Drug-user study to eliminate hepatitis C virus
A major new study involving drug users is to find a way to eliminate killer hepatitis C virus.Hundreds of Scots will participate in research led by Glasgow Caledonian and Bristol universities. A major cause of liver disease and cancer, the virus affects about 200,000 people in the UK, mostly injected medicines. A study of £ 2.8m will note that the virus can be completely stopped if the treatment is adequately increased. At present, treatment can cure over 90% of patients with some side effects within eight to 12 weeks, although the cost of new anti-viral is important. During the study, researchers will treat up to 500 people in NHS Teside, who inject drugs in a two-year period. Treatments will be offered in many settings including pharmacies, addiction services and prisons. It is estimated that this will reduce chronic hepatitis C in the population of people "on the major and rapid scale of treatment" which inject two-thirds of the medicines. The results will be used to gu...