Ledipasvir and sofosbuvir for 8 or 12 weeks for chronic HCV without cirrhosis

Hepatitis c virus and chronic kidney disease

INTRODUCTION

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is associated with an increased incidence and progression of chronic kidney disease (CKD), as well as higher mortality in CKD and renal transplant patients. Direct acting antiviral agents (DAAs) have revolutionized the treatment of HCV, with viral eradication attained in 90-100% of treated patients. DAAs have an excellent safety and tolerability profile in CKD and renal transplant patients.

AREAS COVERED

In this review, we discuss the association of HCV with incidence and progression of CKD as well as its effect on outcomes and mortality. We also discuss the available treatment options in patients with CKD and renal transplant and in HCV-associated glomerular disease.

EXPERT OPINION

The availability of newly available direct acting anti-viral agents has revolutionized the treatment of HCV in persons with advanced CKD and undergoing dialysis. With these regimens, viral eradication can be attained in 90-100% of the treated patients. The safety, tolerability, and efficacy of these drugs in renal transplant patients have also made it possible to use HCV-infected grafts and successful virus eradication at a later stage.

HCV Replicon Systems: Workhorses of Drug Discovery and Resistance

The development of direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) has revolutionized the state-of-the art treatment of HCV infections, with sustained virologic response rates above 90%. However, viral variants harboring substitutions referred to as resistance-associated substitutions (RASs) may be present in baseline levels and confer resistance to DAAs, thereby posing a major challenge for HCV treatment. HCV replicons have been the primary tools for discovering and evaluating the inhibitory activity of DAAs against viral replication. Interest in replicon systems has further grown as they have become indispensable for discovering genotype-specific and cross-genotype RASs. Here, we review functional replicon systems for HCV, how these replicon systems have contributed to the development of DAAs, and the characteristics and distribution of RASs for DAAs.

Hepatitis C virus infection and new treatment strategies

Hepatitis C is a major public health problem worldwide. This disease is caused by the hepatitis C virus, which is characterised by its genetic diversity. The infection is usually asymptomatic. However, between 60% and 80% of HCV-infected individuals will progress to chronic hepatitis, 20% to liver cirrhosis in the medium-to long-term and, each year, between 1% and 4% of these patients with cirrhosis will develop hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). A Spanish consensus document has recently been drafted to diagnose hepatitis C in a single step, consisting of active investigation (antibodies and viremia) in a single sample, which according to the experts, would reduce the time to access treatment and avoid tracking losses. To definitively change the hepatitis C treatment paradigm, direct-acting antiviral drugs (DAAs) have been approved, whose development has been based on achieving cure rates close to 100% regardless of the genotype of the virus, ie, pangenotypes, with good tolerance and bioavailability. These drugs have constituted a real therapeutic revolution. Supplement information: This article is part of a supplement entitled «SEIMC External Quality Control Programme. Year 2016», which is sponsored by Roche, Vircell Microbiologists, Abbott Molecular and Francisco Soria Melguizo, S.A. © 2019 Elsevier España, S.L.U. and Sociedad Española de Enfermedades Infecciosasy Microbiología Clínica. All rights reserved.

Management of hepatitis B and hepatitis C coinfection: an expert review

INTRODUCTION

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections share common routes of transmission. HBV/HCV coinfection can lead to interactions affecting mechanisms of infection and therapy.

AREAS COVERED

In the review, we present epidemiology of HBV/HCV coinfection and current therapeutic options for both viruses. The possibility of drug-drug interactions during the treatment of coinfected patients is discussed. However, the major part of the review is dedicated to interactions between viruses and risk of HBV reactivation during HCV treatment with direct-acting antivirals (DAA). Finally, we analyze available international and national guidelines for the management of HBV reactivations related to DAA administration.

EXPERT OPINION

The most important international societies' guidelines include comments on HBV/HCV coinfection, but due to their inconsistency we present a proposal of management for HBV/HCV coinfected patients focusing mostly on HBV reactivation in patients treated for HCV. We provide some advice that should be considered in future guidelines for the management of HBV/HCV coinfection.

Co-Located hepatitis C virus infection treatment within an opioid treatment program promotes opioid agonist treatment retention

BACKGROUND

Co-located treatment for hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection for patients with opioid use disorder (OUD) within an opioid treatment program (OTP) addresses gaps in the HCV care continuum. Few reports have analyzed outcomes related to OUD treatment, such as retention, associated with co-located HCV treatment.

METHODS

Patients (n = 89) treated for OUD and chronic HCV infection in a Northeast US OTP from January 2014 through July 2017 were compared to control patients (n = 199) being treated for OUD and diagnosed with but not treated for HCV during the same period. All patients received opioid agonist treatment (OAT). The outcome of interest is patient retention in the OTP from January 2014 through September 2018, analyzed using logistic regression and survival analysis based on OTP loss to follow-up dates.

RESULTS

After adjusting for baseline covariates, patients who completed HCV treatment had 2.22 (95 % CI: 1.11, 4.45) increased likelihood of remaining in the OTP compared to patients in the control group. Survival analysis indicated the HCV treatment group had a significantly greater probability of being retained over the duration of the study compared with the control group.

CONCLUSION

Results indicate that a co-located model of care is associated with improved OTP treatment retention following HCV treatment, and suggest that co-locating HCV and OUD treatment has a secondary impact on keeping patients engaged in OAT.

The impact of direct-acting antiviral treatment on lipid metabolism and insulin resistance in chronic hepatitis C patients: temporary? permanent?

BACKGROUND/AIMS

In previous studies that investigated the impact of direct-acting antiviral (DAA) treatment on lipid metabolism and insulin resistance in chronic hepatitis C patients have been compared to baseline values with either end of treatment or post-treatment values. The results are inconsistent. We evaluated patients throughout the treatment and after treatment.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

121 patients were included in the study. 93 patients were treated with sofosbuvir/ledipasvir±Ribavirin (RBV), and 28 patients were treated with ombitasvir/paritaprevir/ritonavir+dasabuvir±RBV. Total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), triglycerides (TG) and homeostatic model assessment-insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) levels were measured at the onset of treatment, after the1st month of treatment, at the end of treatment, and 6 and 12 months after the end of treatment.

RESULTS

117 patients were genotype 1. Sustained virological response was 98.4%. HOMA-IR values during treatment were significantly higher than at the beginning of treatment (p=0.0001). At 12 months there was a decrease in HOMA-IR, but this was not statistically significant (p=0.2048). TC and LDL levels were significantly increased in the first month of treatment (TC; 159±30, 180±34 mg/dl; LDL; 84±28, 100±30 mg/dl, respectively) (p<0.0001) and this increase was present during and after treatment. There was no statistically significant increase in TG (p=0120). Both treatment regimens showed similar effects on HOMA-IR, TC, and LDL.

CONCLUSION

Patients with HCV treated with DAAs drugs showed increased IR, TC, and LDL cholesterol levels during treatment. After the end of treatment, IR goes back to normal, while the elevated TC and LDL levels persist indefinitely.

An Open-Label, Randomized, Active-Controlled Trial of 8 Versus 12 Weeks of Elbasvir/Grazoprevir for Treatment-Naive Patients With Chronic Hepatitis C Genotype 1b Infection and Mild Fibrosis (EGALITE Study): Impact of Baseline Viral Loads and NS5A Resistance-Associated Substitutions

BACKGROUND

A 12-week grazoprevir/elbasvir regimen is highly effective against hepatitis C virus genotype 1 (HCV-1) infection. The efficacy of an 8-week regimen for treatment-naive HCV-1-infected patients with mild fibrosis has not been determined.

METHODS

Treatment-naive HCV-1b-infected patients with mild fibrosis were randomly assigned to receive 8 (n = 41) or 12 (n = 41) weeks of grazoprevir/elbasvir therapy. The primary end point was a sustained virologic response, defined as an HCV RNA level of < 12 IU/mL, at posttreatment week 12 (SVR12).

RESULTS

SVR12 was achieved by 87.8% of patients (36 of 41) in the 8-week arm and 100% (41 of 41) in the 8-week arm of the full-analysis population and by 90.0% (36 of 40) and 100% (41 of 41), respectively, in the per-protocol population (all P = .055). In the 8-week arm, a significantly lower SVR12 rate was observed among patients with a high HCV-1b load, defined as ≥1 500 000 IU/mL (79% vs 100%; P = .042), and among those with a baseline Y93H resistance-associated substitution (RAS) frequency of >15% in HCV nonstructural protein 5A (NS5A; 40.0% vs 97.1%; P = .004). Between-group analysis demonstrated that, among patient with a high HCV-1b load and a baseline Y93H RAS frequency of >15%, those in the 8-week arm had a substantially lower SVR12 rate than those in the 12-week arm (40.0% vs 100.0%). All 4 HCV-1b relapses had a Y93H RAS frequency of >99% at posttreatment week 12.

CONCLUSIONS

Twelve weeks of grazoprevir/elbasvir therapy is highly effective for treatment-naive patients with mild fibrosis. A truncated, 8-week grazoprevir/elbasvir regimen might be applied for those with low viral loads or without a significant NS5A RAS frequency.

CLINICAL TRIALS REGISTRATION

NCT03186365.

