Working Groups

DRUG RESISTANCE WORKING GROUP: This group develops recommendations and provides guidance for technological and analytical issues involved in sequence and phenotype analysis for monitoring resistance during drug development. The major output has been the publication of a paper that addresses the assessment of drug resistance through HCV sequence and drug susceptibility analysis, with the aim of streamlining HCV drug development through consensus recommendations and establishing coherent nomenclature. The group will spearhead an effort to generate a table (with periodic updates) on relevant mutations and their impact on phenotypic resistance, similar to the HIV mutations table published by the IAS-USA on an annual basis.

Publication:
Kwong AD, Najera I, Bechtel J, Bowden S, Fitzgibbon J, Harrington P, Kempf D, Kieffer TL, Koletzki D, Kukolj G, Lim S, Pilot-Matias T, Lin K, Mani N, Mo H, O'Rear J, Otto M, Parkin N, Pawlotsky JM, Petropoulos C, Picchio G, Ralston R, Reeves JD, Schooley RT, Seiwert S, Standring D, Stuyver L, Sullivan J, Miller V; Forum for Collaborative Human Immunodeficiency Virus Research; HCV Drug Development Advisory Group (HCV DRAG); Sequence Analysis Working Group (SAWG); Phenotype Analysis Working Group (PAWG). Sequence and phenotypic analysis for resistance monitoring in hepatitis C virus drug development: recommendations from the HCV DRAG. Gastroenterology. 2011 Mar;140(3):755-60.

EDUCATIONAL SLIDE SET WORKING GROUP:  The major output of this group is the educational slide deck, which is available at: http://www.hivforum.org/projects/hcv-drug-development-advisory-group/hcv-drug-resistance-slide-set

This is an educational slide deck intended for use by a diverse audience ranging from health care providers involved with evaluating, diagnosing and treating HCV, HCV patients who want to learn about the disease and treatment options, and HCV advocates in the community who may use the slides in their education outreach efforts.

DEFINITIONS WORKING GROUP: This group was conceived at the 5th HCV DRAG meeting in Boston, 2010 is a collaboration between the HCV DRAG, EASL and AASLD and will help bring uniformity and clarity to the terms and definitions currently being in DAA clinical trials.

Publication:
Wedemeyer H, Jensen DM, Godofsky E, Mani N, Pawlotsky JM, Miller V; Definitions/NomenclatureWorking Group* of the HCV DrAG (HCV Drug Development Advisory Group), under the auspices of the Forum for Collaborative HIV Research. Recommendations for standardized nomenclature and definitions of viral response in trials of hepatitis C virus investigational agents. Hepatology. 2012 Dec;56(6):2398-403.