April 13, 2016 | Nora Samaranayake
Research finds community-based non-specialist providers are effective in the absence of Hepatitis C experts and a growing patient population
Baltimore, MD, April 13, 2016: The Institute of Human Virology (IHV) at the University of Maryland School of Medicine released data today at The International Liver CongressTM 2016 in Barcelona, Spain demonstrating that treatment for hepatitis C virus (HCV) can be provided safely and effectively within a community-based and non-specialist setting. The study, sponsored by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), alleviates growing pressure on overburdened HCV specialists by showing that alternative, trained providers are effective.;
“With such a large patient cohort, ensuring that patients can access safe, effective and appropriate treatment is essential,” said Sarah Kattakuzhy, MD, Associate Professor of Medicine, Institute of Human Virology, University of Maryland School of Medicine and lead author of the study. “Currently, the limited availability of experienced specialists restricts rapid expansion of Hepatitis C treatment, compromising the goal of global eradication. As such, care models which bypass this therapeutic bottleneck must be explored.”
The multi-center, open label, Phase 4 clinical trial assessed chronic HCV-infected patients at community health centers in the United States. Patients received non-randomized treatment from a specialist provider, primary care physician or nurse practitioner. According to study protocols, providers underwent uniform three hour training on the Infectious Disease Society of America (IDSA) – American Association for the Study of Liver Disease (AASLD) guidelines for HCV.
To ensure continuity, patients received the same standardized treatments with direct-acting antivirals (ledipasvir and sofosbuvir), with outcomes assessed via unquantifiable HCV RNA viral load 12 weeks after the completion of treatment (SVR12) and by a composite score of attendance.* Patients participating in the study were inclusive of challenging subpopulations; predominantly they were black (96%) and genotype 1a (72%), 24% were co-infected with HIV and HCV, 18% were treatment experienced and 20% had cirrhosis, or scarring of the liver.
"Availability of new drugs makes treatment for hepatitis C very effective and simple,” said Shyamasundaran Kottilil, MBBS, PhD, Professor of Medicine, Co-Director, Clinical Research Unit, Associate Director for Clinical Research, Institute of Human Virology, University of Maryland School of Medicine. “However, we need to train new providers other than hematologist and infectious disease physicians to expand care of hepatitis C. This study is the first step toward development of a training paradigm that is tested and proven. We hope this model of care can be adapted to other communities and countries with high prevalence of hepatitis C."
The study found that of the 304 patients, 285 achieved SVR12 (93.8% per protocol; 88.2%
intention-to-treat including patients who discontinued medication early), with no significant difference identified between providers for achieving this outcome. SVR12 was achieved by 92.1% of patients receiving care from specialists, 96.7% of patients receiving care from primary care physicians and 94.9% of patients receiving care from nurse practitioners.
“The data presented here is extremely welcome and shows great potential to escalate treatment options and protocols for Hepatitis C. We have the therapies, we now need to make sure we can effectively roll them out to patients,” said Professor Tom Hemming Karlsen, EASL Vice-Secretary. “We know we have too few experienced specialists treating HCV and this is severely hampering our ability to eradicate this disease once and for all. This research has the potential to be a genuine game changer in the way we look at HCV treatment across the board, and could provide the opportunity to increase access to care and treatment to many regions of the world.”
*Statistical analysis included chi-squared or Fisher’s exact test and logistic regression using SAS, version 9.3.
References
1 World Health Organization. Hepatitis C Fact Sheet N°164. Available from: http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs164/en/. Last accessed: March 2016.
2 World Health Organization. Global Alert and Response – Hepatitis C. Available from: http://www.who.int/csr/disease/hepatitis/whocdscsrlyo2003/en/index3.html. Last accessed: March 2016.
About the Institute of Human Virology
Formed in 1996 as a partnership between the State of Maryland, the City of Baltimore, the University System of Maryland and the University of Maryland Medical System, IHV is an institute of the University of Maryland School of Medicine and is home to some of the most globally-recognized and world-renowned experts in all of virology. The IHV combines the disciplines of basic research, epidemiology and clinical research in a concerted effort to speed the discovery of diagnostics and therapeutics for a wide variety of chronic and deadly viral and immune disorders - most notably, HIV the virus that causes AIDS. For more information, visit www.ihv.org and follow us on Twitter @IHVmaryland.