Hepatitis C: How Good Are Real-Life Data and Do Generics Work

Chronic hepatitis C virus infection remains a national and global public health burden and is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Oral direct-acting antiviral combination regimens have excellent tolerability and efficacy with rates exceeding 90%. Sustained virologic response is associated with significant improvements in clinical outcomes. However, translation of sustained virologic response rates from trials to community settings has been poor with interferon-based regimens. We review and summarize key datasets from major real-world observational cohort studies. We review preliminary data from oral generic direct-acting antiviral formulations. Future real-world studies are needed to further clarify optimal treatment strategies for difficult-to-treat populations.

2020 Taiwan consensus statement on the management of hepatitis C: part (I) general population

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection remains a major public health issue with high prevalence in Taiwan. Recently, the advent of direct-acting antiviral (DAA) agents, with higher efficacy, excellent safety profile, and truncated treatment duration, has revolutionized the paradigm of hepatitis C treatment and made HCV elimination possible. To provide timely guidance for optimal hepatitis C management, the Taiwan Association for the Study of the Liver (TASL) established an expert panel to publish a 2-part consensus statement on the management of hepatitis C in the DAA era. After comprehensive literature review and a consensus meeting, patient-oriented, genotype-guided recommendations on hepatitis C treatment for the general and special populations have been provided based on the latest indications and scientific evidence. In the first part of this consensus, we present the epidemiology and treatment situation of hepatitis C in Taiwan, the development of DAA, pre-treatment evaluation, post sustained virologic response (SVR) monitoring, and most importantly the treatment recommendations for the general population with compensated liver disease. The second part will focus on the treatment recommendations for the special populations.

Fluorescence-based biochemical analysis of human hepatitis B virus reverse transcriptase activity

Although the unique mechanism by which hepatitis B virus (HBV) polymerase primes reverse transcription is now well-characterized, the subsequent elongation process remains poorly understood. Reverse transcriptase (RT)-RNase H sequences from polymerase amino acid 304 (the C-terminal part of spacer domain) to 843 were expressed in Escherichia coli and purified partially. RT elongation activity was investigated using the fluorescent-tagged primer and homopolymeric RNA templates. RT elongation activity depended on both Mg2+ and Mn2+, and had low affinity for purine deoxynucleotides, which may be related with the success of adefovir, tenofovir, and entecavir. However, the polymerization rate was lower than that of human immunodeficiency virus RT. All HBV genotypes displayed similar RT activity, except for genotype B, which demonstrated increased elongation activity.

Standard Versus Extended Duration Direct-Acting Antiviral Therapy in Hepatitis C Patients With Slow Response to Treatment

BACKGROUND

Response-guided hepatitis C therapy was standard with interferon-based regimens but is not used for direct-acting antivirals (DAAs). Week 4 viral kinetics may predict sustained virological response (SVR) with DAAs, but it is unclear whether extending therapy in slow responders affects outcomes.

OBJECTIVES

The primary objective was to compare SVR rates between traditional and extended duration groups. Secondary objectives were to compare SVR rates among subgroups and to determine factors associated with SVR.

METHODS

This institutional review board-approved, retrospective, single-center study identified patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection with detectable week 4 HCV RNA who were treated with DAAs. Patients were excluded for early discontinuation, treatment regimen not recommended first-line, or missing HCV RNA labs. Patients were stratified into traditional and extended duration groups. The primary end point was SVR. Secondary end points included factors associated with SVR and rationale for extension of therapy duration.

RESULTS

A total of 363 patients were included; 58 (16%) received extended therapy. Patients were primarily genotype 1a (70%) and treatment naïve (80%). More than half had advanced fibrosis or cirrhosis. SVR12 rates were 100% in the extended duration group and 96.7% in the traditional duration group (P = 0.37). There were no associations with SVR and prespecified patient-specific factors. Sample size was limited.

CONCLUSION AND RELEVANCE

Based on these findings, a recommendation for extension of therapy cannot be made for patients with detectable HCV RNA at week 4 of treatment at this time. Cost analyses may help guide recommendations to re-treat rare failures versus extend therapy in all slow responders.

Blood transfusion safety in the country of Georgia: collateral benefit from a national hepatitis C elimination program

BACKGROUND

In April 2015, the government of Georgia (country) initiated the world's first national hepatitis C elimination program. An analysis of blood donor infectious screening data was conducted to inform a strategic plan to advance blood transfusion safety in Georgia.

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS

Descriptive analysis of blood donation records (2015-2017) was performed to elucidate differences in demographics, donor type, remuneration status, and seroprevalence for infectious markers (hepatitis C virus antibody [anti-HCV], human immunodeficiency virus [HIV], hepatitis B virus surface antigen [HBsAg], and Treponema pallidum). For regression analysis, final models included all variables associated with the outcome in bivariate analysis (chi-square) with a p value of less than 0.05.

RESULTS

During 2015 to 2017, there were 251,428 donations in Georgia, representing 112,093 unique donors; 68.5% were from male donors, and 51.2% of donors were paid or replacement (friends or family of intended recipient). The overall seroprevalence significantly declined from 2015 to 2017 for anti-HCV (2.3%-1.4%), HBsAg (1.5%-1.1%), and T. pallidum (1.1%-0.7%) [p < 0.0001]; the decline was not significant for HIV (0.2%-0.1%). Only 41.0% of anti-HCV seropositive donors underwent additional testing to confirm viremia. Infectious marker seroprevalence varied by age, sex, and geography. In multivariable analysis, first-time and paid donor status were associated with seropositivity for all four infectious markers.

CONCLUSION

A decline during the study period in infectious markers suggests improvement in blood safety in Georgia. Areas that need further improvement are donor recruitment, standardization of screening and diagnostic follow-up, quality assurance, and posttransfusion surveillance.

Regulatory T Cell Function Modulated After Successful Direct-Acting Antiviral Treatment for Chronic Hepatitis C Patients

BACKGROUNDS

Regulatory T cells (Tregs) affect the pathogenesis of chronic hepatitis C (CHC) infection.

AIMS

This study evaluated the function of Tregs in CHC patients receiving the standard direct-acting antiviral agents (DAA) treatment.

METHODS

CHC patients (n = 20) who received DAA treatment, clinical data, and function of Tregs were checked at baseline, Week 4, end of treatment (EOT), and 12 weeks after EOT (SVR 12). Treg-mediated inhibition was measured. The cytokine expression and fold change of interferon (IFN)-γ, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, IL-10, and transforming growth factor (TGF)-β with/without Treg inhibition were also detected.

RESULTS

The cohort included 14 females with a mean age of 59.8 ± 11.5 years. Nineteen had HCV genotype 1. The HCV RNA level was 6.17 ± 0.70 log IU/mL. All patients reached the sustained virologic response. The frequency of CD4⁺Foxp3⁺T cells decreased from baseline to EOT and returned at SVR 12. The inhibitory function of Tregs decreased during treatment and then restored (baseline vs. EOT, P = 0.0393; EOT vs. SVR 12, P = 0.0052). The cytokine expression and fold change of IFN-γ and TNF-α were highest at EOT and then decreased at SVR 12. The fold change of IL-10 was lowest at EOT and then increased at SVR 12. The fold change of TGF-β was significantly increased at Week 4 and SVR 12 compared to baseline.

CONCLUSIONS

The frequency and inhibitory function of Tregs declined gradually from baseline to EOT and then increased from EOT to SVR 12 in CHC patients receiving DAA therapy. The expression of IFN-γ, TNF-α, IL-10, and TGF-β parallelled Treg function.

HCV Testing and Treatment in a National Sample of US Federally Qualified Health Centers during the Opioid Epidemic

BACKGROUND

Federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) serve diverse communities in the United States (U.S.) and could function as important venues to diagnose and treat hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections.

OBJECTIVE

To determine HCV testing proportion and factors associated with treatment initiation, and treatment outcomes in a large sample of FQHCs around the U.S.

DESIGN

Retrospective cohort study using electronic health records of three hundred and forty-one FQHC clinical sites participating in the OCHIN network in 19 U.S. states.

PARTICIPANTS

Adult patients (≥ 18 years of age) seen between January 01, 2012, and June 30, 2017.

MAIN MEASURES

HCV testing proportion, stratified by diagnosis of opioid use disorder (OUD); treatment initiation rates; and sustained virologic response (SVR), defined as undetectable HCV RNA 6 months after treatment initiation.

KEY RESULTS

Of the 1,508,525 patients meeting inclusion criteria, 88,384 (5.9%) were tested for HCV, and 8694 (9.8%) of individuals tested had reactive results. Of the 6357 with HCV RNA testing, 4092 (64.4%) had detectable RNA. Twelve percent of individuals with chronic HCV and evaluable data initiated treatment. Of those, 87% reached SVR. Having commercial insurance (aOR, 2.11; 95% CI, 1.46-3.05), older age (aOR, 1.07; 95% CI, 1.06-1.09), and being Hispanic/Latino (aOR, 1.87; 95% CI, 1.38-2.53) or Asian/Pacific Islander (aOR, 2.47; 95% CI, 1.46-4.19) were independently associated with higher odds of treatment initiation after multivariable adjustment. In contrast, women (aOR, 0.76; 95% CI, 0.60-0.97) and the uninsured (aOR, 0.15; 95% CI, 0.09-0.25) were less likely to initiate treatment. Only 8% of individuals with chronic HCV were tested for HIV, and 15% of individuals with identified OUD were tested for HCV.

CONCLUSIONS

Fewer than 20% of individuals with identified OUD were tested for HCV. SVR was lower than findings in other real-world cohorts. Measures to improve outcomes should be considered with the expansion of HCV management into community clinics.

