Hepatitis B News

• Alert New Child Vaccine Schedule Alters Tdap Timing, Cuts HPV Doses The updated recommendations clarify timing for Tdap vaccination of pregnant teens, warn against LAIV use, and narrow the window for hepatitis B vaccines to within 24 hours of birth.
  Medscape Medical News, February 2017
• Cancer, Hepatitis Tx Set for Boost as China Overhauls Drugs List China is set to add more than 300 new and traditional drugs to its list of medicines the state will help patients pay for, the first change in more than seven years that will boost treatments for cancer, kidney disease, hepatitis and hemophilia.
  Reuters Health Information, January 2017
• Report Cites Liver Failure Risk With New Hepatitis C Drugs Researchers find 524 cases of liver failure in people taking some of the drugs. Experts say the findings are inconclusive, the fatality rate is low, and the report should not influence prescribing.
  Medscape Medical News, January 2017
• GICS Nivolumab Continues to Boost Survival in Liver Cancer Although only a minority of patients responded, immunotherapy in advanced HCC conferred durable and long-term responses.
  Medscape Medical News, January 2017
• Europe Clears Tenofovir Alafenamide (Vemlidy) for Chronic HBV The efficacy of once-daily Vemlidy is similar to that of tenofovir disoproxil (Viread) with fewer bone and renal side effects, the company says.
  Medscape Medical News, January 2017
• Sorafenib Survival Effect in Liver Cancer May Depend on HCV-Status Treatment with sorafenib is associated with improved overall survival in hepatitis C virus (HCV)-positive patients with hepatocellular cancer (HCC), according to a meta-analysis of clinical trials in which sorafenib was the control arm.
  Reuters Health Information, January 2017
• New FDA Watch List Dominated by Cardio, Cancer Drugs Making the list does not mean the FDA has determined there is a causal relationship between the drug and the adverse event in question.
  Medscape Medical News, December 2016
• Diabetes Patients Vary in Uptake of Flu and Other Vaccines Although poor people are most likely to have diabetes, among those with diabetes, they are least likely to have received vaccines for influenza, pneumococcus, hepatitis B, and shingles, new data indicate.
  Medscape Medical News, December 2016
• Alert PRAC: Hep B Reactivation Risk With Direct-Acting Antivirals The EMA committee recommends screening all patients for hepatitis B before starting treatment; says jury is out on risk for liver cancer with direct-acting antivirals.
  News Alerts, December 2016
• Use of Syringe Programs Up, but Needle Sharing Continues More injection drug users are getting sterile needles from syringe programs, but many still share needles, risking HIV and hepatitis, the CDC says.
  Medscape Medical News, November 2016
• US Infectious Disease Mortality Stable From 1980 to 2014 Infectious disease mortality in the United States has been steady from 1980 through 2014; 38% of deaths were from influenza or pneumonia.
  Medscape Medical News, November 2016
• ACG Hep C Treatment Prognosis Continues to Amaze Advances in hepatitis C treatments have more patients with complex disease responding to therapy. But lingering concerns about hepatitis B reactivation and liver cancer keep specialists vigilant.
  Medscape Medical News, November 2016
• AASLD Novel Treatment Could Lead to Functional Control of Hep B Nucleic acid polymers block the release of the hepatitis B surface antigen from hepatocytes, boosting the efficacy of standard antiviral therapy, according to an early clinical trial.
  Medscape Medical News, November 2016
• Dynavax Says FDA Rejects Its Hepatitis B Vaccine The U.S. Food and Drug Administration rejected Dynavax Technologies Corp's marketing application for its hepatitis B vaccine, Heplisav-B, for the second time in three years, sending the company's shares tumbling 71 percent in premarket trade.
  Reuters Health Information, November 2016
• Alert CHMP Backs Tenofovir Alafenamide (Vemlidy) for Chronic Hep B Vemlidy has efficacy similar to that of tenofovir disoproxil (Viread), with fewer bone and renal side effects.
  International Approvals, November 2016
• FDA Clears Tenofovir Alafenamide (Vemlidy) for Chronic HBV Once-daily Vemlidy has similar efficacy to tenofovir disoproxil (Viread) with fewer bone and renal side effects, the company says.
  FDA Approvals, November 2016
• Hep D Virus Infection Tied to Higher Mortality in Patients With HIV/HBV Coinfection Infection with hepatitis delta virus (HDV) in people with HIV/HBV coinfection is independently associated with higher mortality and more liver-related events, according to new findings.
  Reuters Health Information, November 2016
• CDC: 2017 Vaccine Schedule Targets Immune-Compromised Adults The schedule was overhauled for greater usability and consistency; document may simplify adult immunization.
  Medscape Medical News, October 2016
• HIV: Hepatitis Coinfection May Increase Lymphoma Risk European multicohort study showed an increased risk for non-Hodgkins lymphoma among patients with HIV and chronic hepatitis B or hepatitis C coinfection.
  Medscape Medical News, October 2016
• Adult Vaccine Avoidance Cost $7 Billion in 2015 Unvaccinated adults were responsible for most of the total cost-of-illness burden for vaccine-preventable illnesses in the United States in 2015.
  Medscape Medical News, October 2016