About The International Liver Congress™
This annual congress is the biggest event in the EASL calendar, attracting scientific and medical experts from around the world to learn about the latest in liver research. Attending specialists present, share, debate and conclude on the latest science and research in hepatology, working to enhance the treatment and management of liver disease in clinical practice. This year, the congress is expected to attract approximately 10,000 delegates from all corners of the globe. The International Liver Congress™ takes place from April 13 – 17, 2016, at the Fira Barcelona Gran Via, Barcelona, Spain.
About EASL (www.easl.eu)
Since EASL’s foundation in 1966, this not-for-profit organisation has grown to over 4,000 members from all over the world, including many of the leading hepatologists in Europe and beyond. EASL is the leading liver association in Europe, having evolved into a major European Association with international influence, with an impressive track record in promoting research in liver disease, supporting wider education and promoting changes in European liver policy.
IHV Media Contact:
Nora Grannell
ngrannell@ihv.umaryland.edu
410 706 1954
ILC Media Contact:
ILCpressoffice@ruderfinn.co.uk
+44 (0)7841 009 25
Contact
Institute of Human Virology
Jennifer Gonzales
Public Relations & Communications Manager
jennifer.gonzales@ihv.umaryland.edu
Nora Samaranayake
Director of Marketing and Public Relations
(410) 706-1954 (phone)
(410) 706-1952 (fax)
nsamaranayake@ihv.umaryland.edu
Related stories
Friday, November 17, 2023
Major Funding of Partnership for HIV/AIDS Progress (PFAP) Award from the National Institute of Health (NIH) Office of AIDS Research to the Research Initiative on Infectious Disease and Substance Use (RIIS)
The Institute of Human Virology (IHV) at the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) received an annual award for $3 million funded by the NIH Office of AIDS Research. The PFAP award is projected to total approximately $9 million over four years. Principal Investigators are Elana Rosenthal, MD and Sarah Kattakuzhy, MD, MPH.
Tuesday, March 28, 2023
Two-Time Lasker Awardee and Internationally Acclaimed Virologist, Robert C. Gallo, MD, To Step Down as Director of UM School of Medicine’s Institute of Human Virology (IHV)
Robert C. Gallo, MD, one of the world’s leading virologists and cancer researchers, announced he has stepped down from his position as Director of the Institute of Human Virology (IHV) at the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM), effective March 24.
Monday, October 31, 2022
NCI Grants Awarded to IHV to Prevent Cancer and Improve Screening in Sub-Saharan Africa
Institute of Human Virology (IHV) researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) have received two five-year awards from the National Institutes of Health’s National Cancer Institute (NCI) for a total of $7.5 million. One award aims to reduce the incidence of lung cancer and other cancers associated with using tobacco in Botswana. The other is focusing on improving screening and treatment of anal precancer in Nigeria. Both grants will make use of existing HIV treatment and prevention infrastructure in low- and middle-income countries to reach people living with HIV who are most at risk for these particular types of cancers.
Tuesday, April 12, 2022
'Live' Polio Vaccine Fires Up Immune System Providing Protection from SARS-CoV-2 Infection
Two new studies from the Global Virus Network, including the University of Maryland’s Institute of Human Virology and in partnership with the Petroleum Industry Health Organization of Iran, provide evidence that getting the oral polio vaccine made from live, weakened polio-virus may protect people from COVID-19 infection by stimulating the immune system.
Tuesday, February 15, 2022
Multi-Country African Research Reports High Rates of COVID-19-Related Deaths Among Hospitalized Children and Adolescents
African children and adolescents hospitalized with COVID-19 experience much higher mortality rates than Europeans or North Americans of the same age, according to a recently published study conducted by researchers from the Institute of Human Virology (IHV) at the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) and the Institute of Human Virology Nigeria (IHVN). Both organizations are members of the Global Virus Network (GVN).
