[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 62 (Monday, April 1, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 15405-15406]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-7814]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

National Institutes of Health


Consensus Development Conference on Management of Hepatitis C: 
2002

    Notice is hereby given of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) 
Consensus Development Conference on ``Management of Hepatitis C: 2002'' 
to be held June 10-12, 2002, in the NIH Natcher Conference Center, 45 
Center Drive, Bethesda, Maryland 20892. The conference will begin at 8 
a.m. on June 10 and 11, and at 9 a.m. on June 12 and will be open to 
the public.
    The hepatitis C virus (HCV) is the leading cause of liver disease 
in the United States and certainly the most common cause of cirrhosis 
and hepatocellular carcinoma; it is also the most common reason for 
liver transplantation. Almost 4 million people in this country are 
believed to be infected with this virus. A Consensus Development 
Conference on hepatitis C was held at the National Institutes of Health 
in March 1997. This led to an important, widely distributed NIH 
Consensus Statement that, for several years, was broadly accepted as 
the standard of care.
    In the five years since that time, there has been a dramatic 
increase in knowledge of the condition, indicating the need to re-
examine the approaches to management and treatment. This conference is 
convened with the aim of reviewing the most recent developments 
regarding management, treatment options, and the widening spectrum of 
potential candidates for treatment.
    During the first day-and-a-half of the conference, experts will 
present the latest hepatitis C research findings to an independent, 
non-Federal panel. After weighing all of the scientific evidence, the 
panel will draft a statement, addressing the following key questions:
     What is the natural history of hepatitis C?
     What is the most appropriate approach to diagnose and 
monitor patients?
     What is the most effective therapy for hepatitis C?
     Which patients with hepatitis C should be treated?
     What recommendations can be made to patients to prevent 
transmission of hepatitis C?
     What are the most important areas for future research?
    On the final day of the conference, the panel chairperson will read 
the draft statement to the conference audience and invite comments and 
questions. A press conference will follow, to allow the panel and 
chairperson to respond to questions from the media.
    The primary sponsors of this meeting are the National Institute of 
Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases and the NIH Office of 
Medical Applications of Research. Cosponsors of the meeting are: 
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the U.S. Food and 
Drug Administration (FDA), the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs 
(VA), the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development 
(NICHD), the National Cancer Institute (NCI), the National Center for 
Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM), the National Institute 
on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), the National Institute of 
Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), and the National

[[Page 15406]]

Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI).
    Advance information about the conference and conference 
registration materials may be obtained from AIR Prospect Center of 
Silver Spring, Maryland, by calling 301-592-3320 or by sending e-mail 
to [email protected]>. AIR Prospect Center's address is 
10720 Columbia Pike, Suite 500, Silver Spring, Maryland 20901-4437. A 
conference agenda and registration information are also available on 
the NIH Consensus Program Web site at http://consensus.nih.gov>.

    Please Note: The NIH has recently instituted new security 
measures to ensure the safety of NIH employees and property. All 
visitors must be prepared to show a photo ID upon request. Visitors 
may be required to pass through a metal detector and have bags, 
backpacks, or purses inspected or x-rayed as they enter NIH 
buildings. Conference attendees may want to leave extra bags or 
personal materials at their hotel to minimize the time needed for 
inspection. For more information about the new security measures at 
NIH, please visit the Web site at http://www.nih.gov/about/visitorssecurity.htm>.


    Dated: March 25, 2002.
Ruth L. Kirschstein,
Acting Director, National Institutes of Health.
[FR Doc. 02-7814 Filed 3-29-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4140-01-P