The European Medicines Agency: use of some anti-Hepatitis C drugs might reactivate Hepatitis B virus

Dec 2 The European Medicines Agency warned on Friday that some of the most successful hepatitis C treatments on the market could reactivate hepatitis B in patients.

The agency recommended that patients be screened to ensure they are not infected with both kinds of virus before being treated for hepatitis C.

The Pharmacovigilance Risk Assessment Committee's warning was against a class of treatment called direct acting anti-virals, which include Gilead Sciences Inc's Sovaldi, AbbVie Inc's Exviera and Viekirax, Johnson & Johnson's Olysio and Bristol-Myers Squibb's Daklinza.

http://www.reuters.com/article/eu-hepatitis-idUSL4N1DX425