Real-life experience of ledipasvir and sofosbuvir single-tablet regimen among chronic hepatitis C patients in Turkey

BACKGROUND/AIMS

Ledipasvir (LDV) and sofosbuvir (SOF) as single-tablet regimen (STR) has been approved for treatment of chronic HCV infection (CHC) for treatment-naïve or experienced cirrhotic or non-cirrhotic patients. Our aim was to analyse the effectiveness and safety of 12-24 weeks treatment of LDV/SOF (90mg/400 mg)±ribavirin in a real-life setting in Turkey.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Between May-Dec 2016, 104 treatment-naïve or experienced adult patients with CHC and with or without cirrhosis (including decompensated cirrhosis) were included in this observational study. Patients were administered LDV/SOF STR± ribavirin once daily for 12 -24 weeks. SVR12 rates and effects of the baseline characteristics on SVR12 rates were assessed.

RESULTS

Out of 104 enrolled patients (61.5% female, mean age 62.0 years); 60.6% were cirrhotic, 76.0% previously used peg-IFN, 94.2% had GT1. At the end of the treatment, 77.8% (77/99, no data for 21 patients) had undetectable HCV-RNA and 98.9% (94/95) had SVR12. In the baseline characteristics subgroups, the SVR12 rates varied between 94.4% and 100%, and none of the baseline characteristics had a significant effect on the SVR12 rates. During the study, 6 (5.8%) patients died and none of the deaths was suspected to be related to the LDV/SOF. No treatment-emergent adverse event was reported.

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, LDV/SOF±ribavirin yielded very high SVR12 rates, without any safety or tolerability concern in Turkey. The effectiveness of the LDV/SOF treatment was not affected by the patient demographics or medical characteristics such as fibrosis level, cirrhosis status, previous treatment status, HCV-RNA level or HCV genotype.

Eight weeks of sofosbuvir/velpatasvir for genotype 3 hepatitis C in previously untreated patients with significant (F2/3) fibrosis

Twelve weeks sofosbuvir/velpatasvir (SOF/VEL) is a highly effective pan-genotypic regimen for hepatitis C. Phase 2 data suggest 8 weeks of treatment may be sufficient for previously untreated noncirrhotic patients with genotype 3 (GT3) infection. To maximize the number of patients potentially cured within a fixed treatment budget, we elected to treat such patients locally eligible for treatment (F2/3), with 8 weeks of SOF/VEL. By local protocol, treatment-naive patients with F2 (LSM > 6.9kPa < 9.5kPa) or F3 fibrosis (≥9.5kPa < 12.5kPa) were eligible for 8-week SOF/VEL treatment. Patients commencing treatment before 1 Oct 2017 were identified from the Scottish HCV database. Baseline and treatment outcome data obtained. Ninety patients were included for analysis (72 (80%) male, mean age 45 (IQR ± 8.4), 28 (31.1%) F3 fibrosis). Opioid agonist therapy (OAT) was prescribed in 82 (91.1%) patients. Of 49 patients attending Glasgow city Alcohol and Drug Services, 27 (55.1%) had evidence of recent drug use (< 3 months) including 8 (16.3%) with self-reported intravenous drug use. On an intention-to-treat basis, SVR rates were 86/90 (95.6%, 95% CI 89.0-98.8). Excluding those who prematurely discontinued treatment (n = 4), died prior to SVR testing (n = 1) or whom experienced reinfection (n = 1), per-protocol SVR rate was 84/84 (100%, 95% CI 95.7-100.0). In conclusion, eight-week SOF/VEL is highly effective in treatment-naive GT3 patients with significant fibrosis. This offers a non-protease inhibitor-based 8-week regimen which may be useful for complex drug interactions or where time-limited opportunity for treatment. In limited resource settings, reduction in drug acquisition costs may help achieve progress towards the goal of HCV elimination.

Effectiveness of 8 weeks of ledipasvir/sofosbuvir for hepatitis C in HCV-HIV-coinfected patients

BACKGROUND

Data is limited on the use of 8 weeks of therapy with ledipasvir/sofosbuvir (LDV/SOF) for special populations such as HCV-HIV-coinfected patients. The primary objective of this analysis was to compare sustained virological response at 12 weeks after end of therapy (SVR12) rates among HCV-monoinfected and HCV-HIV-coinfected patients in a real-world clinical setting. Additionally, we compared SVR12 rates among patients receiving 8 versus 12 weeks of therapy.

METHODS

This was a single-centre, retrospective study of HCV-infected patients prescribed LDV/SOF at ambulatory clinics associated with the University of Maryland Medical Center (UMMC) from May 2015 to May 2016. Data were obtained from UMMC electronic medical records and outpatient pharmacy claims database. Comparisons between groups were made using χ² or Fisher's exact test for categorical variables and Student's t-test or Wilcoxon rank-sum for continuous variables. All analyses were per-protocol; patients missing SVR12 data (25.2%) could not be evaluated for our stated objectives.

RESULTS

A total of 274 patients were included. Median age was 58 years; 62.8% were male; 82.5% were Black. SVR12 data was available for 65 HCV-HIV-coinfected patients, of which 62 (95.4%) achieved SVR12. There was no difference in SVR12 rate between HCV-HIV-coinfected patients and HCV-monoinfected patients (86/90; 95.6%; P=0.959). Additionally, there was no difference in SVR12 attainment between HIV-HCV-coinfected patients who received 8 versus 12 weeks of therapy (P=0.101).

CONCLUSIONS

8 weeks of LDV/SOF was effective for treatment-naive, non-cirrhotic, HCV genotype-1 patients in this real-world setting, regardless of HIV status. Increased uptake of the 8-week regimen can decrease costs for patients and payers without compromising outcomes.

Real-world effectiveness and safety of sofosbuvir and nonstructural protein 5A inhibitors for chronic hepatitis C genotype 1, 2, 3, 4, or 6: a multicentre cohort study

Background

We investigated real-world effectiveness and safety of sofosbuvir and the nonstructural protein 5A inhibitors in the treatment of patients infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotypes 1, 2, 3, 4, or 6.

Methods

We analyzed data from 1021 patients with HCV infection (506 with genotype 1; 16 with genotype 2; 314 with genotype 3; 13 with genotype 4; 166 with genotype 6) who received 12 to 24 weeks of daclatasvir plus sofosbuvir (n = 767), ledipasvir/sofosbuvir (n = 197), or sofosbuvir/velpatasvir (n = 57), with or without ribavirin in 12 centers across Thailand to estimate sustained virologic response at post-treatment week 12 (SVR12).

Results

Overall, SVR12 rate was 98.0% (95% confidence interval [CI], 96.7–98.8%) with daclatasvir plus sofosbuvir, 97.9% (95% CI, 94.8–99.2%) with ledipasvir/sofosbuvir, and 96.5% (95% CI, 88.1–99.0%) with sofosbuvir/velpatasvir. SVR12 was achieved by 99.2% (95% CI, 97.9–99.7%) of subjects with genotype 1 infection, 100% (95% CI, 78.5–100%) of those with genotype 2 infection, 96.7% (95% CI, 94.0–98.2%) of those with genotype 3 infection, 90.9% (95% CI, 62.3–98.4%) of those with genotype 4 infection, and 96.7% (95% CI 92.5–98.6%) of those with genotype 6 infection. Patients with advanced liver disease were at risk of treatment failure. Only four patients discontinued treatment before week 4 due to non-hepatic adverse events.

Conclusions

In this large cohort of patients with various HCV genotypes managed in the real-world practice setting, daclatasvir plus sofosbuvir, ledipasvir/sofosbuvir, and sofosbuvir/velpatasvir achieved high SVR rates with good safety profile, comparable to those observed in clinical trials.

Screening for Hepatitis C Virus Infection in Adolescents and Adults: Updated Evidence Report and Systematic Review for the US Preventive Services Task Force

IMPORTANCE

A 2013 review for the US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) of hepatitis C virus (HCV) screening found interferon-based antiviral therapy associated with increased likelihood of sustained virologic response (SVR) and an association between achieving an SVR and improved clinical outcomes. New direct-acting antiviral (DAA) regimens are available.

OBJECTIVE

To update the 2013 review on HCV screening to inform the USPSTF.

DATA SOURCES

Ovid MEDLINE, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews through February 2019, with surveillance through September 2019.

STUDY SELECTION

Randomized clinical trials (RCTs) and nonrandomized treatment studies of HCV screening and DAA therapy; cohort studies on screening, antiviral therapy, and the association between an SVR after antiviral therapy and clinical outcomes.

DATA EXTRACTION AND SYNTHESIS

One investigator abstracted data; a second checked accuracy. Two investigators independently rated study quality.

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES

Mortality, morbidity, quality of life, screening and treatment harms, and screening diagnostic yield.

RESULTS

Eight RCTs of DAA therapy vs placebo or an outdated antiviral regimen, 48 other treatment studies, and 33 cohort studies, with a total of 179 230 participants, were included. No study evaluated effects of HCV screening vs no screening. One new study since the 2013 review (n = 5917) found similar diagnostic yield of risk-based screening (sensitivity, 82%; number needed to screen to identify 1 HCV case, 15) and birth cohort screening (sensitivity, 76%; number needed to screen, 29), assuming perfect implementation. Ten open-label studies (n = 3292) reported small improvements in some quality-of-life and functional outcomes (eg, less than 3 points on the 0 to 100 36-Item Short Form Health Survey physical and mental component summary scales) after DAA treatment compared with before treatment. Two cohort studies (n = 24 686) found inconsistent associations of antiviral therapy vs no therapy with risk of hepatocellular carcinoma. Forty-nine treatment studies (n = 10 181) found DAA regimens associated with pooled SVR rates greater than 95% across genotypes, and low short-term rates of serious adverse events (1.9%) and withdrawal due to adverse events (0.4%). An SVR after antiviral therapy was associated with decreased adjusted risk of all-cause mortality (13 studies, n = 36 986; pooled hazard ratio [HR], 0.40 [95% CI, 0.28-0.56) and hepatocellular carcinoma (20 studies, n = 84 491; pooled HR, 0.29 [95% CI, 0.23 to 0.38]) vs no SVR.

