Advances in HCV: Conquering a Scourge

About the Program:

Program Overview
Target Audience
Program Objectives
Course Director
Faculty
Agenda for All Programs
Accreditation Statement
Credit Designation
Disclosure of Conflicts of Interest
Disclaimer
Commercial Support Acknowledgement

Program Overview:

More than three million people in the United States have chronic HCV infection (CHC), the leading cause of cirrhosis and a common cause of hepatocellular carcinoma and liver transplantation. While treatment for CHC has been associated with limited success rates and significant tolerability issues, recently however, therapeutic options for CHC have significantly improved. The most significant change is the recent approval of HCV protease inhibitors for clinical use in the United States. These direct-acting antiviral agents (DAAs), when given with peginterferon and ribavirin, result in a much higher sustained virologic response rate compared with peginterferon and ribavirin alone in addition, numerous other DAAs are in development which may revolutionize the treatment of CHC. While these new agents can produce significant improvement in patient outcomes, their use presents new challenges. It is important that clinicians understand how to effectively use these drugs to optimize HCV infection eradication rates.

This CME dinner series has been designed to focus on recent advances in CHC treatment, especially newly approved therapies. A national thought leader will lead participants through an overview of the updated CHC treatment paradigms and present detailed clinical trial data on newer therapies and strategies that are expected to shape treatment paradigms in the near future.

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Target Audience:

The audience for this program will consist of health care providers who care for patients with CHC, including internal medicine and family practice physicians, hepatologists, gastroenterologists, and infectious disease specialists, along with nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and nurses.

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Program Objectives:

Upon completion of this activity, participants should be able to:

Discuss current treatment approaches for the management of patients with CHC;
Utilize patient characteristics and desires to appropriately and effectively use antiviral drugs in patients with CHC;
Utilize information regarding drug adverse events, drug pharmacokinetics and patient adherence to design a treatment regimen for CHC that is likely to achieve antiviral success and reduce morbidity and mortality;
Integrate newer antiviral drugs into current treatment algorithms for the management of CHC patients;
Discuss anti-HCV agents in development and how they may impact future care.

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Course Director:

Douglas T. Dieterich, MD
Professor of Medicine,
Director of Outpatient Hepatology, Division of Liver Diseases
Director of CME, Department of Medicine,
Mount Sinai School of Medicine
New York, New York

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Faculty:

David Bernstein, MD Chief of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition North Shore University Hospital (NSUH) and LIJ Medical Center Manhasset, New York	Maurizio Bonacini, MD Director, HIV-Liver Clinic Department of Transplantation California Pacific Medical Center San Francisco, California
Robert Brown, MD Chief, Division of Hepatobiliary and Abdominal Transplant Surgery Center for Liver Disease and Transplantation Columbia University Department of Medicine New York, New York	Paul Gaglio, MD Professor of Clinical Medicine Albert Einstein College of Medicine Monefiore Medical Center Bronx, New York
Stuart C. Gordon, MD Clinical Professor of Medicine, Wayne State University School of Medicine Director, Division of Hepatology, Henry Ford Health System Detroit, Michigan	Lennox Jeffers, MD Chief of Hepatology, Miami VA Medical Center Associate Chief, Center for Liver Disease Professor of Medicine, University of Miami's School of Medicine Miami, Florida
Kris Kowdley, MD Director, Center for Liver Disease Virginia Mason Medical Center Seattle, Washington	Paul Y. Kwo, MD Associate Professor of Medicine, Medical Director, Liver Transplantation Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology Indiana University School of Medicine Indianapolis, Indiana
Eric Lawitz, MD, CPI President and Medical Director Alamo Medical Research San Antonio, Texas	David R Nelson, MD Professor of Medicine Associate Dean, Clinical Research Director, Clinical and Translational Science Institute University of Florida Gainesville, Florida
K. Rajender Reddy, MD Professor of Medicine, Director of Hepatology, Medical Director of Liver Transplantation University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine Philadelphia, Pennsylvania	Sammy Saab, MD Associate Professor, The Pfleger Liver Institute David Geffen School of Medicine University of California, Los Angeles Los Angeles, California
Eugene R. Schiff, MD, MACP, FRCP, MACG, AGAF Leonard Miller Professor of Medicine Chief of the Division of Hepatology Director of the Center for Liver Diseases University of Miami School of Medicine Miami, Florida	Jihad Slim, MD Assistant Professor of Medicine, Seton Hall University Senior Teaching Attending, Saint Michael's Medical Center Newark, New Jersey

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Accreditation Statement:

This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the Essential Areas and policies of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education through the joint sponsorship of The Postgraduate Institute for Medicine and ViralEd, Inc.. The Postgraduate Institute for Medicine is accredited by the ACCME to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

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Credit Designation:

The Postgraduate Institute for Medicine designates this live activity for a maximum of 2.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

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Disclosure of Conflicts of Interest:

The Postgraduate Institute for Medicine requires instructors, planners, managers and other individuals who are in a position to control the content of this activity to disclose any real or apparent conflict of interest they may have as related to the content of this activity. All identified conflicts of interest are thoroughly vetted by the Postgraduate Institute for Medicine for fair balance, scientific objectivity of studies mentioned in the materials or used as the basis for content, and appropriateness of patient care recommendations.

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Disclaimer:

Participants have an implied responsibility to use the newly acquired information to enhance patient outcomes and their own professional development. The information presented in this activity is not meant to serve as a guideline for patient management. Any procedures, medications, or other courses of diagnosis or treatment discussed or suggested in this activity should not be used by clinicians without evaluation of their patient's conditions and possible contraindications on dangers in use, review of any applicable manufacturer's product information, and comparison with recommendations of other authorities.