me
This week saw the release of a report from the Cochrane Collaboration which concluded not only that DAAs were ineffective but that they might also be bad for you and not even cure HCV. The news item was picked up by various media outlets and was hard to miss (No valid evidence $40,000 miracle drug cures hepatitis C – study). Thankfully other researchers from around the world jumped in on this poor ...
Friday, June 2, 2017
News Recap
Boomers Should Be Tested
Most of the HepC-related news last week from various agencies in the USA stressed the fact that Baby Boomers should be tested and that hepatitis C is a hidden and growing danger (GET TESTED: 1 in 30 baby boomers have Hepatitis C, 70 percent are unaware).
In Canada voices of dissent can be heard regarding the federal government’s asinine decision NOT to test Boomers. The decision was based ...
Friday, May 19, 2017
News Recap
Canada
Help4Hep – BC Helpline Now Online: Did you know that there is now a British Columbia toll-free hepatitis C peer-to-peer helpline where you can get accurate information and meaningful help that is free of charge and confidential? Check it out now! Help4Hep – BC Helpline Now Online
URGENT! Patient and Caregiver Input Request: We Need to Hear your Voice! Patient and Caregiver input is requested by CADTH on Abb...
Friday, May 12, 2017
News Recap
HCV on the Rise in Boomers, Women and Children
A new report from the CDC in the USA has found that HCV is concentrated among baby boomers and is increasing rapidly among new generations of Americans. In over just five years, the number of new hepatitis C virus infections reported to the CDC has nearly tripled, reaching a 15-year high. New hepatitis C virus infections are increasing most rapidly among young people, wi...
The Week in Review: April 28, 2017 – May 5, 2017
Friday, May-5-17
News Recap
Way to go Nova Scotia. Expanded access to and coverage for treatment of chronic hepatitis C is now available under the provincial Pharmacare plan, similar to the new arrangements in BC, Alberta, Ontario, Saskatchewan and Quebec; more responses to the New Canadian Testing Guidelines; an important letter from Dr. Jason Grebely on DAAs and HCC, an update on I-MAK and China and g...
Friday, May 5, 2017
News Recap
Canada
Great news from Nova Scotia: Expanded access to and coverage for treatment of chronic hepatitis C is now available under the provincial Pharmacare plan, similar to the new arrangements in BC, Alberta, Ontario, Saskatchewan and Quebec. The drugs covered are: Epclusa, Daklinza, Sunvepra, Zepatier, Harvoni and Sovaldi. You can read the Nova Scotia Pharmacare Formulary Updates here (Nova Scotia Lists EPCLUSA™ on P...
Friday, April 28, 2017
News Recap
Canada
New Canadian Testing Guidelines Released: On April 24, 2017, The Canadian Task Force on Preventative Health Care (CTFPHC) published its HCV Screening Guidelines in the CMAJ. The guidelines make the recommendation to continue screening those with known risk factors, but does not include a recommendation to screen the age cohort born between 1945-1975, which has been recommended by many of Canada’s top liver sp...
Friday, April 21, 2017
News Recap
Canada
Well the last report from the final leg of HepCBC’s Road Trip to BC’s Interior 2017 is in. What a journey!! – and so much work!! This report focusses on events in the Kootenay region of BC, and I’m really impressed at how much Rosemary and Cheryl were able to accomplish! Amazing. Awareness of hepatitis C in BC’s more remote and small communities is growing and this is due to the hard work of the many advocat...
The Week in Review: March 31, 2017 – April 7, 2017
Friday, April-7-17
News Recap
Good news in Alberta, which has just signed a deal similar to those in BC, Ontario, Saskatchewan and Quebec! In the USA, Harvoni and sofosbuvir have been approved for pediatric use!!! It's about time! And both Italy and Brazil have taken steps to increase access to treatment for citizens who cannot afford the current medicines: Italy, by allowing importation of generics, ...