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE

Direct evidence on the effects of HCV screening on clinical outcomes remains unavailable, but DAA regimens were associated with SVR rates greater than 5% and few short-term harms relative to older antiviral therapies. An SVR after antiviral therapy was associated with improved clinical outcomes compared with no SVR.

Loss to follow-up: A significant barrier in the treatment cascade with direct-acting therapies

Effectiveness of direct-acting antiviral (DAA) therapies could be influenced by patient characteristics such as comorbid conditions, which could lead to premature treatment discontinuation and/or irregular medical follow-ups. Here, we evaluate loss to follow-up and treatment effectiveness of sofosbuvir/ledipasvir ± ribavirin (SOF/LDV ± RBV), ombitasvir/paritaprevir/ritonavir + dasabuvir ± ribavirin (OBV/PTV/r + DSV ± RBV) for hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype 1 (GT1) and sofosbuvir + ribavirin (SOF + RBV) for genotype 3 (GT3) in British Columbia Canada: The British Columbia Hepatitis Testers Cohort includes data on individuals tested for HCV since 1992, integrated with medical visit, hospitalization and prescription drug data. HCV-positive individuals who initiated DAA regimens, irrespective of treatment completion, for GT1 and GT3 until 31 December, 2017 were included. Factors associated with sustained virological response (SVR) and loss to follow-up were assessed by using multivariable logistic regression models. In total 4477 individuals initiated DAAs. The most common prescribed DAA was SOF/LDV ± RBV with SVR of 95%. The highest SVR of 99.5% was observed among OBV/PTV/r + DSV-treated patients. Overall, 453 (10.1%) individuals were lost to follow-up. Higher loss to follow-up was observed among GT1 patients treated with OBV (17.8%) and GT3 patients (15.7%). The loss to follow-up rate was significantly higher among individuals aged <60 years, those with a history of injection drug use (IDU), on opioid substitution therapy and with cirrhosis. Our findings indicate that loss to follow-up exceeds viral failure in HCV DAA therapy and its rate varies significantly by genotype and treatment regimen. Depending on the aetiology of lost to follow-up, personalized case management for those with medical complications and supporting services among IDU are needed to achieve the full benefits of effective treatments.

Hepatitis C virus treatment response to ledipasvir/sofosbuvir among patients coinfected with HIV and HCV: Real world data in a black population

Treatment of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection for patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) has improved with direct acting antivirals. However, outcomes among Black persons treated with ledipasvir/sofosbuvir (LDV/SOF) may be inferior to non-Blacks. We assessed responses to LDV/SOF in a cohort of Black HIV/HCV coinfected persons.Retrospective chart reviews were conducted for Black, genotype 1 (GT1), HIV/HCV coinfected patients treated with LDV/SOF at 3 hospitals in Newark, NJ between January 2014 and July 2016. Data collected included demographics, HCV treatment history, treatment duration, and response.One hundred seventeen HIV/HCV coinfected Black patients started treatment with LDV/SOF but 5 had no follow-up data and 5 prematurely discontinued treatment (1 due to side effects). We included 107 HIV/HCV coinfected patients who completed LDV/SOF at all 3 sites. The study population was 65% male, median age 58 years, 26% had cirrhosis, and 78% had GT1a. Thirty-one percent were treatment experienced but none with prior NS5a treatment. At baseline, median CD4 count was 680 cells/mm, HIV viral load (VL) was <40 copies/mL in 94% and median HCV VL was 2,257,403 IU/mL. Twenty-nine percent of patients changed antiretroviral treatment before LDV/SOF treatment due to drug interactions. Six, 89, and 12 patients completed 8, 12, and 24 weeks of LDV/SOF, respectively. Overall sustained virologic response rate was 93% with 7 relapses.In this real-world cohort of Black, GT1, HIV/HCV coinfected patients, LDV/SOF had high sustained virologic response 12 weeks post completion of treatment rate of 93%. This data supports the overall high efficacy of LDV/SOF in a historically difficult-to-treat patient population.

Sofosbuvir-based regimens in the treatment of patients with chronic hepatitis C virus infection: Real-world efficacy in Thailand

Aims

To analyze the efficacy and safety of sofosbuvir (SOF)-based regimens in Thai patients with chronic hepatitis C virus infection who had pre-existing significant liver fibrosis.

Patients and methods

This was a retrospective cohort study, conducted between 1 June 2018 and 31 May 2019 at Rajavithi Hospital, Bangkok, Thailand. All patients completed 12 weeks of SOF-based regimens and had follow-up for at least 12 weeks after therapy discontinuation. The primary outcome was sustained virological response (SVR) 12 weeks after the end of therapy.

Result

A total of 185 patients were included, with 52, 63 and 70 taking SOF+Ledipasvir (SOF+LDV), SOF+LDV+ribavirin (RBV) and SOF+Pegylated interferon (Peg-IFN)+RBV (SOF+Peg-IFN+RBV) respectively. Genotype (GT) 1 was predominant at 40.0%, followed by GT3 at 37.8%, and GT6 at 22.2%. Overall 95.1% of patients in this study achieved SVR (n = 176/185), and the only factor associated with SVR was HCV genotype (p = 0.001). GT6 patients had lower SVR rates compared to GT1 and GT3 patients (82.9%, 98.6%, and 98.6% respectively) while there was no association between SVR and other factors (p >0.05) such as gender, age, BMI, underlying cirrhosis, baseline HCV viral load, or prior treatment history. No serious adverse events were reported in the present study.

Conclusion

Sofosbuvir-based regimens in the treatment of patients with chronic HCV infection were highly efficacious with excellent safety and tolerability profiles in a real-world setting; however, further research is required to establish whether or not such a regimen is an adequate treatment for all genotype 6 patients.

WITHDRAWN: The next frontier: universal hepatitis C virus screening in pregnant women

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Efficacy of Posttransplant Ledipasvir-Sofosbuvir in the Treatment of Patients Who Have Undergone Chronic Hepatitis C-Related Liver Transplant

OBJECTIVES

This study investigated the efficacy of ledipasvir-sofosbuvir, a newly developed direct-acting antiviral drug combination for hepatitis C virus infection recurrence in patients who have developed cirrhosis secondary to hepatitis C virus and who have undergone liver transplant.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We retrospectively analyzed 27 patients who underwent liver transplant due to hepatitis C virus-related cirrhosis and who received ledipasvir-sofosbuvirfor 12 weeks between January 1, 2016 and December 31, 2017 following transplant procedures conducted at the Inonu University Turgut Ozal Medical Center Gastroenterology Department between January 1, 2008 and December 31, 2017. None of the donors had hepatitis C virus infection. Most donor grafts used in transplants were from children of recipients, with the remaining donated grafts from husbands (7%), nephews (4%), wives (7%), and deceased donors (7%).

RESULTS

Twenty patients were ultimately included in the study. Hepatitis C virus genotypes, hepatitis C virus RNA, blood counts, and liver enzyme levels of patients before and at 1, 2, and 6 months after treatment were evaluated. At the end of month 6, in addition to hepatitis C virus RNA levels of all patients decreased to unmeasurable levels, levels of alanine and aspartate aminotransferase and gamma-glutamyltransferase had also significantly decreased (all P < .001). None of the patients experienced a complication that led to cessation of treatment.

CONCLUSIONS

With its reliability and high success rate, the ledipasvir-sofosbuvir combination is a strongly preferable treatment for patients who have undergone liver transplant due to chronic hepatitis C virus-related cirrhosis and who have virus recurrence posttransplant.

Frequency of Potential Drug-Drug Interactions in the Changing Field of HCV Therapy

Background

With the introduction of direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) for hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, drug-drug interactions (DDIs) emerged as significant challenge. Since then, HCV therapy and the infected population have rapidly changed. So far, very limited data are available regarding the clinical relevance of DDIs when using most modern DAA regimens. We aimed to assess how the importance of DDIs has evolved over time.

Methods

From January 2014 to July 2018, 668 consecutive HCV patients were evaluated for their outpatient medication and assessed for DDIs with DAAs. Different time periods were defined based on market approval of key DAAs: A (01/2014-11/2014), B (11/2014-08/2016), and C (08/2016-07/2018).

Results

The frequency of patients with real-world DDIs was highest in period B (A: 37.1%, B: 49.6%, C: 38.8%). The recently approved DAAs (period C) theoretically showed a lower DDI risk profile. However, real-world DDIs were still comparable to period A, as HCV patients' characteristics changed (eg, age ≥75 years: A: 3.1%, B: 9.8%, C: 5.6%; polypharmacy/patients with ≥8 drugs: A: 11.1%, B: 15.2%, C: 17.2%). Furthermore, although DDIs via CYP 3A4 became less important for some modern regimens, other mechanisms like an altered pH value in the stomach, causing reduced bioavailability, evolved. Relevant DDIs most frequently occurred with proton pump inhibitors, metamizole, statins, and carvedilol.

