TY - JOUR
T1 - Recommendations for the management of hepatitis C virus infection among people who inject drugs
AU - On behalf of the International Network for Hepatitis in Substance Users
AU - Grebely, Jason
AU - Robaeys, Geert
AU - Bruggmann, Philip
AU - Aghemo, Alessio
AU - Backmund, Markus
AU - Bruneau, Julie
AU - Byrne, Jude
AU - Dalgard, Olav
AU - Feld, Jordan J.
AU - Hellard, Margaret
AU - Hickman, Matthew
AU - Kautz, Achim
AU - Litwin, Alain
AU - Lloyd, Andrew R.
AU - Mauss, Stefan
AU - Prins, Maria
AU - Swan, Tracy
AU - Schaefer, Martin
AU - Taylor, Lynn E.
AU - Dore, Gregory J.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2015 Elsevier B.V.
PY - 2015/10/1
Y1 - 2015/10/1
N2 - In high income countries, the majority of new and existing hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections occur among people who inject drugs (PWID). In many low and middle income countries large HCV epidemics have also emerged among PWID populations. The burden of HCV-related liver disease among PWID is increasing, but treatment uptake remains extremely low. There are a number of barriers to care which should be considered and systematically addressed, but should not exclude PWID from HCV treatment. The rapid development of interferon-free direct-acting antiviral (DAA) therapy for HCV infection has brought considerable optimism to the HCV sector, with the realistic hope that therapeutic intervention will soon provide near optimal efficacy with well-tolerated, short duration, all oral regimens. Further, it has been clearly demonstrated that HCV treatment is safe and effective across a broad range of multidisciplinary healthcare settings. Given the burden of HCV-related disease among PWID, strategies to enhance HCV assessment and treatment in this group are urgently needed. These recommendations demonstrate that treatment among PWID is feasible and provide a framework for HCV assessment and care. Further research is needed to evaluate strategies to enhance testing, linkage to care, treatment, adherence, viral cure, and prevent HCV reinfection among PWID, particularly as new interferon-free DAA treatments for HCV infection become available.
AB - In high income countries, the majority of new and existing hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections occur among people who inject drugs (PWID). In many low and middle income countries large HCV epidemics have also emerged among PWID populations. The burden of HCV-related liver disease among PWID is increasing, but treatment uptake remains extremely low. There are a number of barriers to care which should be considered and systematically addressed, but should not exclude PWID from HCV treatment. The rapid development of interferon-free direct-acting antiviral (DAA) therapy for HCV infection has brought considerable optimism to the HCV sector, with the realistic hope that therapeutic intervention will soon provide near optimal efficacy with well-tolerated, short duration, all oral regimens. Further, it has been clearly demonstrated that HCV treatment is safe and effective across a broad range of multidisciplinary healthcare settings. Given the burden of HCV-related disease among PWID, strategies to enhance HCV assessment and treatment in this group are urgently needed. These recommendations demonstrate that treatment among PWID is feasible and provide a framework for HCV assessment and care. Further research is needed to evaluate strategies to enhance testing, linkage to care, treatment, adherence, viral cure, and prevent HCV reinfection among PWID, particularly as new interferon-free DAA treatments for HCV infection become available.
KW - Drug users
KW - Guidelines
KW - HCV
KW - HIV
KW - Injecting
KW - Injection
KW - PWID
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84941805183&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84941805183&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.drugpo.2015.07.005
DO - 10.1016/j.drugpo.2015.07.005
M3 - Short survey
C2 - 26282715
AN - SCOPUS:84941805183
SN - 0955-3959
VL - 26
SP - 1028
EP - 1038
JO - International Journal of Drug Policy
JF - International Journal of Drug Policy
IS - 10
ER -