As Hep C Deaths Hit Record High, Experts Hopeful New Drugs Will Make ‘Major Dent’ In Mortality Rate
Scientists note that the numbers are from 2014, the first year that the new breakthrough drugs for hepatitis C patients became widely available.
The New York Times:
Hepatitis C Deaths In U.S. Rose In 2014, But New Drugs Hold Promise
Deaths from hepatitis C in the United States continued climbing in 2014, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported on Wednesday, but experts hope the trend will reverse over the next few years as more people with the virus receive highly effective new treatments. The agency also found that more Americans died from complications of hepatitis C in 2013 than from 60 other infectious conditions combined, including H.I.V., tuberculosis and pneumococcal disease. But while there has been an explosion in new hepatitis C cases among young opioid addicts who inject heroin and other drugs with shared needles, the rising deaths are largely among baby boomers who contracted the virus decades ago and have deteriorated over time. (Goodnough, 5/4)