Conclusions

DDIs during antiviral treatment still affect about 40% of HCV patients. The lower DDI potential of modern DAA regimens is partly counteracted by changing patient characteristics. Therefore, DDIs should not be underestimated.

Treatment of HCV infection with direct-acting antiviral agents. Real life experiences from the Euro-Asian region

BACKGROUND/AIMS

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a common disease that causes liver cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma, and extra hepatic manifestations with high mortality and morbidity rates. This study aimed to present real-life experiences and results of treatment of HCV infection with direct-acting antiviral agents (DAAs) from the Euro-Asian region, including Turkey and Azerbaijan.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A total of 1224 patients with chronic HCV infection were treated with DAAs in accordance with the international guidelines for the management of HCV infection. The mean age was 58.74±14.75 years, with 713 (58.25%) females. The genotypes of the patients were as follows: genotype 1b, 83.36% (n=1024); genotype 1a, 8.08% (n=99); genotype 2, 2.85% (n=35); genotype 3, 3.34% (n=41); genotype 4, 1.71% (n=21); and combined genotypes, 0.32% (n=4). Approximately 808 patients were treated with sofosbuvir-based DAAs with or without Ribavirin for 12 or 24 weeks, whereas 416 patients were treated with the Paritaprevir, Ombitasvir, Ritonavir.Dasabuvir (PROD) regimen with or without Ribavirin for 12 weeks or 24 weeks.

RESULTS

At the end of follow-up examinations, 1183 patients (97.93%) had sustained virological response (SVR), 17 (1.40%) died of reasons unrelated to the treatment regimen, 12 had recurrence after treatment, and 129 (10.67%) had adverse events like anemia, itching, and weakness.

CONCLUSION

In this large cohort of HCV-infected patients, treatment with DAAs yielded a high overall SVR rate of 97.93%. DAAs were safe and well-tolerated. Thus, the elimination of HCV infection is no longer a dream worldwide.

Effects of sofosbuvir/ledipasvir therapy on chronic hepatitis C virus genotype 4, infected children of 3-6 years of age

BACKGROUND & AIMS

Treatment of children aged 3-6 genotype 4 is still limited by the interferon side effects. We aimed in this study to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of sofosbuvir/ledipasvir in children (3-6 years) genotype 4 chronic HCV-infected patients.

METHODS

In total, 22 consecutive chronic HCV-infected patients (mean age 4.8 ± 0.9years, 19 males) were included in this prospective study. All patients received sofosbuvir 200 mg/ledipasvir 45 mg in a single oral daily dose. Patients were randomly subdivided into two groups according the duration of treatment into 8 and 12 weeks. All the clinical and laboratory data were collected. All the side effects were recorded from the patients or their parents. Follow-up were made at Week 4, 8 and 12 and 12 weeks after the end of treatment (SVR12).

RESULTS

The overall SVR12 rate was 100%. At Week 4, 9/11 patients in the 12-week group (81.8%; 95% CI: 52.3%-94.7%) achieved virologic negativity, vs 10/11 (90.9%; 95% CI: 62.3%-98.4%) in the 8-week group. At Week 8, 10/11 (90.8%; 95% CI: 62.3%-98.4%) in the 12-week group vs 11/11 (100%; 95% CI: 74.1%-100%) in the 8-week group were virologically negative. The reported side effects were cough, abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea especially early in the treatment. The main complaint was difficulty in swallowing the tablets in the youngest patient at the beginning of the course of treatment. All patients were compliant to treatment.

CONCLUSION

Sofosbuvir/ledipasvir combination is safe and tolerable in the chronic infected HCV genotype 4 infected children (3-6 years). The 8-week treatment duration is similarly effective as the 12-week duration.

Has Increased Rollout of Direct Acting Antiviral Therapy Decreased the Burden of Late Presentation and Advanced Liver Disease in Patients Starting Hepatitis C Virus Therapy in Germany?

GOALS AND BACKGROUND

International guidelines recommend prioritized treatment initiation in hepatitis C virus (HCV)-infected patients with advanced liver disease. We aimed to evaluate whether the widespread usage of direct acting antivirals (DAAs) has led to a decrease in late presentation for care.

STUDY

Data derived from the multicenter German Hepatitis C Cohort (GECCO) was analyzed. Treatment naive HCV-infected patients initiating DAA-based treatment between January 2014 and September 2017 were included. Advanced liver disease was defined by aspartate aminotransferase to platelet ratio index score ≥1.5, METAVIR≥F3, or FibroScan ≥9.5 kPa. Period prevalence and risk factors for late presentation were evaluated.

RESULTS

Six hundred fifty-three HCV-monoinfected and 210 HIV/HCV-coinfected patients (mean age, 48.6±12.7 y; 65.5% male) were included. Overall 32.5% of patients had advanced liver disease. In 2014 39.4% of patients presented with advanced liver disease, decreasing to 30.1%, 34.4%, and 26.4% in the years 2015, 2016, and 2017 (P=0.057), respectively. Patients with and without advanced liver disease differed in age (P<0.0001), CD4 ≤350/µL (P=0.027), genotype (P=0.005), transmission route (P=0.047), body mass index (P<0.001), and time since diagnosis (P=0.007). In the multivariable binary logistic regression analysis GT3, age above 45 years and being diagnosed >2 years ago were positively and HCV transmission through men who have sex with men was negatively associated with advanced liver disease.

CONCLUSIONS

Overall 32.5% of patients presented with advanced liver disease. We observed a trend toward a lower proportion of patients starting treatment late.GT3, age, years since HCV diagnosis and HCV transmission route were identified as risk factors for presentation with advanced liver disease.

HIV/HCV therapy with ledipasvir/sofosbuvir after randomized switch to emtricitabine-tenofovir alafenamide-based single-tablet regimens

INTRODUCTION

Guidelines advocate the treatment of HCV in all HIV/HCV co-infected individuals. The aim of this randomized, open-label study (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02707601; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02707601) was to evaluate the safety/efficacy of ledipasvir/sofosbuvir (LDV/SOF) co-administered with elvitegravir/cobicistat/emtricitabine/tenofovir alafenamide (E/C/F/TAF) or rilpivirine/F/TAF (R/F/TAF) in HIV-1/HCV co-infected participants.

METHODS

Participants with HIV-1 RNA <50 copies/mL and chronic HCV-genotype (GT) 1 (HCV treatment-naïve ± compensated cirrhosis or HCV treatment-experienced non-cirrhotic) were randomized 1:1 to switch to E/C/F/TAF or R/F/TAF. If HIV suppression was maintained at Week 8, participants received 12 weeks of LDV/SOF. The primary endpoint was sustained HCV virologic response 12 weeks after LDV/SOF completion (SVR12).

RESULTS

Of 150 participants, 148 received ≥1 dose of HIV study drug and 144 received LDV/SOF (72 in each F/TAF group; 83% GT1a, 94% HCV treatment-naïve, 12% cirrhotic). Overall, SVR12 was 97% (95% confidence interval: 93-99%). Black race did not affect SVR12. Of four participants not achieving SVR12, one had HCV relapse, one had HCV virologic non-response due to non-adherence, and two missed the post-HCV Week 12 visit. Of 148 participants, 96% receiving E/C/F/TAF and 95% receiving R/F/TAF maintained HIV suppression at Week 24; no HIV resistance was detected. No participant discontinued LDV/SOF or E/C/F/TAF due to adverse events; one participant discontinued R/F/TAF due to worsening of pre-existing hypercholesterolemia. Renal toxicity was not observed in either F/TAF regimen during LDV/SOF co-administration. In conclusion, high rates of HCV SVR12 and maintenance of HIV suppression were achieved with LDV/SOF and F/TAF-based regimens.

CONCLUSION

This study supports LDV/SOF co-administered with an F/TAF-based regimen in HIV-1/HCV-GT1 co-infected patients.

Improved Hepatitis C Cure Cascade Outcomes Among Urban Baby Boomers in the Direct-Acting Antiviral Era

OBJECTIVES

We compared outcomes of the hepatitis C virus (HCV) cure cascade (ie, the path a patient follows from diagnosis to cure), including antiviral treatment outcomes, from 2 HCV screening programs. Our objective was to assess whether treatment uptake and HCV cure rates improved in the cohort screened after the release of all-oral HCV direct-acting antiviral therapies.

METHODS

We retrospectively compared outcomes of the HCV cure cascade from a cohort of newly diagnosed patients screened during 2012-2014 (period 1) with outcomes from a cohort of newly diagnosed patients screened during 2015-2016 (period 2) at Grady Health System in Atlanta, Georgia. Cure cascade outcomes included HCV antibody (anti-HCV) and RNA testing, linkage to care, antiviral treatment, and sustained virologic response.

RESULTS

During period 1, 412 of 5274 (7.8%) persons screened were anti-HCV positive, and 264 (69.3%) of those tested were RNA positive. During period 2, 462 of 7137 (6.5%) persons screened were anti-HCV positive, and 240 (59.3%) of those tested were RNA positive (P = .003). The percentage of newly diagnosed patients who were treated during period 2 (64.0%) was 3 times that of newly diagnosed patients treated during period 1 (21.2%; P < .001). Both cohorts had similarly high levels of linkage to care (95.8% during period 1, 95.4% during period 2) and cure (92.6% during period 1, 95.5% during period 2).

CONCLUSIONS

Over time, the prevalence of anti-HCV and HCV RNA positivity declined substantially, and linkage-to-care and cure rates remained high. Treatment uptake increased significantly after the introduction of all-oral direct-acting antiviral therapy. These findings suggest that combining large-scale screening initiatives with treatment programs can speed progress toward HCV elimination.