Wednesday, December 01, 2021
$6.5M Grant Awarded to Develop Treatment for Alcoholic Liver Disease-Associated Kidney Dysfunction
The Institute of Human Virology (IHV) at the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) and MitoPower LLC (“MitoPower”) were awarded an SBIR (Small Business Innovation Research) grant of up to $6.5 million over five years from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. The funds will support the development of MitoPower’s lead compound, MP-04, for the treatment of kidney dysfunction due to alcoholic liver disease, a condition known as alcoholic liver disease-associated hepatorenal syndrome (HRS). The IHV, a Center of Excellence member of the Global Virus Network (GVN), will conduct first-in-human single and multiple ascending dose studies to test the safety of the compound, followed by a Phase 1b study in patients.
Tuesday, March 30, 2021
USA Today Opinion: Why COVID-19 survivors should only get one dose of mRNA vaccine
Data seems to be indicating that survivors of COVID-19 may not need two doses of mRNA vaccine, which would free up more doses for others.
Tuesday, March 16, 2021
ABC7 WJLA - 7 On Your Side: Doctor rates COVID-19 risks for activities in a partially-vaccinated world
“We see people come in, it's still with really severe disease,” said Dr. Eleanor Wilson, an infectious disease specialist and an associate professor of medicine at the Institute of Human Virology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine.
Thursday, February 04, 2021
WTOP NEWS: What a new U.Md. study says about skipping second doses of COVID-19 vaccine
None of the trials conducted on the Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines tested them on people who already had been infected by the coronavirus. Now, a study involving people previously infected with COVID-19 suggests the immune response from getting sick may act like getting a first dose of those double-shot vaccines.
Tuesday, February 02, 2021
Business Insider: People who had COVID-19 may develop 10 times more antibodies after a single vaccine dose - a sign they might only need one shot
Business Insider - People who had COVID-19 developed at least 10 times more antibodies after their first vaccine dose than the average uninfected person who received two doses, new research shows. Another preliminary study similarly found that healthcare workers who had COVID-19 responded to their first shot the way most people respond to their second. The researchers both suggested that post-COVID patients may only need one shot to sufficiently protect them from the disease again.
Monday, December 21, 2020
Robert Gallo of the UM School of Medicine Institute of Human Virology and Global Virus Network Awarded Top Life Sciences and Medicine Prize from China
Robert C. Gallo, MD, The Homer & Martha Gudelsky Distinguished Professor in Medicine, co-founder and director of the Institute Human Virology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine and co-founder and international scientific advisor of the Global Virus Network, was awarded the “VCANBIO Award for Biosciences and Medicine,” a significant and authoritative award in the life sciences and medicine field of China. The elite Prize is jointly presented by the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences and the VCANBIO CELL & GENE ENGINEERING CORP, LTD to push forward scientific research, technological innovation and continuous development in the life sciences and medicine field of China.
Tuesday, December 15, 2020
UMSOM Institute of Human Virology’s Shyam Kottilil, MBBS, PhD Receives Top Award from National Physician’s Group
Shyam Kottilil, MBBS, PhD, professor of medicine at the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM), and Director of UMSOM’s Institute of Human Virology (IHV) Division of Clinical Care and Research, has been awarded Mastership in the American College of Physicians (ACP), the national organization of internists. Dr. Kottilil is also Chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases in the UMSOM Department of Medicine and is a scientific advisory member of the Global Virus Network (GVN).
Friday, December 11, 2020
Bloomberg TV Asia: Dr. Robert Gallo on COVID-19 Vaccines
Dr. Robert Gallo, co-founder and international scientific advisor of the Global Virus Network and the co-founder and director of the Institute of Human Virology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, discusses the rollout of the Covid-19 vaccines. The first Covid-19 vaccine expected to be deployed in the U.S. won the backing of a panel of government advisers, a step that will likely help clear the way for emergency authorization by the Food and Drug Administration. Gallo, who co-discovered HIV as the cause of AIDS in 1984, speaks with Haidi Stroud-Watts and Shery Ahn on "Bloomberg Daybreak: Australia." (Source: Bloomberg)
Wednesday, November 11, 2020
Dr. Robert Gallo on Bloomberg Asia on COVID Vaccine Prospects
Dr. Robert C. Gallo, The Homer & Martha Gudelsky Distinguished Professor in Medicine, co-founder and director of the Institute of Human Virology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine and co-founder and international scientific advisor of the Global Virus Network, discusses the timeline and safety of Covid-19 vaccine trials. He speaks with Shery Ahn and Haidi Stroud-Watts on "Bloomberg Daybreak: Asia".
