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Chronic hepatitis C better treatable in the future
For a long time, hepatitis C has been considered a disease that is difficult to treat, but new drugs also cure difficult cases of hepatitis C, according to the Hannover Medical School (MHH). According to Professor dr. Michael Manns, director of the Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Endocrinology at MHH, has developed the therapeutic options at breathtaking speed. Many new drugs for the treatment of hepatitis C were presented in 2014. Now "hepatitis is the first chronic viral infection that is curable." This is an incredibly rare success story that will change the medicine, Mann said.
Prior to the development of new drugs, the usual therapy for chronic hepatitis C was the combined use of interferon and ribavirin with a protease or a polymerase inhibitor, MHH reports. The therapy lasted up to one year and was based on regular injections of the mentioned remedies. Frequently, however, were shown in the treatment of severe side effects such as anemia, so that the drugs had to be discontinued if necessary. Thanks to the new hepatitis C drugs now a very effective, short and low-side-effect therapy of the virus infection is possible.
Hepatitis C is well treatable with the help of new drugs. (Image: bluebay2014 / fotolia.com) 74-year-old describes the difficulties in living with hepatitis C
The advantages of the new hepatitis medication for those affected, explains the news agency "dpa" based on the example of 74-year-old Eva-Christa Aurich. In 2002, the hepatitis C virus was detected in a woman from the vicinity of Berlin during a blood test. The infection probably occurred in the 1980s over contaminated blood. Since the diagnosis "I lived with the fear of liver cancer. I was sure that would not work well ", Aurich is quoted by the" dpa ". There would also have been more problems in their social environment. These had been a veritable gundball race. For example, relatives did not want to eat with her and a dentist refused treatment, although hepatitis C is mainly transmitted through blood and infection with other body fluids is very unlikely.
New treatment option proven in trials
After years of increasing difficulties, two years ago the patient was offered the opportunity to take part in a study at the Virchow Clinic in Berlin, where she was treated for 24 weeks with Harvoni, a medicine that had not yet been approved. "All means were right to get rid of the disease," the "dpa" quotes the patient. The treatment of the 74-year-olds was successful and soon no more hepatitis viruses could be detected. Aurich emphasizes that she could "not describe the happiness of healing" and was "filled with tears of joy". Her story should, according to the retiree, encourage others. As part of the World Hepatitis Day on July 28, the World Health Organization (WHO) is also addressing the new treatment options for hepatitis C and promoting increased attention to viral infections. According to experts, up to one million people across the country are infected with hepatitis viruses, although only one in five is aware of the infection.
Many sufferers live decades with undiscovered hepatitis C
Many infected people do not initially notice the disease, because it can go on for a long time without any noticeable symptoms. The supposedly typical jaundice develop, for example, only a third of those infected with hepatitis, in another third show only flu-like symptoms and another third suffer no complaints, according to the announcement of the "dpa". The 74-year-old Eva-Christa Aurich is also to be assumed that she had probably lived for more than a decade with the infectious liver inflammation. In the later course of the disease threatens the development of potentially fatal diseases such as cirrhosis and liver cancer in chronic viral hepatitis. Possible indications of the infection should therefore be taken seriously. "Every patient with elevated liver values should be tested," says liver specialist Michael Manns from the news agency "dpa".
Over 90 percent of patients can be cured
Although it was only possible to cure approximately half of the hepatitis C patients with the help of the standard therapy before the new drugs were developed, the drugs were not suitable for all those affected due to their strong side effects. But within a year, seven new drugs against hepatitis C were approved by January 2015, which allowed, according to the MHH in 90 percent and more of the patients, a release from the virus. In addition, the new medicines are associated with significantly fewer side effects, the therapy has been significantly shortened and consist exclusively of tablets. According to Professor Manns, the MHH was involved in the development of all seven new drugs. The researchers have managed to break down the life cycle of the virus in the liver cell. This allowed them to identify the key points at which the life cycle of the small molecule virus could be disrupted. Three sites are suitable for this: "The protease, the polymerase and the NS5A protein."
Reduction of liver transplants possible
Thanks to the new treatment options, according to Professor Manns, numerous transplants can be avoided in the future. Today, "every fourth to fifth liver transplantation in the Western world is due to liver disease caused by hepatitis C virus infection." Thanks to the new therapies, a significant reduction in liver transplants will become possible over the next ten to twenty years. The therapy based on the new medicines takes according to the expert eight to 24 weeks and the cost is 44,000 to 60,000 euros. Currently, the payers are still in negotiations with the manufacturers on cost reductions and rebate contracts. Initially, the health insurance companies had expressed massive criticism of the manufacturers because of the high cost of the new funds. (Fp)