Sofosbuvir: a safe and effective option for chronic hepatitis C
Introduction
Hepatitis C is a global burden that gives rise to serious liver complications. Thus, it is very crucial to eradicate this disease. Since there is no vaccine, drugs combinations become important elements in treating hepatitis C globally. Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is previously dealt with using combinations of drugs such as pegylated interferon (PEG-IFN) and ribavirin (RVB). These drugs are dependent on several factors such as HCV genotype, treatment duration, past treatment, side effects and the patient condition. In 2013, a promising antiviral drug, sofosbuvir, brings hope to the eradication of all genotypes of HCV. This bibliography would evaluate the effectiveness and safety of sofosbuvir in treating chronic hepatitis C either in combination with other drugs or alone. In addition to that, this bibliography and the following literature review will highlight the impact of sofosbuvir in the global eradication of hepatitis C. Add citation
Keywords: sofosbuvir, safety, effectiveness, chronic hepatitis C, antiviral
1. All-oral therapy with nucleotide inhibitors sofosbuvir and GS-0938 for 14 days in treatment-naive genotype 1 hepatitis C (NUCLEAR)
This article aimed to evaluate sofosbuvir and GS-0938 antiviral activity and safety either in combined usage of the drugs or alone. Five groups of HCV genotype 1 patients underwent randomized, double-blind placebo-controlled study from July 2010 to February 2011. The first two cohorts were subjected to treatment as such 14 days of GS-0938 and seven days of GS-0938 continued by seven days of combined GS-0938 and sofosbuvir treatment. The third and fourth group received seven days of sofosbuvir followed by combined sofo...
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...fosbuvir cost strongly influence the cost-effectiveness of therapeutic strategy. Monte carlo simulation in probabilistic sensitivity analysis discovered that sofosbuvir-RVB-PEGIFN combined therapy was more cost-effective compare to boceprevir and telaprevir triple therapy. In conclusion, sofosbuvir triple therapy can be cost-effective despite the incremental cost-effective ratio is lower for sofosbuvir in several groups. Treatment in shorter duration and patients’ tolerance towards the drugs can increase sofosbuvir efficacy. However, this study was conducted based on assumption thus may not be accurate.
This article can be used as a model to determine the cost of triple therapy of sofosbuvir treatment. Hence, this article may provide an assumption of impact of sofosbuvir in different social class of patients contributing to the efficacy of HCV elimination worldwide.
It is more lucrative for drug companies to develop drugs for chronic illnesses as opposed to antibiotics because the chronic illness drugs will be far much cheaper to develop and will be sold for longer periods than antibiotic drugs which will need heavy investments to develop and be sold more sparingly over time.
Deficient community health is related to lack of access to public health providers and limited resources (Ackley & Ladwig, 2014). According to the Center for Disease Control ‘the absence of health insurance coverage and distrust of Western medicine may contribute to low testing rates for Hepatitis B amount the Pacific Islanders. These same factors influence testing rates for other disparities too. Studies have shown health insurance coverage has increased compliance to medical treatment plans by making services, devices and medications more affordable (NHPI Affairs,
Quan, V. M., Go, V. F., Nam, L. V., Bergenstrom, A., Thuoc, N. P., Zenilman, J., ...Celentano, D.D. (2009). Risks for HIV, HBV, and HCV infections among male injection drug users in northern Vietnam: a case-control study. AIDS Care, 21(1), 7-16.
... (2013) IMS health study points to a declining cost curve for U.S. medicines in 2012 Retrieved from http://www.imshealth.com/portal/site/ims/menuitem.d248e29c86589c9c30e81c033208c22a/?vgnextoid=8659cf4add48e310VgnVCM10000076192ca2RCRD&vgnextchannel=437879d7f269e210VgnVCM10000071812ca2RCRD&vgnextfmt=default
Yu, Winnie and Joel Hay. 1999. “Drug Patents and Prices: Can we Achieve Better Outcomes?” Measuring the Prices of Medical Treatments. Pages 27-28.
A review of the records reveals the member to be an adult female with a birth date of 02/13/1959. The member has a diagnosis of Chronic Hepatitis C, genotype 1 B compensated Liver Disease. The member’s treating provider, Brett Neustater, MD recommended the member be treated with Harvoni 90/400 mg tablets one po qd X 12 weeks.
Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) is a virus that attacks the liver. The virus is transmitted through blood and bodily fluids. This can occur through direct blood-to-blood contact, unprotected sex, use of contaminated needles, and from an effected mother to her newborn during the delivery process. The majority of people do not have noticeable symptoms when they are first infected with the HBV. People who do not know they are infected with the HBV, their body can respond in different ways. I learned that some of the common symptoms of Hepatitis B infection include fever, fatigue, muscle or joint pain, loss of appetite, mild nausea, vomiting, and dark-colored urine. Some of the serious symptoms that require immediate medical attention and maybe even hospitalization are: severe nausea and vomiting, yellow eyes and skin (jaundice), bloated or swollen stomach.
Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is a severe and common virus that has infected ‘more than two billion people alive today at some point in their life.’1 It is a hepadanavirus that interferes with the liver functions as it replicates in the hepatocytes (liver cells) and induces a immune response that is responsible for the inflammation of liver.2 Viruses are not motile, which means that HBV is also sessile and does not form spores. The spherical virion, is called a Dane Particle3 that is 42nm in diameter binds to the surface of hepatocyte.1 The virion itself contains an inner protein core, 27nm thick filled with circular partially double stranded DNA, DNA polymerase and reverse transcriptase.1 It is an enveloped virus, so it also holds an outer lipoprotein envelope4 that is 7nm thick and is comprised of many embedded surface proteins such as surface antigen for viral binding and entry.1 HBV has an average incubation period of three months, which means that it does not start showing symptoms for the first three months that the person is infected and that person can unknowingly infect others.2 ...
HAV is known to be an infectious disease that usually occurs in children and young adults .The disease is usually transmitted from person to person through contaminated food, liquids or oral fecal route. An example would be when someone is carrying the virus and doesn’t wash their hands after using the restroom and then puts food in their mouth. HAV is most common in developing countries because of the living conditions and inadequate water, poor sewage facilities and sanitary conditions. The highest HAV levels in the world are from India,” Earlier reports suggest that India is hyperendemic for HAV infection2,4-6 with very high infection rates,” (Sowmyanarayanan). Most HAV are without severe complications, “Virus HAV infection rarely causes fulminant hepatic failure in people…,” (Vento,p.1) . The symptoms for HAV are high fever, nausea, vomiting and jaundice...
Hepatitis B is a DNA viral infection that causes damage and inflammation to the liver. It was first discovered in 1965 by Dr. Baruch Blumberg. The HBV virus is very contagious and is even thought to be the most serious form of viral hepatitis and the most common viral infection on Earth. “HBV is 100 times more infectious than HIV.” (Green, 2002, pg. 7) The virus can survive for about one week outside the body on a dry surface. According to Green (2002, pg. 7), “One in twenty Americans has been infected with the virus at some point in their lives.” Between the ages of 15-39 is when 75% of new HBV infections occur, according to Green (2002, pg.8).
Hepatitis A is a usually short acting virus that occurs in humans and monkeys. It is caused by the Hepatovirus and the species is Hepatitis A Virus. There are two major ways in which Hepatitis A can be transmitted. One way is from person to person. This transmission occurs when the fecal matter of an infected person gets ingested by another person. Other ways Hepatitis A can be transmitted from person to person are through direct contact with an infected person, such as sexual contact, and sharing of needles for intravenous drug use. Hepatitis A can also be transmitted through coming in contact with contaminated food or water. Also foods that are uncooked or undercooked and have been contaminated with Hepatitis A can transmit the virus. (Bennett,
What is hepatic cirrhosis? According to the medical dictionary hepatic cirrhosis is when scar tissue replaces the liver’s healthy tissue. This disease changes the structure of the liver and blood vessels that nurture it. It reduces the liver’s capability to produce proteins and process hormones, nutrients, medications, and poisons. Cirrhosis is an illness that gets worse over time and possibly can become life threatening. This serious illness is ranked as the ninth leading cause of death in the U.S. It is the third most common cause of death for adults between 45 and 65 years of age. It occurs in more than fifty percent of undernourished chronic alcoholics. Unfortunately it kills about 35,000 people per year. In other country’s such as Africa and Asia death from cirrhosis is usually caused by hepatitis B.
There is a disease spreading out in the world called Hepatitis C. It affects the liver and may cause the liver to fail. This disease is caused by a virus called Hepatitis C virus which is also known as HCV. About 32,000 people are affected with this disease per year only in the United States area. Some It’s a disease with many symptoms and many causes. of these symptoms are easy bruising, upset stomach and fever. These are just some of the many symptoms that come from the virus. Hepatitis Cs nature of the causative agent is determined by many things. The biological data of this disease is filled so much information. It is estimated that over 180 million people have gotten Hepatitis C and it is growing.
HBV infection is complex and affects a large population worldwide. The discovery of the Australia antigen (HBsAg) in 1965 by Blumberg et al. (1965) set the stage for rapid progress in understanding and counteracting the disease (qtd in Zuckerman et al. 210). Liver function tests help in estimating the extent of damage caused to the liver during HBV infection. Diagnosis is done by detecting viral specific antigens in the serum. Both active and passive immunization options exist for disease prophylaxis. However, it is always best to practice caution over the parenteral, sexual and other routes of transmission of the disease for effective disease prevention and prophylaxis.
National health systems are assessed by the extent to which expenditure and actions in public health and medical care contributes to the crucial social goals of improving health, increasing access to quality healthcare, reducing health disparities, protecting citizens from penury due to medical e...