A Randomized Controlled Trial to Assess the Impact of Clinical Pharmacy Interventions on Treatment Outcomes, Health Related Quality of Life and Medication Adherence Among Hepatitis C Patients

PURPOSE

The role of specialized pharmacy services remains unexplored in clinical practice for hepatitis C patients in Pakistan. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of clinical pharmacy interventions on treatment outcomes, health-related quality of life (HRQoL), and medication adherence among hepatitis C patients.

METHODS

A randomized control trial was conducted at two tertiary-care teaching hospitals in Pakistan. Hepatitis C patients who attended the outpatient clinics between October 2015 and September 2018 were randomized to two groups [usual care (UC) and pharmaceutical care (PC)] in a 1:1 ratio, applying simple envelope method. The PC group received pharmaceutical care led by a clinical pharmacist. The care that patients received included education and counseling on medication compliance, labeling of medication packs, and monitoring of adverse drug events, led by a qualified clinical pharmacist during the 15- to 20-minute monthly sessions, while the UC group received standard care at hospital, which did not involve clinical pharmacist input. Outcome measures, such as sustained virological response, HRQoL, and adherence rate (pharmacy data) were assessed at enrolment and distinct time intervals: 4 weeks, 8 weeks, and end of treatment.

RESULTS

A total of 931 patients were included in the study (UC 466 and PC 465), with mean age 42.35±1.9 years. Sustained virological response at 12 weeks was achieved in 86.0% patients in the PC group, significantly (p<0.001) higher than the UC (69.3%) group. Fewer patients (9.9%) in the PC group reported mobility problems, significantly fewer (p<0.001) than the UC group (11.8%). Self-care, usual activity, pain, and depression were relieved significantly in the PC group compared to the UC group. The EuroQol visual analogue scale (baseline 56.1 of UC group versus 55.2 for PC group) was raised to 71.8 and 71.9 in the UC and PC groups, respectively. Medication adherence was significantly improved (p<0.001) in the PC group (88.6%) when compared to the UC group (77.9%, 95% CI 88.9%-91.9%).

CONCLUSION

Pharmacist-led clinical pharmacy interventions as part of multidisciplinary care had a significant impact on improving cure rates, HRQoL, and medication adherence for hepatitis C patients. This study suggests that clinical pharmacists should be incorporated into the multidisciplinary health-care team for care of hepatitis C patients.

Direct-Acting Antiviral Therapy for Hepatitis C Infection in a Large Immigrant Community

Hepatitis C treatment has rapidly evolved with the arrival of direct-acting antiviral therapy. Sustained virologic response (SVR) rates in clinical trials are high but it is unknown how this translates to the immigrant community. Data from December 2013 to September 2015 was collected from a Midwest academic and community practice with a large immigrant population. There were 802 patients with an overall SVR rate of 88%. Ledipasvir/sofosbuvir was associated with favorable response among genotype 1 and 4 patients compared to other regimens (p < 0.001 and p = 0.05). Factors associated with treatment failure included advanced liver disease, male gender, East African/Middle Eastern ethnicity, and non-compliance. Patients with genotype 4 had lower SVR rates than other genotypes (58% vs. 89%, p < 0.001), particularly among East Africans (40% vs. 82% for other ethnicities). Our SVR rate for genotype 4 infection is lower than clinical trials and may be related to cultural, biologic and socioeconomic factors.

Sustained virologic response with 6 weeks or less of direct-acting antiviral therapy for chronic hepatitis C: Experience at a veterans affairs healthcare system

BACKGROUND AND AIM

Duration of treatment for chronic hepatitis C infection has been shortened since the introduction of highly effective direct-acting antivirals (DAAs). Presented is our experience in successful treatment of veterans with chronic hepatitis C infection, with a shorter than currently recommended duration of therapy.

METHODS

Retrospective chart review of veterans with chronic hepatitis C infection who received more than 1 week and up to 6 weeks (8-42 days) of DAA therapy with the initiation day between January 1, 2015, and October 15, 2018, at Bay Pines Veterans Affairs Healthcare System. Successful treatment was defined by a sustained virologic response at 12 weeks (SVR-12) since the end of treatment.

RESULTS

Of the 1841 veterans treated, 27 met the criteria for this review. Overall, SVR-12 was achieved in 92.6% of veterans treated for a duration of more than 1 week and up to 6 weeks. Amongst those who completed only 4 weeks of therapy, 93.3% achieved SVR-12. All four veterans (100%) treated for a duration of more than 4 weeks and up to 6 weeks achieved SVR-12.

CONCLUSIONS

Amongst the chronically infected hepatitis C population, a subpopulation who could achieve SVR with a shorter course of treatment than currently recommended does exist. A prospective study of a larger scale will likely provide helpful data in this regard. Our findings could be an impetus for further work.

Evolution of renal function under direct-acting antivirals treatment for chronic hepatitis C: A real-world experience

Renal toxicity of direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) in chronic hepatitis C (CHC) patients has not been well-characterized. The aim of this study was to assess renal safety of DAAs in an Asian CHC patient cohort. Data from CHC patients (n = 1536) treated with DAAs were used in this retrospective study. Serial estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) at pretreatment (1-year prior to treatment), baseline, end of treatment (EOT), and 12 weeks after treatment (SVR₁₂ ) was evaluated. While a significant decrease in eGFR from baseline to EOT (84.8 → 81.8 mL/min/1.73 m² , P < .001) was observed; subsequently, a slight rise at SVR₁₂ (84.3 mL/min/1.73 m² ) was also evident. Changes in eGFR after DAA treatment were similar to those seen in PrOD, DCV/ASV and GZP/EBV regimens, except in the SOF-based regimen wherein eGFR remained unchanged from EOT to SVR₁₂ , especially in liver transplant recipients. Multivariate analysis revealed that age >65 years (OR = 1.862, P = .011), baseline eGFR ≥ 60 mL/min/1.73 m² (OR = 2.684, P = .023), and liver transplant (OR = 3.894, P = .001) were independent risk factors for deteriorating renal function. In conclusion, DAA treatment led to a significant decline in eGFR at EOT but was followed by a slight rise at 12 weeks after treatment. A similar trend was observed with PrOD, DCV/ASV and GZP/EBV, but not in SOF-based regimens. As age >65 years, baseline eGFR ≥ 60 mL/min/1.73 m² and liver transplantation are significant risk factors for deterioration in renal function, we strongly advice close monitoring of renal function in these populations.

Efficacy of Glecaprevir and Pibrentasvir in Patients With Genotype 1 Hepatitis C Virus Infection With Treatment Failure After NS5A Inhibitor Plus Sofosbuvir Therapy

BACKGROUND & AIMS

Treatment options are limited for patients with hepatitis C (HCV) infection with treatment failure after sofosbuvir plus an NS5A inhibitor. There are some data for the efficacy of glecaprevir/pibrentasvir (G/P) in these patients. We performed a randomized trial of the safety and efficacy of 12 and 16 weeks of G/P, with or without ribavirin, in patients with HCV genotype 1 infection with treatment failure after sofosbuvir and an NS5A inhibitor.

METHODS

We performed a phase 3b, open-label study of patients with chronic HCV genotype 1 infection who received previous treatment with sofosbuvir plus an NS5A inhibitor. Patients without cirrhosis were randomly assigned to groups that received G/P for 12 weeks (n = 78, group A) or 16 weeks (n = 49, group B). Patients with compensated cirrhosis were randomly assigned to groups that received G/P and ribavirin for 12 weeks (n = 21, group C) or G/P for 16 weeks (n = 29, group D). The primary end point was a sustained virologic response 12 weeks after treatment. Samples collected at baseline and at time of treatment failure were sequenced for resistance-associated substitutions in NS3 and NS5A.

RESULTS

Of the 177 patients in the 4 groups, 81% were men, 79% had HCV genotype 1a infection, and 44% were black. Proportions of patients with sustained virologic response 12 weeks after treatment in groups A, B, C, and D were 90%, 94%, 86%, and 97%, respectively. The treatment failed in 13 (7.3%) patients with HCV genotype 1a infection, 6 (7.9%) in group A, 3 (6.1%) in group B, 3 (6.1%) in group C (6.1%), and 1 (3.4%) in group D. Most patients had baseline resistance-associated substitutions in NS5A. Treatment-emergent resistance-associated substitutions in NS3 and NS5A were observed in 9 and 10 patients with treatment failure, respectively. G/P was well tolerated. Ribavirin increased adverse events but did not increase efficacy.

CONCLUSIONS

In a randomized study of patients with chronic HCV genotype 1 infection who received previous treatment with sofosbuvir plus an NS5A inhibitor, 16 weeks treatment with G/P produced sustained virologic response 12 weeks after treatment in >90% of patients, including those with compensated cirrhosis. ClinicalTrials.gov, Number: NCT03092375.

Utility of the new cobas HCV test for viral load monitoring during direct-acting antiviral therapy

Background

The COBAS AmpliPrep/COBAS TaqMan assay HCV (CAP/CTM) is widely used in clinical routine for HCV testing. Recently, the new cobas HCV test was established for high throughput testing with minimal operator intervention. As different assays may yield different quantitative/qualitative results that possibly impact treatment decisions, the aim of this study was to externally evaluate the cobas HCV test performance in comparison to CAP/CTM in a clinically relevant setting.

