Activities and Impacts

Generated HCV Medicines and Diagnostics Report for UNITAID

This scoping report focuses on issues, challenges and opportunities related to one of the most important HIV co-infections—Hepatitis C virus (HCV)—and represents UNITAID’s first effort to gather market intelligence on products for the diagnosis and treatment of HCV in individuals co-infected with HIV and HCV.

Showed HCV elimination with increased treatment and high SVR

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a leading cause of cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma, and liver transplantation. A better understanding of HCV disease progression and the associated cost can help the medical community manage HCV and develop treatment strategies in light of the emergence of several potent anti-HCV therapies.

Recommended testing and treatment of HCV using oral therapies

Emerging data indicate that all-oral antiviral treatments for chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) will become a reality in the near future. In replacing interferon-based therapies, all-oral regimens are expected to be more tolerable, more effective, shorter in duration and simpler to administer. Coinciding with new treatment options are novel methodologies for disease screening and staging, which create the possibility of more timely care and treatment.

Published the impact of HCV elimination in 15 countries

The number of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections is projected to decline while those with advanced liver disease will increase. A modeling approach was used to forecast two treatment scenarios: (i) the impact of increased treatment efficacy while keeping the number of treated patients constant and (ii) increasing efficacy and treatment rate.

Lowered global HCV prevalence from 185 million to 80 million

The treatment of chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection has the potential to change significantly over the next few years as therapeutic regimens are rapidly evolving. However, the burden of chronic infection has not been quantified at the global level using the most recent data. Updated estimates of HCV prevalence, viremia and genotypes are critical for developing strategies to manage or eliminate HCV infection.

Assessed the impact of HCV elimination in Egypt

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a major public health burden in Egypt [1], [2]. A number of studies have characterised HCV infection rate in Egypt [3], [1], [4], [5] but they have focused on quantifying the prevalence or total number of HCV infections. The future outlook of the disease burden is not known. This, however, is expected to increase as the infected population ages [6], [7].

Published the impact of HCV elimination in 31 countries

The hepatitis C virus (HCV) epidemic was forecasted through 2030 for 15 countries, and the relative impact of two scenarios was considered: (i) increased treatment efficacy while holding the treated population constant and (ii) increased treatment efficacy and increased annual treated population. Increasing levels of diagnosis and treatment, in combination with improved treatment efficacy, were critical for achieving substantial reductions in disease burden.

Assessed expanding MPP’s mandate into HCV

Launched the Polaris Observatory, covering over 100 countries

The Polaris Observatory’s teams of epidemiologists work directly with stakeholders in over 100 countries/territories to assess the current – and future – disease burden of hepatitis, model economic impact, and develop strategies that can achieve country/territory-defined targets to eliminate it.

Showed the impact of national elimination with Taiwan MoH

Updated global HCV prevalence to 71 million

The 69th World Health Assembly approved the Global Health Sector Strategy to eliminate hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection by 2030, which can become a reality with the recent launch of direct acting antiviral therapies. Reliable disease burden estimates are required for national strategies. This analysis estimates the global prevalence of viraemic HCV at the end of 2015, an update of-and expansion on-the 2014 analysis, which reported 80 million (95% CI 64-103) viraemic infections in 2013.

Launched the Global Procurement Fund (GPRO)

GPRO only works with manufacturers that have freedom to operate – either with a license from the originator-companies or those with a license from the Medicines Patent Pool.

Published a study on the impact of HCV elimination in the EU

n the European Union (EU), treatment and cure of HCV with direct-acting antiviral therapies began in 2014. WHO targets are to achieve a 65% reduction in liver-related deaths, a 90% reduction of new viral hepatitis infections, and 90% of patients with viral hepatitis infections being diagnosed by 2030.

Hepatitis B and C cause most cases of hepatitis in the United States and the world. The two diseases account for about a million deaths a year and 78 percent of world’s hepatocellular carcinoma and more than half of all fatal cirrhosis.

Assessed the impact of HBV birth-dose vaccination for VIMC/Gavi

The Gavi Board has made a series of decisions that will help shape the Alliance’s approach for the period 2021-2025 during a two-day meeting in Geneva’s Global Health Campus. The Board will adopt the 2021-2025 strategic goals at its next meeting in June 2019.

Updated global HBV prevalence to 292 million

The 69th World Health Assembly approved the Global Health Sector Strategy to eliminate viral hepatitis by 2030. Although no virological cure exists for hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, existing therapies to control viral replication and prophylaxis to minimise mother-to-child transmission make elimination of HBV feasible.

Initiated the promotion of testing and treatment for all HBV infections

Over 250 million people worldwide are infected with the hepatitis B virus (HBV), with more than 75% of all infections remaining undiagnosed and 95% untreated. The current treatment guidelines for HBV fail to account for the limited access to HBV viral load testing and the fact that a single test can cost over 40% of a family’s total income. This includes low-income communities in high-income countries.

The “test and treat all” approach relies on low-cost HBsAg rapid testing, which is accessible and can be used in remote rural regions. This approach can determine HBV infection in less than 15 minutes and cost less than $1.

Launched UHEP catalytic financing of hepatitis elimination

CDA Foundation has developed a scalable, sustainable catalytic funding mechanism that allows countries/territories to start their hepatitis elimination programs without a large upfront investment.

Launched the Relink Program

CDAF received an eight-million-dollar grant from Gilead Sciences to fund efforts to relink US-based diagnosed but untreated Hepatitis B and C patients to care.

Polaris Observatory Published Lower Estimates of HDV infections Than Previous Publications and Calls for Double Reflex Testing of All HBV Patients

• In 18 countries the adjusted anti-HDV prevalence was lower than the published estimates.
• In all but two countries (Canada and France), the HDV-RNA prevalence was lower than the literature anti-HDV prevalence.
• China had the highest absolute number of HDV-RNA+ individuals

Launched the Kazakhstan HBV/HCV Test and Treat Pilot Program

CDA Foundation, through a grant by Gilead Foundation, funds screening of 100K adults of HCV and HBV in urban and rural areas and demonstrates the simplicity and cost effectiveness of national screening.

Completed an investment Case for HCV Elimination in Pakistan and Reviewed the Recommendations with the Minister of Planning

In Pakistan, substantial changes to hepatitis C virus (HCV) programming and treatment have occurred since the 2008 nationwide serosurvey estimated a 4.8% anti-HCV prevalence.

In Collaboration with WHO, Provided Modeling and Training for China CDC to Enable the Country to Develop Provincial Level Strategies and Targets for HCV and HBV Elimination

To implement the requirements of the “Healthy China 2030” Outline, further strengthen the prevention and control of viral hepatitis in my country, and safeguard the lives and health of the people, the National Center for Disease Control and Prevention and nine other departments have jointly formulated the “China Action Plan for the Prevention and Control of Viral Hepatitis (2025-2030)”.

Launched the ALLIES Grant Provides Grants to Support Initiatives That Empower Patients, Foster Education, and Drive Meaningful Change Through Advocacy-Led Programs

Funded by Gilead Sciences, this grant provides much needed funding for patient groups to expand their patient education program.

In collaboration with WHO and the Ministry of Health, completed an investment case for HBV/HCV elimination in Nigeria