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Although SVR has not yet been correlated with improved survival because of the need for long-term follow-up, the absence of detectable HCV provides a significant benefit in terms of resolution of liver injury, reduction of liver fibrosis, and a lower likelihood of HCV reinfection. The best treatments are less clear for non-responders and relapsers.

The independent, nonadvocate, non-Federal panel issued its statement at the conclusion of a two-and-a-half-day NIH Consensus Development Conference on Management of Hepatitis C: 2002 held on the NIH campus in Bethesda, Maryland. The meeting was convened to provide an update to a 1997 conference on the same topic. This consensus panel broke away from its 1997 predecessors by expanding the scope of patients eligible for treatment to include those who use injected drugs, consume alcohol, suffer from co-morbid conditions such as depression, or who are coinfected with HIV. Similarly, panelists cautioned against the exclusion of children and older adults from treatment and further research.

Among its recommendations for future research, the panel gave top priority to the development of reliable and reproducible HCV cultures, which will advance the understanding of its biology, mechanisms of drug resistance, and aid vaccine development. The panel urged the establishment of a hepatitis research network that would conduct research into the natural history, prevention, and treatment of hepatitis C. Studies to determine the efficacy of alternative medicines are also needed. The panel also recommended the development of strategies to better prevent, diagnose, and treat the disease in injection drug users and the incarcerated population.

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Contact: Kelli Marciel
marcielk@od.nih.gov
301-496-4819
NIH/Office of the Director
12-Jun-2002