Methods

Serum samples were obtained from 270 patients who received direct acting antiviral therapy with different treatment regimens at two study sites (Hannover and Frankfurt) in 2016. Overall, 1545 samples (baseline, on-treatment and follow-up) were tested in parallel by both assays.

Results

The mean difference between cobas HCV and CAP/CTM for the quantification of HCV RNA was 0.008 log₁₀ IU/ml HCV RNA (95% limits of agreement: -0.02–0.036) showing excellent agreement of both assays. With respect to clinical cut offs (HCV RNA detectable vs. target not detected and HCV RNA above the lower limit of quantification (LLOQ) vs. <LLOQ), discordant results were obtained in 9.5% and 4.6%, respectively; the greatest differences were observed during early stages of antiviral therapy (week 1, week 2 and week 4), but none were statistically significant. Overall percent agreement for SVR between cobas HCV and CAP/CTM at the 15 IU/ml cutoff was 99.2% (95%CI 92.7%-100%).

Conclusion

The performance of the new cobas HCV test was comparable to CAP/CTM in a clinical setting representing a large patient population with HCV GT 1 and 3 treated with DAAs.

Demonstration of Near-Elimination of Hepatitis C Virus Among a Prison Population: The Lotus Glen Correctional Centre Hepatitis C Treatment Project

Micro-elimination of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection through rapid uptake of government-funded direct-acting antiviral therapy within an Australian prison setting is demonstrated. During a 22-month period, 119 patients initiated treatment for chronic HCV infection, with HCV in-prison viremic prevalence declining from 12% to 1%.

Direct-acting antivirals for HCV treatment in older patients: A systematic review and meta-analysis

The advent of highly effective and well-tolerated direct antiviral antivirals (DAAs) has dramatically changed the landscape of chronic hepatitis C. The effect of DAAs in older adults is difficult to determine since patients aged ≥ 65 years were too few in most clinical trials and data mainly come from observational studies. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the efficacy and safety of DAAs in patients aged 65 and older. PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, ClinicalTrials.gov, HCV-Trials.com databases were searched for literature published until 1 December 2017. English language articles reporting results of phase 2 or 3 randomized controlled trials (RCTs), single-arm clinical trials (SATs) and observational studies were included in the final analysis. All studies included subgroups of older patients and compared their outcomes with younger individuals. By using a random-effects or fixed-effects model, odds ratio (OR) was calculated for the efficacy and safety. Heterogeneity was tested using I² statistics. Thirty-seven studies reported data on the DAA efficacy. The OR was 1.66 (95%CI: 1.00-2.75; P = 0.06) in meta-analysis of RCTs, and similar results were found in SATs and observational studies. HCV genotype, stage of fibrosis or HIV co-infection did not affect the rate of SVR in older persons. Prevalence of anaemia (OR 0.26 95%CI: 0.09-0.69; P = 0.007) (OR 0.25 95%CI: 0.09-0.69; P = 0.007) and skin complaints (OR 0.61 95%CI: 0.45-0.83; P = 0.001) was higher in older adults. Finally, geriatric patients affected by chronic HCV infection can be safely treated with DAAs with the same efficacy reported in younger adults.

Viral hepatitis C treatment shortening - what is the limit?

Successful antiviral treatment for hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is crucial to prevent progression of the disease and its most serious complications. Therapy options have changed over the years with improvement of treatment efficacy, safety and simplification. They evolved from interferon and ribavirin combination administered for 24-72 weeks through interferon (IFN)-based triple therapies with 24-48 weeks duration to the all-oral, well-tolerated direct-acting antiviral regimens lasting for 8-16 weeks and with almost 100% cure rates. The benefits of shorter treatment duration are cost reduction, access to therapy for more patients, and lower risk of adverse events and nonadherence. This review summarizes data on treatment options, focusing on the recommended durations of different regimens depending on HCV genotype, severity of liver disease and history of previous therapy. According to currently available data, shortening treatment below 8 weeks does not provide additional benefits, although the further simplification of therapy is still a subject of study.

Universal Screening of Pregnant Women for Hepatitis C: The Time Is Now

The epidemiology of hepatitis C virus (HCV) has changed significantly over the last decade. Once most prevalent among older adults, the current burden has disproportionately affected young adults including women of childbearing age (WOCA). The Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine recently issued guidelines that made no change in the recommendation to screen pregnant women based on risk factors. The current burden in young adults including WOCA supports a change in strategy away from risk-based screening to universal HCV screening in pregnancy. Universal screening offers several advantages that position us for a future where HCV treatment in pregnancy can happen and offers us progress toward the elimination of HCV.

Resistance-associated substitution and ledipasvir/sofosbuvir therapy in Mongolian chronic hepatitis C patients

BACKGROUND

Mongolia has the highest prevalence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection worldwide. Ledipasvir/sofosbuvir (LDV/SOF) was introduced to Mongolia since 2016 for HCV eradication. It has been reported that HCV resistance-associated substitutions (RASs) would affect the effectiveness of LDV/SOF in western chronic hepatitis C (CHC) patients. We thus investigated the effectiveness of LDV/SOF and the impact of RAS on the treatment outcome in Mongolian CHC patients.

METHODS

Patients with genotype (GT) 1b HCV infection were prospectively enrolled in Mongolia and treated with LDV/SOF for 12 weeks. The proportion of pre-treatment NS5A Y93H RAS in viral quasispecies was measured with next-generation sequencing. The endpoint of LDV/SOF effectiveness was sustained virological response at post-treatment week 12 (SVR12).

RESULTS

A total of 94 CHC patients were evaluated. The baseline Y93H proportion was <1% in 74 patients, 1-15% in 7, 15-50% in 2, and ≥50% in 11. All patients completed 12-week LDV/SOF treatment and the SVR rate was 90.4%. The rate of failure to achieve SVR12 for patients with Y93H < 1%, 1-15%, and ≥15% were 0%, 14.3%, and 61.5%, respectively (p for trend = 0.001). In univariable analysis, older age, baseline alanine transaminase level <40 U/mL, and a higher proportion of Y93H were associated with treatment failure. In multivariable analysis, only a higher proportion of Y93H was associated with treatment failure (p = 0.022).

CONCLUSION

LDV/SOF therapy achieves a high SVR rate in Mongolian CHC GT1b patients without baseline Y93H RAS. A higher proportion of Y93H may severely undermine the effectiveness of LDV/SOF.

Efficacy of Direct-Acting Antivirals for Chronic Hepatitis C in a Large Cohort of Older Adults in the United States

OBJECTIVES

Data on the virologic response and tolerability of direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) are lacking in older people because these individuals are underrepresented in clinical trials. This study aimed to assess the effectiveness and tolerability of DAA regimens in older individuals in a large cohort of real-life clinical practice.

METHODS

In this retrospective study, patients with chronic hepatitis C infection between 2017 and 2018 were divided into patients aged 65 years and older and those younger than 65 years. We evaluated the sustained virologic response rates (SVRs) in both groups. Further subgroup analyses on the SVRs for patients aged 65 to 74, 75 to 84, and 85 years and older were performed. We also analyzed the predictors of treatment response in older individuals.

RESULTS

Among 1151 eligible patients, 516 were in the older group and 635 were in the younger group. The overall treatment response in the entire cohort was 97.7%. A significantly higher percentage of patients presented with advanced stages of fibrosis in the older group (53.1% vs 39.5%; P = <.001). The SVR rates were similar between the two groups (98.3% vs 97.7%; P = .18). In multivariate models, age was not predictive of SVR after adjusting for confounders. Subgroup analyses in the age groups of 65 to 74, 75 to 84, and older than 85 years showed similar treatment response rates (97.4%, 97.2%, and 86.7, respectively; P = .06) and advanced fibrosis (50.8%, 61.5%, and 53.3%, respectively; P = .14).

CONCLUSION

Although older people exhibit a significantly higher frequency of fibrosis, DAAs produce high rates of SVR in all age groups, and the age of the patient does not seem to have a significant impact on the efficacy of DAAs including patients in the oldest age category (≥75 y). Treatment should not be withheld in older individuals. J Am Geriatr Soc 68:379-387, 2020.

Citius, Altius, Fortius: The New Paradigm in the Treatment of Chronic Hepatitis C Disease

With the advent of the direct-acting antiviral agents (DAAs) for chronic hepatitis C infection, the treatment paradigm has dramatically changed, especially the duration, tolerability, and response to therapy. The DAAs fall into several classes and are variously indicated in the treatment of one or more genotypes of infection. All these agents are orally administered and, as they are largely renally eliminated (with exceptions), do not require adjustment in mild to moderate renal insufficiency. Most of these agents demonstrate a high barrier to resistance and are extremely well-tolerated by patients. Overall efficacy rates are ≥90%.

Hepatitis C

Hepatitis C is a global health problem, and an estimated 71·1 million individuals are chronically infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV). The global incidence of HCV was 23·7 cases per 100 000 population (95% uncertainty interval 21·3-28·7) in 2015, with an estimated 1·75 million new HCV infections diagnosed in 2015. Globally, the most common infections are with HCV genotypes 1 (44% of cases), 3 (25% of cases), and 4 (15% of cases). HCV transmission is most commonly associated with direct percutaneous exposure to blood, via blood transfusions, health-care-related injections, and injecting drug use. Key high-risk populations include people who inject drugs, men who have sex with men, and prisoners. Approximately 10-20% of individuals who are chronically infected with HCV develop complications, such as cirrhosis, liver failure, and hepatocellular carcinoma over a period of 20-30 years. Direct-acting antiviral therapy is now curative, but it is estimated that only 20% of individuals with hepatitis C know their diagnosis, and only 15% of those with known hepatitis C have been treated. Increased diagnosis and linkage to care through universal access to affordable point-of-care diagnostics and pangenotypic direct-acting antiviral therapy is essential to achieve the WHO 2030 elimination targets.

