Hepatitis C Virus Treatment and Injection Drug Users: It Is Time to Separate Fact From Fiction
Authors: Elinore F. McCance-Katz, Ronald O. Valdiserri
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (2015)

Ideas and Opinions4 August 2015Hepatitis C Virus Treatment and Injection Drug Users: It Is Time to Separate Fact From FictionElinore F. McCance-Katz, MD, PhD and Ronald O. Valdiserri, MD, MPHElinore F. McCance-Katz, MD, PhDFrom Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services, Rockville, Maryland, and Office of HIV/AIDS and Infectious Disease Policy, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Washington, DC.Search for more papers by this author and Ronald O. Valdiserri, MD, MPHFrom Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services, Rockville, Maryland, and Office of HIV/AIDS and Infectious Disease Policy, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Washington, DC.Search for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/M15-0007 SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail We are witnessing revolutionary advances in the treatment of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. The development of medications that can be taken orally for shorter periods and with fewer adverse effects than the older regimens of injected pegylated interferon and ribavirin (1) has initiated a profound change in our approach to treating this disease. It is now possible to cure many more infections and thus reduce life-threatening occurrences of cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma, which can lead to the need for liver transplantation or take the lives of those waiting for a donor liver. However, as widely reported in the press, ...References1. American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases. Recommendations for Testing, Managing, and Treating Hepatitis C. 2014. Accessed at www.hcvguidelines.org on 21 November 2014. Google Scholar2. Venteicher W. Most Illinois Medicaid patients denied new hepatitis C drugs. Chicago Tribune. 19 November 2014. Accessed at http://kaiserhealthnews.org/news/most-illinois-medicaid-patients-denied-new-hepatitis-c-drugs on 21 November 2014. Google Scholar3. Malta M, Magnanini MM, Strathdee SA, Bastos FI. Adherence to antiretroviral therapy among HIV-infected drug users: a meta-analysis. AIDS Behav. 2010;14:731-47. [PMID: 19020970] doi:10.1007/s10461-008-9489-7 CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar4. Ellwood M. Restrictions to HCV Treatment in State Medicaid Programs. Cambridge, MA: Center for Health Law and Policy Innovation, Harvard Law School; 2014. Accessed at www.chlpi.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/Malinda-Ellwood-Restrictions-to-HCV-Treatment-in-State-Medicaid-Programs-11.15.14.pdf on 21 November 2014. Google Scholar5. Dimova RB, Zeremski M, Jacobson IM, Hagan H, Des Jarlais DC, Talal AH. Determinants of hepatitis C virus treatment completion and efficacy in drug users assessed by meta-analysis. Clin Infect Dis. 2013;56:806-16. [PMID: 23223596] doi:10.1093/cid/cis1007 CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar6. Litwin AH, Harris KA, Nahvi S, Zamor PJ, Soloway IJ, Tenore PL, et al. Successful treatment of chronic hepatitis C with pegylated interferon in combination with ribavirin in a methadone maintenance treatment program. J Subst Abuse Treat. 2009;37:32-40. [PMID: 19038524] doi:10.1016/j.jsat.2008.09.009 CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar7. Aspinall EJ, Corson S, Doyle JS, Grebely J, Hutchinson SJ, Dore GJ, et al. Treatment of hepatitis C virus infection among people who are actively injecting drugs: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Clin Infect Dis. 2013;57 Suppl 2:S80-9. [PMID: 23884071] doi:10.1093/cid/cit306 CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar8. Grebely J, Knight E, Ngai T, Genoway KA, Raffa JD, Storms M, et al. Reinfection with hepatitis C virus following sustained virological response in injection drug users. J Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2010;25:1281-4. [PMID: 20594256] doi:10.1111/j.1440-1746.2010.06238.x CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar9. Bart G. Maintenance medication for opiate addiction: the foundation of recovery. J Addict Dis. 2012;31:207-25. [PMID: 22873183] doi:10.1080/10550887.2012.694598 CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAuthors: Elinore F. McCance-Katz, MD, PhD; Ronald O. Valdiserri, MD, MPHAffiliations: From Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services, Rockville, Maryland, and Office of HIV/AIDS and Infectious Disease Policy, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Washington, DC.Disclosures: Authors disclosed no conflicts of interest. Forms can be viewed at www.acponline.org/authors/icmje/ConflictOfInterestForms.do?msNum=M15-0007.Corresponding Author: Elinore F. McCance-Katz, MD, PhD, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 1 Choke Cherry Road, Room 8-1057, Rockville, MD 20857; e-mail, emccancekatz@gmail.com.Current Author Addresses: Dr. McCance-Katz: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 1 Choke Cherry Road, Room 8-1057, Rockville, MD 20857.Dr. Valdiserri: Office of HIV/AIDS and Infectious Disease Policy, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 200 Independence Avenue Southwest, Hubert H. Humphrey Building, Room 443-H, Washington, DC 20201.Author Contributions: Conception and design: R.O. Valdiserri.Analysis and interpretation of the data: R.O. Valdiserri.Drafting of the article: E.F. McCance-Katz.Critical revision of the article for important intellectual content: E.F. McCance-Katz, R.O. Valdiserri.Final approval of the article: E.F. McCance-Katz, R.O. Valdiserri.Administrative, technical, or logistic support: E.F. McCance-Katz, R.O. Valdiserri.Collection and assembly of data: R.O. Valdiserri.This article was published online first at www.annals.org on 30 June 2015. PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetailsSee AlsoRestrictions for Medicaid Reimbursement of Sofosbuvir for the Treatment of Hepatitis C Virus Infection in the United States Soumitri Barua , Robert Greenwald , Jason Grebely , Gregory J. Dore , Tracy Swan , and Lynn E. Taylor Limited Access to New Hepatitis C Virus Treatment Under State Medicaid Programs Lauren A. Canary , R. Monina Klevens , and Scott D. Holmberg Hepatitis C Virus Treatment and Persons Who Inject Drugs Elinore F. McCance-Katz and Ronald O. Valdiserri Hepatitis C Virus Treatment and Persons Who Inject Drugs Jason Grebely , Gregory J. Dore , Robert Greenwald , Tracy Swan , Soumitri Barua , and Lynn E. Taylor Metrics Cited byInfectious Disease Issues in Underserved PopulationsEffect of Interferon-Free Regimens on Disparities in Hepatitis C Treatment of US VeteransGlobal elimination of hepatitis C virus infection: Progresses and the remaining challengesInfectious Disease Issues in Underserved PopulationsLinkage to Care for Suburban Heroin Users with Hepatitis C Virus Infection, New Jersey, USAHepatitis C Virus Treatment and Persons Who Inject DrugsJason Grebely, PhD, Gregory J. Dore, MBBS, PhD, Robert Greenwald, JD, Tracy Swan, Soumitri Barua, and Lynn E. Taylor, MD 4 August 2015Volume 163, Issue 3 Page: 224-225 Keywords Addicts Alcohols Drugs Hepatitis C virus Injecting drug users Opioid use disorder Opioids Population statistics Substance abuse Treatment guidelines ePublished: 4 August 2015 Issue Published: 4 August 2015 PDF downloadLoading ...