Monday, October 12, 2020
WJLA (Washington, DC): How long can you spread coronavirus once infected? We found out.
Social distancing, hand hygiene and face masks can help curb the spread of the highly contagious coronavirus but if you do get sick, how long can you spread COVID to others? 7 On Your Side went looking for answers.
Monday, August 31, 2020
UM School of Medicine’s Institute of Human Virology Recruits Top HIV/AIDS Epidemiologist Shenghan Lai Along with Team of Researchers
Robert C. Gallo, MD, the Homer & Martha Gudelsky Distinguished Professor in Medicine, Co-founder and Director of the Institute of Human Virology (IHV) at the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM), and Man E. Charurat, PhD, MHS, Professor of Medicine, Director of the Division of Epidemiology & Prevention and CIHEB Global Director at the IHV, announced today that Shenghan Lai, MD, MPH and Hong Lai, PhD, MPH, in addition to three staff members, and two more to add, have joined the Institute of Human Virology. The faculty began their positions on April 1 with Professor and Associate Professor academic appointments in the UMSOM’s Department of Epidemiology & Public Health.
Friday, August 28, 2020
WYPR: Could Polio Vaccine Corral Covid-19?
A safe, effective vaccine against Covid-19 could resurrect jobs, send kids back to classrooms--change our lives. But how safe and effective? And how quickly can we have it? Dr. Robert Gallo, the AIDS-research pioneer now leading virus science at the Institute of Human Virology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine and the Global Virus Network, argues we could get much of the benefit by inoculating people with an old, very cheap drug -- the oral Polio vaccine developed seven decades ago. Gallo contends it would trigger our ‘innate immunity’-- the body’s emergency response when a threat shows up.
Friday, July 24, 2020
A Statement from the Leadership of the Institute of Human Virology and the Global Virus Network on the Passing of Renowned Chinese Virologist Yi Zeng
The IHV at the University of Maryland School of Medicine and the Global Virus Network (GVN), a coalition comprised of the world’s preeminent human and animal virologists from 55 Centers of Excellence and 10 Affiliates in 32 countries, collectively mourns the passing of Professor Yi Zeng, MD, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, former President of the Chinese Academy of the Preventive Medicine and former Dean of the College of Life Science and Bioengineering at Beijing University of Technology.
Saturday, April 11, 2020
Institute of Human Virology Honors Legacy of Maeve Kennedy McKean With Global Public Health Fellowship
The Institute of Human Virology (IHV) at the University of Maryland School of Medicine announced today the Maeve Kennedy McKean Global Public Health Fellowship, named in honor of the public health activist, whose inspiring life ended tragically alongside her oldest son last week. The first fellow will arrive on July 1 and will work on the Institute’s efforts in ending the HIV epidemic in Africa within its Center for International Health, Education, and Biosecurity (CIHEB) and Division of Clinical Care and Research.
Thursday, March 21, 2019
IHV Experts Researching Experimental Drug to Curb Opioid Cravings
Researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) Institute of Human Virology (IHV) are collaborating with scientists at the National Institutes of Health to test an experimental drug to curb opioid cravings.
Wednesday, March 06, 2019
UMSOM Researcher Elected as Fellow to American Academy of Microbiology
Richard Y. Zhao, Ph.D., Professor of Pathology and Associate Member of the Institute of Human Virology (IHV) at the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM), has been elected as a Fellow to the American Academy of Microbiology (AAM). AAM is an honorific leadership group within the American Society for Microbiology (ASM).
Tuesday, December 11, 2018
Institute of Human Virology's Shyam Kottilil to Receive National Award from American College of Physicians
The American College of Physicians announced that Shyam Kottilil, MBBS, PhD, FACP, Professor of Medicine and Director of the Division of Clinical Care and Research at the Institute of Human Virology (IHV) of the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) and Chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases, was awarded the American College of Physicians (ACP) Richard and Hinda Rosenthal Award #1 from the Rosenthal Family Foundation.
