These Two States Have the Highest Incidence of Hepatitis C, According to New AbbVie Study

AbbVie, makers of the hepatitis C drug Maviret, have released data from two studies which sought to better understand the prevalence of the chronic disease in the US and the barriers patients face when accessing treatment. The data is being made available through AbbVie’s interactive online resource, MappingHepC.com, and will also be presented at The Liver Meeting 2018.

“Until now, the HCV patient landscape has been poorly understood, with out-of-date data sources and under-reporting of HCV infections,” said Dr. Sammy Saab, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA. “The availability of this epidemiology data provides a clearer picture of where the most concentrated populations of people with HCV are located, which is a crucial step towards eliminating the virus in the US.”

Using two large databases containing the results of more than 17 million Hepatitis C virus (HCV) antibody tests and 1.5 million HCV RNA tests, AbbVie’s investigators set out to make more accurate estimates of hepatitis C than were currently available. They found that in 2016, the highest number of patients with hepatitis C per 100,000 people were living in Washington D.C. and West Virginia. In terms of individuals between the ages of 30 and 52, West Virginia and Kentucky were the states with the highest percentage of hepatitis C-positive individuals.

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“As a leader in the fight against chronic liver disease, we strive to provide healthcare professionals with the most current education and information on chronic liver disease,” said Dr. Marcelo Kugelmas, Board of Trustees Member of the Chronic Liver Disease Foundation.* “MappingHepC.com will help physicians navigate the HCV landscape, understand the epidemiology of their specific geographic area and hopefully, be a resource for action towards the elimination of HCV.”

Despite its status as the most common chronic infectious disease in the US, many of 3.4 million individuals diagnosed with hepatitis C face barriers to accessing treatment. AbbVie’s research could help them improve patient access to the highly-effective therapies that are now available to individuals with hepatitis C.

“We are excited to provide the HCV community with up-to-date information on the evolving HCV landscape,” said Vipan Sood, vice president, Health Economics and Outcomes Research, AbbVie. “The accessibility of this data will allow stakeholders to focus resources and expertise to their specific communities and to come together to maximize our efforts.”

*Editor’s Note: A previous version of this article attributed this quote to Steve Taglienti, president of the Chronic Liver Disease Foundation.