MONDAY: Capitol Hill Event to Highlight New Research Confirming the Need for Improved Access to Hepatitis C Cures

WASHINGTON, D.C. (May 18, 2016) — National Viral Hepatitis Roundtable (NVHR) and American Journal of Managed Care (AJMC) invite members of the media to attend a special Congressional briefing on Monday, May 23 2016 at 12 noon on Capitol Hill. The event, entitled Ending Hepatitis C: The Value of Curing the Nation’s Deadliest Blood-Borne Disease; Opportunities & Challenges for Patients, Providers & Payers, will highlight new research from AJMC’s special hepatitis C issue (published May 6, 2016), which discusses the direct and indirect benefits of universal access to cures for hepatitis C — the nation’s deadliest blood-borne disease.

AJMC’s special hepatitis C issue features new studies that add to the growing body of research showing that hepatitis C cures have the potential to provide substantial cost savings for both public and private payers, as well as commentary pieces, including an article by NVHR Executive Director Ryan Clary that calls on insurers to end discriminatory restrictions on life-saving hepatitis C treatments. To access the AJMC special hepatitis C issue, click here.

Speakers at the Congressional briefing will include:

· Jay Bhattacharya, MD, PhD, Professor of Medicine at the Center for Primary Care and Outcomes Research at Stanford University

· Ryan Clary, Executive Director, National Viral Hepatitis Roundtable (NVHR)

· Anupam Jena, MD, PhD, Associate Professor of Health Care Policy at Harvard Medical School

· Darius Lakdawalla, PhD, Quintiles Chair in Pharmaceutical Development and Regulatory Innovation, Leonard D. Schaeffer Center for Health Policy & Economics at the University of Southern California

Hepatitis C now surpasses HIV as the nation’s deadliest blood-borne disease. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), acute cases and deaths caused by hepatitis C, which affects approximately 3.5 million Americans, reached an all-time high in 2014. For the past several decades, hepatitis C treatment regimens revolved around painful interferon injections, which carried a high cost per-cure and were vastly ineffective at managing the disease. In contrast, new breakthrough treatments offer cure rates of near 100 percent with minimal side effects, while demonstrating significant cost savings for both public and private payers.

Event Details

Ending Hepatitis C: The Value of Curing the Nation’s Deadliest Blood-Borne Disease; Opportunities & Challenges for Patients, Providers & Payers

· WHEN: Monday, May 23, 2016 at 12:00 p.m.

· WHERE: Room 106 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building, Washington, DC 20510

· Lunch Will Be Provided

About NVHR

The National Viral Hepatitis Roundtable is a broad coalition working to fight, and ultimately end, the hepatitis B and hepatitis C epidemics. We seek an aggressive response from policymakers, public health officials, medical and health care providers, the media, and the general public through our advocacy, education, and technical assistance. NVHR believes an end to the hepatitis B and C epidemics is within our reach and can be achieved through addressing stigma and health disparities, removing barriers to prevention, care and treatment, and ensuring respect and compassion for all affected communities. For more information, visit www.nvhr.org.

About The American Journal of Managed Care

The American Journal of Managed Care is the leading peer-reviewed journal dedicated to issues in managed care. AJMC.com distributes healthcare news to leading stakeholders across a variety of platforms. Other titles in the franchise include The American Journal of Accountable Care, which publishes research and commentary on innovative healthcare delivery models facilitated by the 2010 Affordable Care Act. AJMC’s Evidence-Based series brings together stakeholder views from payers, providers, policymakers and pharmaceutical leaders in oncology and diabetes management. To order reprints of articles appearing in AJMC publications, please call (609) 716-7777, x 131.