Tuesday, December 04, 2018
Institute of Human Virology Researchers Discover That a Bacterial Protein Promotes Cancer
The Institute of Human Virology (IHV) at the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) announced today the discovery that DnaK, a protein of the bacterium mycoplasma, interferes with the mycoplasma-infected cell’s ability to respond to and repair DNA damage, a known origin of cancer.
Tuesday, October 23, 2018
Institute of Human Virology Hosts 20th Annual International Meeting of Top Medical Virus Researchers in Baltimore, Maryland
The Institute of Human Virology (IHV) at the University of Maryland School of Medicine yesterday commenced IHV’s 20th Annual International Meeting, to be held through Thursday, October, 25 at the Four Seasons Hotel in Baltimore, Maryland. This year, among other viral and cancer related topics, the meeting is holding special sessions on the 40th anniversary of the first human retrovirus, Human T cell Leukemia Virus (HTLV), and the 15th anniversary of the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). IHV’s Annual International Meeting attracts hundreds of elite scientists who descend upon Baltimore to share ideas and inspire medical virus research collaborations.
Wednesday, September 19, 2018
Institute of Human Virology (IHV) Awarded $12M to Combat Opioid Epidemic Through Clinical Research Trials
The Institute of Human Virology (IHV) at the University of Maryland School of Medicine will lead a $12 million dollar project to improve the morbidity and mortality of people with opioid use disorder (OUD). Utilizing a novel compound, IHV researches will implement a series of investigations, entitled SEARCH, to evaluate the underlying mechanisms of craving reduction as a strategy to prevent opioid misuse, dependence, and relapse. The grant is awarded through the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) Helping to End Addiction Long-term (HEAL) Initiative, made possible through groundbreaking funding from the U.S. Congress.
Wednesday, March 21, 2018
Dr. Robert Redfield, Co-Founder of the Institute of Human Virology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, to Become CDC Director
The Institute of Human Virology (IHV) at the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) congratulates its co-founder and associate director, Robert R. Redfield, MD, on his appointment to be the next director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Tuesday, March 20, 2018
UMSOM Cancer Expert at Institute of Human Virology Named Fellow of American Society of Clinical Oncology
Clement A. Adebamowo, BM, ChB, ScD, FWACS, FACS, Associate Director of Population Science at the Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM), and Professor of Epidemiology and Public Health, Institute of Human Virology, has been named a 2018 Fellow of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO).
Tuesday, November 22, 2016
IHV Awarded $138M to combat HIV/AIDS in Africa & Launches Center for International Health, Education, & Biosecurity
The Institute of Human Virology (IHV) at the University of Maryland School of Medicine announced today more than $138 million in multiple five-year grants awarded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to combat HIV/AIDS in Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia, and Nigeria. The Institute concurrently announced the formation of the IHV Center for International Health, Education, & Biosecurity (CIHEB), and its newly appointed director, Deus Bazira Mubangizi, DrPH, MBA, MPH, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Director, Center for Health, Education, & Biosecurity, Institute of Human Virology, University of Maryland School of Medicine.
Tuesday, December 01, 2015
A Statement from the Leadership of the Institute of Human Virology on World AIDS Day
Research enabled treatment to be developed for HIV/AIDS, allowing the Institute of Human Virology (IHV) at the University of Maryland School of Medicine (which Dr. Gallo heads and co-founded with his colleagues Drs. William Blattner and Robert Redfield) to develop a promising HIV vaccine candidate, treat nearly 6,000 patients annually in Baltimore, and care for more than 1 million people in Africa and the Caribbean since 2004.
Tuesday, September 29, 2015
Institute of Human Virology Hosts International Meeting of Prominent AIDS Researchers
The Institute of Human Virology (IHV) at the University of Maryland School of Medicine is hosting IHV’s 17th Annual International Meeting Sunday, September 27 through Wednesday, September 30 at the Baltimore Marriott Waterfront Hotel in Baltimore, Maryland.