Hepatitis C in Patients With Minimal or No Hepatic Fibrosis: The Impact of Treatment and Sustained Virologic Response on Patient-Reported Outcomes

Background

While the necessity of treatment of hepatitis C virus (HCV)-infected patients with advanced liver disease is widely accepted, the benefit of treating patients without significant liver disease is less well established. Our aim was to assess the effect of treating HCV in patients with no or minimal fibrosis (Metavir stage F0-F1) on patient-reported outcomes (PROs).

Methods

HCV-infected patients with F0-F1 from 16 clinical trials were included. PROs were collected before, during, and after treatment.

Results

A total of 1548 HCV-infected patients with F0-F1 were included (mean age 46 years, 43% male, 81% treatment-naive). Patients were treated with interferon (IFN) + sofosbuvir (SOF) + ribavirin (RBV) (n = 91) or SOF + RBV with or without ledipasvir (n = 479) or IFN- and RBV-free regimens with SOF + ledipasvir or SOF + velpatasvir or SOF + velpatasvir + voxilaprevir (n = 978). By the end of treatment, patients receiving IFN-containing regimens experienced significant decreases in most PRO domains (-4.5 to -28.7 on a 0-100 scale), while subjects treated with IFN-free RBV-containing regimens had a modest impairment (-2.3 to -8.9) (P ≤ .01). In contrast, treatment with regimens without IFN and RBV led to PRO improvements (+1.2 to +10.9). Regardless of the regimen, sustained virologic responses (SVRs) at 12 and 24 weeks were universally associated with PRO improvements (+2.1 to +14.7, P < .0001.

Conclusions

HCV-infected subjects with no or minimal fibrosis treated with IFN- and RBV-free regimens experienced on-treatment and post-SVR PRO improvements.

Ledipasvir and Sofosbuvir for Acute Hepatitis C Virus Monoinfection Associated with a High Risk of Acute Liver Failure

A 72-year-old Japanese man was referred to our hospital with yellow discoloration of the sclera and liver dysfunction. He was diagnosed with acute hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection on the basis of HCV-RNA positivity and anti-HCV seroconversion. A transjugular liver biopsy confirmed submassive hepatic necrosis. Five days after admission, no flapping tremor was observed, and the prothrombin time-international normalized ratio (PT-INR) and total bilirubin level showed increases of 1.70 and 17.8 mg/dL, respectively. The Model for End-Stage Liver Disease score was determined to be 25, and the risk of acute liver failure (ALF) was estimated to be 48% according to the Japan Hepatic Encephalopathy Prediction Model. Considering that rapid HCV clearance and temporary suppression of the immune response would prevent ALF, we prescribed oral ledipasvir (LDV) 90 mg and sofosbuvir (SOF) 400 mg for 12 weeks and intravenously injected methylprednisolone 1 g for 3 days. His PT-INR promptly improved, although the total bilirubin level increased to 30.3 mg/dL. Plasma bilirubin absorption was performed three times, and the total bilirubin level gradually decreased. HCV-RNA was still detectable at six weeks after the start of LDV/SOF therapy and finally undetectable at eight weeks. There were no adverse events associated with LDV/SOF. The patient was discharged 73 days after admission. A sustained virological response was achieved at 12 and 24 weeks after treatment. The findings from this case suggest that LDV/SOF therapy can be a promising option for acute HCV monoinfection associated with a high risk of ALF.

Drug-Drug Interaction Profile of the Fixed-Dose Combination Tablet Regimen Ledipasvir/Sofosbuvir

Ledipasvir/sofosbuvir (Harvoni^®), a fixed-dose combination tablet of an NS5A inhibitor ledipasvir and an NS5B polymerase inhibitor sofosbuvir, is approved for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C virus infection. Ledipasvir/sofosbuvir exhibits a favorable drug-drug interaction profile and can be administered with various medications that may be used by hepatitis C virus-infected patients, including patients with comorbidities, such as co-infection with human immunodeficiency virus or immunosuppression following liver transplantation. Ledipasvir/sofosbuvir is not expected to act as a victim or perpetrator of cytochrome P450- or UDP-glucuronosyltransferase 1A1-mediated drug-drug interactions. With the exception of strong inducers of P-glycoprotein, such as rifampin, ledipasvir/sofosbuvir is not expected to act as a victim of clinically relevant drug-drug interactions. As a perpetrator of pharmacokinetic drug-drug interactions via P-glycoprotein/BCRP, ledipasvir/sofosbuvir should not be used with rosuvastatin and elvitegravir/cobicistat/emtricitabine/tenofovir disoproxil fumarate, whereas its co-administration with amiodarone is not recommended because of a pharmacodynamic interaction. This review summarizes a number of drug interaction studies conducted in support of the clinical development of ledipasvir/sofosbuvir.

Comorbid hepatitis C does not modulate prevalence or severity of diabetic retinopathy

Purpose

There are limited and conflicting data regarding the impact of comorbid hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection on diabetic retinopathy (DR). This study sought to compare the prevalence and severity of DR among patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) with and without HCV.

Patients and methods

This was a retrospective, case–control study of patients with DM comparing 120 patients with comorbid HCV and 120 age-matched controls. DR prevalence and several measures of severity were compared between groups. Subgroup analyses were performed among HCV patients with cirrhosis, comorbid HIV, or history of treatment with interferon. Statistical analysis for between-group comparisons utilized both univariate and multivariate analyses.

Results

Cases and controls exhibited similar baseline characteristics: average hemoglobin A1c, DM duration, and age (p>0.05). Among cases and controls, there was no difference in DR prevalence (35.8% versus 42.5%, respectively, p=0.29) or severity (p>0.05). Within the HCV subgroup, DR severity was reduced in patients with HIV or cirrhosis. However, multivariate analysis identified reduced DM duration in these subgroups as the primary contributor to lesser DR severity, rather than HIV or cirrhosis.

Conclusion

In this study, comorbid HCV did not modulate the prevalence or severity of DR among patients with DM. These findings may inform clinical monitoring among HCV-positive diabetics undergoing ophthalmic evaluation.

Viral Hepatitis C Therapy: Pharmacokinetic and Pharmacodynamic Considerations: A 2019 Update

It has been estimated by the World Health Organization (WHO) that over 71 million people were infected with the hepatitis C virus (HCV) in 2015. Since then, a number of highly effective direct-acting antiviral (DAA) regimens have been licensed for the treatment of chronic HCV infection: sofosbuvir/daclatasvir, sofosbuvir/ledipasvir, elbasvir/grazoprevir, sofosbuvir/velpatasvir, glecaprevir/pibrentasvir, and sofosbuvir/velpatasvir/voxilaprevir. With these treatment regimens, almost all chronic HCV-infected patients, even including prior DAA failures, can be treated effectively and safely. It is therefore likely that further development of DAAs will be limited. In this descriptive review we provide an overview of the clinical pharmacokinetic characteristics of currently available DAAs by describing their absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion. Potential drug-drug interactions with the DAAs are briefly discussed. Furthermore, we summarize what is known about the pharmacodynamics of the DAAs in terms of efficacy and safety. We briefly discuss the relationship between the pharmacokinetics of the DAAs and efficacy or toxicity in special populations, such as hard to cure patients and patients with liver cirrhosis, liver transplantation, renal impairment, hepatitis B virus or HIV co-infection, bleeding disorders, and children. The aim of this overview is to educate/update prescribers and pharmacists so that they are able to safely and effectively treat HCV-infected patients even in the presence of underlying co-infections or co-morbidities.

Naturally occurring NS5A and NS5B resistant associated substitutions in HCV and HCV/HIV patients in iranian population

BACKGROUND

The introduction of direct acting antivirals (DAAs) for hepatitis C virus (HCV) treatment promises shorter treatment duration, higher cure rates and fewer side effects. Naturally, occurring Resistance Associated Substitutions (RASs) are major challenge to the success of the HCV antiviral therapy.

AIM

To determine the naturally occurring NS5A and NS5B RASs in Iranian HCV and HCV/human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) patients.

METHODS

A total of 209 DAA-naïve chronic HCV patients including 104 HCV mono-infected and 105 HCV/HIV co-infected cases were enrolled. Amplification and Sanger population sequencing of NS5A and NS5B regions of HCV genome were carried out. The amino acid sequence diversity of the NS5A and NS5B regions were analyzed using geno2pheno HCV.

RESULTS

NS5A RASs were detected in 25.5% of HCV and 16.9% of HCV/HIV subjects. In HCV cases, clinically relevant RASs were L28M followed by M28Vand Q30H and Y93H/N. In HCV/HIV subjects, clinically relevant RASs were Y93H/N followed by L28M and P58T and M28V/T and Q30R. NS5B RASs were observed in 11.8% of HCV and 5.9% of HCV/HIV subjects. Clinically relevant substitutions were included V321A/I, C316Y, S282R and L159F. The major S282T mutation was not observed.

CONCLUSION

The emergence of RASs is a growing issue in the setting of current treatment with DAAs. Although currently, screening of RASs is recommended before specific DAA regimens, it should be consider in patients with therapeutic failure and in the cases of retreatment.