Human Health
Development, validation and worldwide dissemination of a standard and ‘Next Generation’ Deep Sequence Assay of HCV, and application to a longitudinal analysis in a very well characterized PWID cohort
UPP029- Project Leaders: Richard Harrigan, Anita Howe, Chanson Brumme, Youb Chalabi
- Institutions: University of British Columbia (UBC)
- Budget: $400000
- Program/Competition: User Partnership Program
- Genome Centre(s): Genome British Columbia
- Fiscal Year: 2016
- Status: Closed
More than a quarter of a million Canadians, including ~80,000 BC residents, are living with Hepatitis C and approximately 5,000 new infections occur annually across Canada. Chronic Hepatitis C viral (HCV) infection can lead to cirrhosis, liver failure or liver cancer later in life. With 1 in 5 individuals being unaware of their HCV status, there lies an unmet medical need and a robust market for HCV diagnostic tools.
The recent development of Direct Acting Antiviral (DAA) drugs have revolutionized the way we treat people living with Hepatitis C, having greater than a 90% effective cure rate. This therapy comes at a high cost of ~$30-$50,000 per patient, and a portion of HCV strains remain resistant to these treatments.
Dr. Richard Harrigan at the University of British Columbia, and Drs. Chanson Brumme and Anita Howe at the BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, in collaboration with Merck Canada Inc, have developed a ‘Next Generation’ whole genome sequencing assay to better identify those living with an HCV drug-resistant strain. Using this technology, the team was able to identify the prevalence of resistance and support treatment decision-making among a cohort of persons who inject drugs. Finally, the project team developed and implemented an international reference database of HCV drug-resistant sequences and clinical outcomes that will support additional research on drug resistance. Altogether, development of these innovative genomic tools will support better and more cost-effective treatment decisions for patients, and further establishes BC as a leader in research and treatment of HCV infections.
