HIV / HCV – Silence = death

2010/07/21 – Activists against Pharma Greed in the Exhibition Room of the Aids 2010 Conference in Vienna. The first round of protest regarded the HIV/Hepatitis Coinfection issues

HIV-Hepatitis co-infection: the international situation

According to prevalence rates, available only in certain countries, there is an estimated 4 to 5 million HIV-HCV co-infected, baring in mind that a country like Russia still doesn’t hold any relevant data regarding the matter. In Western Europe, the prevalence of HCV co-infection among HIV-positive ranges from approximately 15% for northern Europe, 25% for the central region, including France, and up to 45% for mediterranean countries (Italy, Spain, Portugal), in correlation with the importance of drug use by injection as the main mode of HIV infection in these countries. Co-infected individuals: the most endangered 
 In France, the INVS 2004 study concludes that the prevalence of HIV/HCV co-infection among HIV-positive is: • 7% of HIV-HBV, approximately 10 500 patients ; among those, approximately 1 800 are cirrhotic,  • 24.3% of HIV/HCV, approximately 36 500 patients ; among those, approximately 5200 qre cirrhotic, A total of approximately 47 000 co-infected in France in 2005, including 7000 people with cirrhosis [1]. Moreover, a recent survey by the INSERM found that the number of liver cancers in France in connection with the explosion of the epidemic of hepatitis B & C has been multiplied by four in ten years!

 New molecules / we need an early access

Clinical studies on human subjects are paving the way towards new molecules that could serve to fight against the hepatitis C virus. The two most promising molecules are telaprevir and boceprevir, already in phase III of clinical study, and are being developed and distributed by the pharmaceutical companies => Tibotec[1] et Schering-Plough => MSD, respectively.   We demand : – an early access to these molecules – inclusion of coinfected people in trials for these molecules  

Profits in disregard of the lives of patients

Laboratories are still reluctant to include co-infected patients in their studies. The complex results expected are perceived as an obstacle to the smooth and sanitised image of their « miracle » product, which they intend to feed to their shareholders. Faced with the false statements of big pharma, it is crucial to remember that: – On the one hand, in order to minimise risks, these requirements will obviously be supervised by professionals specialised in new molecules and the complex risks of resistance, (as has been the practice with AIDS for 20 years). – On the other hand, these new molecules represent a critical issue in terms of a compassionate recovery strategy for HCV-HIV co-infected cirrhotic, ie: about 5200 people in France.

The bloodshed again …

Today, in 2010, co-infected patients are facing the same tragic deadlock that HIV-positive patients faced in the mid 90’s. New molecules exist, but they do not have access to them.  And where there is access, it is restricted to a limited number of patients, chosen according to dangerous criteria that are not yet spoken of publicly.

 

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