Coverage of 21st International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2016)

HIVandHepatitis.com coverage of the 21st International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2016), held July 18-22, in Durban, South Africa.

Conference highlights include PrEP and other biomedical HIV prevention, HIV cure research, experimental antiretroviral therapy, and access to treatment and prevention for key affected populations.

Full listing by topic

AIDS 2016 website

7/28/16

EASL 2016: Sofosbuvir/ Velpatasvir Cures 95% of HIV/HCV Coinfected People

A dual regimen of sofosbuvir plus velpatasvir was well-tolerated and highly effective against hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotypes 1 through 4 in HIV-positive people with chronic hepatitis C coinfection, according to results from the Phase 3 ASTRAL-5 trial presented at the 2016 EASL International Liver Congress last week in Barcelona.

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AIDS 2016: Sofosbuvir/ Velpatasvir Shows High Cure Rate in HIV/HCV Coinfection Study

The once-daily coformulation of sofosbuvir and velpatasvir was highly effective against all hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotypes and was safe and well tolerated by HIV/HCV coinfected patients in the ASTRAL-5 trial, according to results presented at the 21st International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2016)this week in Durban. A related analysis showed that sofosbuvir/velpatasvir can be safely combined with most widely used antiretrovirals, with the exception of efavirenz.

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CROI 2016: Hepatitis C [VIDEO]

New interferon-free treatment for hepatitis C virus (HCV) has brought about a revolution in treatment, but challenges still remain -- among them too few people with HCV being diagnosed and the high cost of the new drugs -- before the mission can be declared a success. A panel of hepatitis C experts discuss research presented at the recent 2015 Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections(CROI) in Seattle with HIVandHepatitis.com editor Liz Highleyman in this IFARA video.

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Incidence of Liver Cancer Is Increasing Among People with HIV/HCV Coinfection

Incidence of liver cancer is increasing among people with HIV co-infection, an international team of investigators report in the June 15 online edition of Clinical Infectious Diseases. Researchers from Europe and Canada pooled data gathered between 2001 and 2014 from 6 prospective cohorts and found that incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) increased, but the incidence of serious liver related events -- decompensated liver disease or liver-related death -- declined.

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CROI 2016: Advances in Hepatitis C Research [VIDEO]

Interferon-free therapy can now cure most patients with chronic hepatitis C, but challenges still remain, including persistent liver damage and cancer risk and HCV reinfection after successful treatment. A panel of hepatitis C experts discuss research presented at the recent Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI 2016) and related news with HIVandHepatitis.com editor Liz Highleyman in this IFARA video update.

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EASL 2016: Does Having HIV Affect Response to Hepatitis C Treatment?

A study from the U.S. Veterans Health Administration found that HIV-positive people responded as well as those without HIV to direct-acting antiviral (DAA) therapy for hepatitis C, while a Spanish study showed that HIV/HCV coinfected people were less likely to be cured. These conflicting findings, presented at the European Association for the Study of the Liver's International Liver Congress (EASL 2016) last month in Barcelona, indicate that the interactions between HIV and hepatitis C are still not fully understood.

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More Than 2 Million People Worldwide Are Coinfected with HIV and Hepatitis C

Approximately 2.3 million people are living with both HIV and hepatitis C virus (HCV), about half of whom are people who inject drugs, according to a meta-analysis of nearly 800 studies published in the February 24 advance online edition of The Lancet. The analysis found that the overall likelihood of people with HIV being coinfected with HCV is about 6%, but good data are lacking for many countries.

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