Utilization of Hepatitis C Positive Donor Organs in Transplantation of Hepatitis C Negative Recipients

The growing gap between the number of individuals waiting for an organ transplant and the number of organs available for transplant presents a crisis in this country. The transplant community must explore opportunities for expanding access to this life enhancing and often lifesaving procedure. With the development of new therapies to effectively treat hepatitis C (HCV), we must consider the utilization of HCV positive organs into HCV negative recipients as a prospect for increasing the number of transplants.

The American Society of Transplantation (AST) is supportive of research focusing on the utilization of hepatitis C positive organs in deceased donor organ transplantation.  Careful consideration and research from experts in the area of infectious disease, pharmacology, and organ transplant must consider the potential and barriers to expand the use of hepatitis C positive organs in organ transplant recipients, in this new era of effective oral antiviral therapy. Current data and rationale will need to be considered in order to proceed with clinical trials in this area along with understanding of both medical and financial benefits and risks from an ethical, patient, and regulatory perspective.

The AST is planning a consensus conference on this topic, and encourages ongoing research in this important area.

Approved by the AST Board of Directors on August 12, 2016

Contacts:

Shandie Covington, Executive Director, scovington@myast.org; 856-316-0924

Bill Applegate, Director of Government Relations, bill.applegate@bryancave.com; 202-258-4989