Washington, D.C. (October 26, 2015) — Liver and Infectious disease experts at the American Association for the Study of Liver Disease (AASLD) and the Infectious Disease Society of America (IDSA) recently revised guidelines for the treatment of Hepatitis C to remove tables used to determine how to prioritize patients for treatment. This step recognizes the growing scientific and cost-effectiveness evidence that new treatments for chronic Hepatitis C, a potentially life-threatening inflammation of the liver caused by the hepatitis C virus, benefit patients at all stages of the disease.

An estimated 3.2 million people in the United States and 150 million people globally are living with chronic Hepatitis C, the top cause of liver cancer. Newly developed direct-acting antiviral medications have proved to offer cure rates to patients in 96-99% of cases.

“We thank co-chairs of the AASLD and the IDSA and the other members of the joint committee for their commitment to evolve the guidelines quickly in light of the urgent patient need and agree with Dr. Henry Masur that the goal is to treat all patients as promptly as feasible to improve health and reduce HCV transmission,” stated Cure Campaign leader and liver patient Donna R. Cryer, JD, “Our hope is that public and private payers take note and respond just as quickly.”

The Cure Campaign will continue to encourage the development and dissemination of evidence on the impact and value to individual patients and society of cures for Hepatitis C to accelerate access to all those affected. For more information please see www.curecampaign.org

AASLD IDSA Press Release: http://hcvguidelines.org/sites/default/files/when-and-in-whom-to-treat-press-release-october-2015.pdf

Updated Guidelines: http://hcvguidelines.org/full-report-view

Cure Campaign

The Cure Campaign is a multi-stakeholder collaborative effort led by patients and physicians dedicated to increasing access to a cure for people living with hepatitis C. We believe that hepatitis C is a public health crisis and must be addressed as such. We work to ensure that all Americans living with hepatitis C can connect to appropriate care without delay, restriction or burden, and that medical providers are free to treat their patients with effective new therapies.

The Cure Campaign is an initiative of the Global Liver Institute (GLI), a patient and provider-led nonprofit organization headquartered in Washington, DC which serves as the collaboration and innovation platform for the liver community worldwide.