Many individuals with the blood disorder thalassaemia also carry the hepatitis C virus (HCV) due to contaminated transfusions before 1990.
Many individuals with the blood disorder thalassaemia also carry the hepatitis C virus (HCV) due to contaminated transfusions before 1990. Due to the co-existence of iron overload (from repeated blood transfusions), these patients are at increased risk of developing liver cancer. A new study indicates that treatment with a combination of sofosbuvir and ledipasvir as a once a day single pill leads to a sustained virological response in 98% of patients with thalassaemia and HCV.
“The findings are significant because, unlike other antiviral drugs, this simple treatment is expected not to be limited by drug-to-drug interactions with other medications usually taken by thalassaemia patients,” said Dr. Alessandra Mangia, lead author of the Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics study.
Additional Information
Link to Study: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/apt.14197/full
About Journal
Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics is an international journal of gastroenterology and hepatology. The journal accepts original papers and systematic reviews concerned with clinical gastroenterology, hepatology and endoscopy. AP&T is particularly interested in therapies and diagnostics, including all aspects of translation from bench to bedside: identification of novel therapeutic targets, epidemiology, clinical trials, drug safety and meta-analyses.
Penny Smith
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