In this episode of Going anti-Viral, Dr Michael Saag speaks with Dr Kenneth Sherman of Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School about the possibility of a cure for hepatitis B. The World Health Organization estimates that 254 million people were living with chronic hepatitis B globally in 2022. Dr Saag and Dr Sherman discuss the lifecycle of hepatitis B including the role that covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA) plays in the hepatitis B virus (HBV) replication cycle. Dr Sherman defines functional cure and provides an overview of the most promising cure strategies. They also discuss whether antiretroviral drugs like tenofovir, used in the treatment of HIV, can contribute toward a functional cure of hepatitis B. Dr Sherman discusses other strategies like capsid assembly modulators (CAMs), monoclonal antibodies, and toll-like receptor (TLR) agonists. Finally, they discuss the effectiveness of the hepatitis B vaccine in prevention and look forward to the future by considering a timeline for a cure based on the status of ongoing clinical trials.

0:00 – Introduction

1:23 – Overview of the lifecycle of hepatitis B

5:29 – Discussion of the most promising cure strategies

7:11 – Defining functional cure

10:56 – The role of drugs like tenofovir in a functional cure

13:39 – Targets that can affect viral production

16:04 – Potential of capsid assembly modulators (CAMs)

18:03 – Other strategies like immune modulators and monoclonal antibodies

22:29 – Interest in toll-like receptor (TLR) agonists and therapeutic vaccines

24:32 – Outlook for the future and the effectiveness of a hepatitis B vaccine in prevention

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Produced by IAS-USA, Going anti–Viral is a podcast for clinicians involved in research and care in HIV, its complications, and other viral infections. This podcast is intended as a technical source of information for specialists in this field, but anyone listening will enjoy learning more about the state of modern medicine around viral infections.

Going anti-Viral’s host is Dr Michael Saag, a physician, prominent HIV researcher at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and volunteer IAS–USA board member. In most episodes, Dr Saag interviews an expert in infectious diseases or emerging pandemics about their area of specialty and current developments in the field. Other episodes are drawn from the IAS–USA vast catalogue of panel discussions, Dialogues, and other audio from various meetings and conferences.

Email podcast@iasusa.org to send feedback, show suggestions, or questions to be answered on a later episode.

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In this episode of Going anti-Viral, Dr Michael Saag speaks with Dr Jason Zucker of Columbia University and the New York City STD Prevention Training Center about mpox and the mpox outbreak. Dr Saag and Dr Zucker discuss the 2 clades of mpox, how it is transmitted, and which clade is associated with the most recent mpox outbreak. They also discuss how to test for mpox and how people with HIV present with mpox based on their HIV viral load. Dr Zucker gives a detailed update on the STOMP (Study of Tecovirimat for Human Mpox Virus) trial that evaluates the efficacy of the antiviral tecovirimat, also known as TPOXX, for the treatment of mpox. They also address the role of vaccination in mpox, its uptake and efficacy. Finally, Dr Zucker offers his perspective on how practitioners and public health officials can address ongoing mpox outbreaks in the US and globally, including a second public health emergency of international concern that was declared in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and surrounding countries in August by the World Health Organization (WHO).

0:00 – Introduction

1:25 – Description of mpox and its 2 clades

2:07 – Overview of the current mpox outbreak

3:11 – Mpox transmission

4:29 – Mpox in people with HIV

6:35 – Testing for mpox

9:05 – The STOMP study, enrollment, and effectiveness of tecovirimat

15:58 – The role for vaccination for mpox and who should receive it

20:38 – Outlook for the future

__________________________________________________

Produced by IAS-USA, Going anti–Viral is a podcast for clinicians involved in research and care in HIV, its complications, and other viral infections. This podcast is intended as a technical source of information for specialists in this field, but anyone listening will enjoy learning more about the state of modern medicine around viral infections.

Going anti-Viral’s host is Dr Michael Saag, a physician, prominent HIV researcher at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and volunteer IAS–USA board member. In most episodes, Dr Saag interviews an expert in infectious diseases or emerging pandemics about their area of specialty and current developments in the field. Other episodes are drawn from the IAS–USA vast catalogue of panel discussions, Dialogues, and other audio from various meetings and conferences.

Email podcast@iasusa.org to send feedback, show suggestions, or questions to be answered on a later episode.

Follow Going anti-Viral on:
Apple Podcasts
YouTube
X
Facebook
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...

In this episode of Going anti-Viral, Dr Michael Saag speaks with Dr Jennifer Kates of KFF to compare and contrast health care policies from different sides of the aisle. Dr Kates provides an update on the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) and efforts to repeal the healthcare program in the United States. Dr Saag and Dr Kates also discuss the status of Medicaid expansion in the US and the impact of access to care in states where Medicaid has been expanded. They also discuss the impact of the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program on healthcare for people with HIV and the long-term outlook for funding for the program. In addition, there is a detailed overview and outlook of funding for the 340B Drug Pricing Program that allows eligible hospitals and other healthcare organizations to purchase outpatient drugs at a discount from pharmaceutical manufacturers. Finally, Dr Saag and Dr Kates discuss the erosion of trust in science and public health officials in the US and reasons to be optimistic for the future.

0:00 – Introduction

1:15 – Update on the ACA

3:19 – Discussion of efforts to repeal the ACA

5:32 – Status of Medicaid expansion in the US

8:56 – Overview of access to HIV care through Ryan White

10:37 – Access to health insurance coverage through Ryan White

12:31 – What is 340B funding?

15:45 – Possible pressures on 340B funding

17:45 – Outlook for Ryan White funding and availability of PrEP in the program

21:34 – Discussion of the erosion of trust in science and public health

26:42 – Outlook for the future

__________________________________________________

Produced by IAS-USA, Going anti–Viral is a podcast for clinicians involved in research and care in HIV, its complications, and other viral infections. This podcast is intended as a technical source of information for specialists in this field, but anyone listening will enjoy learning more about the state of modern medicine around viral infections.

Going anti-Viral’s host is Dr Michael Saag, a physician, prominent HIV researcher at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and volunteer IAS–USA board member. In most episodes, Dr Saag interviews an expert in infectious diseases or emerging pandemics about their area of specialty and current developments in the field. Other episodes are drawn from the IAS–USA vast catalogue of panel discussions, Dialogues, and other audio from various meetings and conferences.

Email podcast@iasusa.org to send feedback, show suggestions, or questions to be answered on a later episode.

Follow Going anti-Viral on:
Apple Podcasts
YouTube
X
Facebook
Instagram
...