Eliminate Viral Hepatitis

Each year, around 630 Australians and 500,000 people globally die from hepatitis C-related causes.

Harm Reduction - Australia
Harm reduction programs supported by government can be highly effective at stopping the transmission of hep C and HIV.
Prevention
A preventative vaccine will be essential for a global hepatitis C elimination program.
Testing
New diagnostics and greater awareness about testing is needed.
Treatment
Direct acting antiviral drugs are being tested in the TAP Study
Harm Reduction - Myanmar
Reducing the burden of hep C in Myanmar will be a focus of a new collaboration
Diagnostics development
Point-of-care alanine aminotransferase (ALT) diagnostic development
The Prime Study
A randomised study comparing hepatitis C treatment in a primary care service with a hospital setting.
Research
Eliminating hepatitis C transmission by enhancing care and treatment among HIV co-infected people.

Eliminating hepatitis C virus (HCV) in Australia is now a possibility, with the listing of direct-acting antiviral (DAA) drugs on the PBS. But this is one step in the path towards elimination.

Burnet will also make a major contribution in global efforts to eliminate hepatitis B & C as major health threats. This includes supporting vital research underway by our researchers to create a novel, effective, low-cost HCV vaccine suitable for resource-constrained countries.

Burnet Institute’s Eliminate Viral Hepatitis strategy is focussed on:

Achieving a 50 percent reduction in hepatitis C prevalence in Australia by 2020.
Supporting the achievement of the WHO’s hepatitis C elimination targets in Australia before 2030 with key partners.
Working towards Global WHO viral hepatitis elimination strategy by addressing diagnosis, delivery of direct-acting antivirals, prevention and vaccine development.

Working together, with research organisations, governments, the community and affected populations, Burnet will help change the course of hepatitis C infection and its impact as a public health threat.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) affects more than 250,000 Australians resulting in up to 630 deaths from liver cancer and liver failure each year. Globally, more than 500,000 people die from HCV-related causes.

The ambitious journey to eliminate viral hepatitis has begun.

Download

Eliminate Hep C brochure (770 KB)

Contact Details

Professor Margaret Hellard AM

Deputy Director (Programs); Adjunct Professor, Monash University, DEPM.

Telephone

+61385062304

Email

margaret.hellard@burnet.edu.au

Projects

A universal prophylactic vaccine against HCV
Protection against seven circulating genotypes will be essential to the success of an HCV vaccine.
ACCESS: STI and BBV surveillance system
ACCESS is a surveillance system that collates important information on a range of STIs and BBVs.
ALT point-of-care diagnostic to detect liver disease
Nanjing BioPoint is developing a new diagnostic for detecting liver disease.
ATAHC 2: Australian Trial in Acute Hepatitis C II
The ATAHC 2 study will examine the effect of interferon with or without Ribavirin in recent HCV infection.
B cell response to HCV infection
This research will inform vaccine design to favour the elicitation of protective antibody specificities.
co-EC Study: Eliminating hepatitis C/HIV coinfection
Eliminating hepatitis C transmission by enhancing care and treatment among HIV co-infected individuals.
DAA based therapy for recently acquired hepatitis C – II (DARE-C II)
To evaluate the combination of SOF plus RBV in patients with recently acquired HCV infection.
DARE C: ATAHC II Substudy
DARE-C aims to evaluate therapy duration using triple therapy (PEG-IFN/RBV/TPV).
Decision science using Optima
Research and applications across disease areas to improve allocative efficiency.
EC Australia: The vital missing link to eliminating hepatitis C
Australia’s first nationally coordinated response to hepatitis C aims to achieve elimination by 2030.
EC Partnership: Eliminate Hepatitis C Partnership
Informing the elimination of HCV through a community-based nurse-led model of care and treatment.
HCV Elimination Modelling
Providing evidence-based policy recommendations for prevention, testing and treatment of Hepatitis C.
Hepatitis C brief reports
Summaries of published hepatitis C research from Burnet Institute are now available to read and download.
Methods for improved sensitivity of lateral flow tests
Integrating innovative techniques in nanotechnology to the development of robust and sensitive rapid assays.
Rapid-EC hepatitis C Pilot Study
Investigating the feasibility of providing rapid point-of-care testing for hepatitis C in community clinics.
SHARP: Screening for Hepatitis in At-Risk Populations
A collaborative project between Burnet Institute and Cancer Council Victoria.
TAP: Treatment and Prevention Hep C study
Does treating people who inject drugs for their hep C reduce transmission and prevalence?
The Prime Study: Treating hep C in primary healthcare setting
Examining feasibility of treating people with genotype 1 hepatitis C in primary healthcare setting.

Latest News

26 January, 2019

Australia Day Honours for Burnet staff and associates

Congratulations to Professor Margaret Hellard, Professor Sharon Lewin, and former board member Mr Ross Cooke.
09 January, 2019

Lancet Commission on viral hepatitis

Burnet researchers have contributed to a Lancet Commission convened to identify new paths to hepatitis elimination.

Upcoming Events

04 September, 2019

Contemporary Drug Problems Conference

Professor Mark Stoové is a member of the organising committee for the 2019 Contemporary Drug Problems Conference in Prato, Italy.
11 September, 2019

INHSU 2019

Burnet Institute is a Conference Collaborator for the INHSU symposium from 11-13 September 2019 in Montreal, Canada.

Our mission:

To achieve better health for vulnerable communities in Australia and internationally by accelerating the translation of research, discovery and evidence into sustainable health solutions.

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Eliminate Viral Hepatitis