Virginia A. Schad, PharmD, RPh

Contributing Writer https://www.infectiousdiseaseadvisor.com

Virginia A. Schad, PharmD, RPh, is a contributing medical author for the Haymarket Medical Network, part of the Medical Communications Group of Haymarket Media. She earned her Doctor of Pharmacy degree at the University of Pittsburgh in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in 1999. For the past 20 years, Dr Schad has worked in medical communications developing numerous presentations, as well as slide libraries and kits, and editing journal articles and supplements, clinical study reports, product monographs, and program abstracts. She has also organized and implemented speaker training meetings, consultants’ meetings, advisory board meetings, roundtable meetings, and CME symposia. While Dr Schad has worked in many therapeutic areas, her areas of focus have been in endocrinology, infectious diseases, pulmonology, neurology, and cardiology.

All articles by Virginia A. Schad, PharmD, RPh

Hepatitis Advisor

Phase 1 Trial Shows Promising Results for Lenvervimab for HBV Treatment

Virginia A. Schad, PharmD, RPh

November 15, 2019

Lenvervimab was well tolerated and reduced levels of HBsAg to below undetectable levels for up to 1 month in patients with chronic HBV infection.

Hepatitis Advisor

Reduced Incidence of Hepatic Encephalopathy With DAA Eradication of HCV Infection

Virginia A. Schad, PharmD, RPh

November 13, 2019

Patients with HCV infection should receive DAA therapy even if they have alcohol use disorder, diabetes, cirrhosis, or hepatic encephalopathy.

Most HIV tests assess blood (whole, serum, or plasma) or oral fluids. Although urine-based antibody tests are also available, they are less reliable.4 Blood serum or plasma specimens have the highest sensitivity, followed by whole blood and then oral fluid specimens.2 The reason for this is twofold. First, serum or plasma specimens contain the highest concentration of HIV antigens and antibodies per unit volume.2 For example, concentrations of HIV antibodies in plasma are 300-fold higher than concentrations in oral fluids.2 Second, HIV antibodies take longer to reach detectable levels in oral secretions than in blood. In a longitudinal study of a small Nigerian cohort of people who had undergone seroconversion, the median delay between plasma and oral fluid reactivity was 29 days, which occurred regardless of viral load or HIV subtype.5

Hepatitis Advisor

Predictors of HBsAg Loss, Relapse, and Retreatment After Effective Antiviral Therapy

Virginia A. Schad, PharmD, RPh

November 11, 2019

HBsAg, interferon inducible protein-10, and hepatitis B core related antigen serum levels can be useful for the decisions and management of treatment discontinuation in non-cirrhotic white patients with HBeAg-negative chronic hepatitis B.

Hepatitis Advisor

Increasing US Emergency Department Visits Associated With HCV

Virginia A. Schad, PharmD, RPh

November 6, 2019

As emergency departments (EDs) are critical settings for hepatitis C care in the United States, investigators evaluated trends and characteristics of hepatitis C-associated ED visits from 2006 to 2014.

Hepatitis Advisor

Feasibility of Using HCV-Positive Organs for Heart Transplantation

Virginia A. Schad, PharmD, RPh

November 4, 2019

In a small patient cohort, researchers found that heart transplantation from donors who were hepatitis C virus-positive to recipients without the virus were successful.

Hepatitis Advisor

High Rates of SVR Attained With Coblopasvir Plus Sofosbuvir for HCV Infection

Virginia A. Schad, PharmD, RPh

October 31, 2019

In China, researchers investigate the sustained virologic response and safety profile of coblopasvir plus sofosbuvir taken once daily for 12 weeks among patients with HCV genotypes 1, 2, 3, or 6 infections, including individuals with compensated cirrhosis.

Hepatitis Advisor

Novel Combination Therapy Formulation Effectively Treats HCV GT4

Virginia A. Schad, PharmD, RPh

October 29, 2019

Using data from an Egyptian cohort, investigators sought to determine the safety and efficacy of adding epigallocatechin gallate to sofosbuvir plus daclatasvir with or without ribavirin to treat patients with chronic hepatitis C virus.

UNAIDS defines HIV-related stigma as “negative beliefs, feelings, and attitudes towards people living with HIV, groups associated with people living with HIV, and other key populations at higher risk of HIV infection, such as people who inject drugs, sex workers, men who have sex with men, and transgender people.”1Stigma spans many domains, including public, self, and structural spheres.3 Public stigma refers to the negative attitudes and beliefs held by the public. Self-stigma is an internalization of negative beliefs about oneself. Structural stigma refers to community norms and institutional policies that can lead to prejudices and discrimination against certain groups of people.3 To successfully address HIV-related stigma, a multifaceted approach targeting each of these domains is required. Healthcare providers can play a key role in these efforts.

Hepatitis Advisor

Frequent Delayed Spontaneous Seroclearance of HBV Among High-Risk Groups

Virginia A. Schad, PharmD, RPh

October 22, 2019

As direct-acting antiviral (DAA) treatment can lead to HBV re-activation, testing for HBV DNA along with anti-HBc antibodies in men who have sex with men and people who use drugs co-infected with hepatitis C virus is warranted prior to DAA-treatment.

Hepatitis Advisor

Level of Hepatitis B Core-Related Antigen and Risk for Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Virginia A. Schad, PharmD, RPh

October 21, 2019

According to a recently published study, a high level of hepatitis B core-related antigen is a complementary risk factor for hepatocellular carcinoma development.

Hepatitis Advisor

Liver Fibrosis Staging in Chronic Hepatitis C

Virginia A. Schad, PharmD, RPh

October 18, 2019

Investigators assessed the diagnostic performance of AST to Platelet Ratio Index and Fibrosis-4 scores compared with transient elastography evaluation of liver stiffness to detect significant fibrosis or cirrhosis.

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