PCORI approves $83m for hepatitis C and other studies

About $29.5m will support studies on caring for people affected with hepatitis C virus (HCV). Awards totaling around $7.4m will fund research on rare conditions in response to PCORI’s offer of a special pool of funding for supportingt rare disease research.

The HCV studies will include national advocacy organizations, professional associations, and stakeholder groups in their research design and implementation.

PCORI also approved 24 other awards, totaling about $53.6m, as per funding announcements issued in February under its five National Priorities for Research.

The CER studies on rare conditions will compare treatments for urea cycle disorders, genetic disorders caused by the liver’s inability to break down ammonia; non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis lung disease; and syringomyelia neurological condition.

Other CER studies will focus on comparing various options for arthritis, diabetes, multiple sclerosis, ductal carcinoma in situ, tobacco addiction, end-stage renal disease, and rare conditions.

The organizations’ board also approved the development of targeted funding announcements to treat people with multiple sclerosis and long-term opioid use for chronic pain.

PCORI executive director Joe Selby said: "As the availability and use of the new antiviral medications increases, we’re pleased to support patient-centered CER that will help clinical decision makers to make better-informed choices about hepatitis C treatment and care."

The new awards take PCORI’s funding grantsto $1.18bn for 468 patient-centered outcomes research projects.

A partnership between PCORI and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has awarded $23.5m for two new studies to tackle health disparities related to uncontrolled high blood pressure.