A new combination treatment for hepatitis C has potential for patients who were not cured by current treatment options. The study, presented at The International Liver CongressTM in Barcelona, Spain, demonstrated that the combination of sofosbuvir, velpatasvir and the investigational drug GS-9857 with or without ribavirin resulted in high rates of sustained virologic response 12 weeks after treatment (SVR12) in genotype 1 HCV patients who had previously received and failed treatment with direct-acting antivirals (DAAs). Overall, 98 percent of patients in the study achieved SVR12 with this three-drug combination in a single tablet with or without ribavirin.
Between 130 and 150 million people globally have chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. It is estimated that 15 million people in the World Health Organization's EU Region are living with Hepatitis C, representing 2 percent of adults. Worldwide, genotype 1 HCV is the most common, accounting for approximately half of all hepatitis C infections.
"Our study set out to evaluate the safety and efficacy of this investigational combination for hard-to-treat patients with genotype 1 hepatitis C," said Dr. Eric Lawitz, clinical professor of medicine at the Texas Liver Institute, University of Texas Health Science Centre, San Antonio and lead author of the study. "With the triple combination of three potent drugs, sofosbuvir, velpatasvir and GS-9857, we demonstrated that high SVR12 results were achieved with or without ribavirin."
Patients previously treated with DAAs were randomized to receive the combination treatment with or without ribavirin for 12 weeks. The primary endpoint of the study was SVR12. SVR12 was achieved in 100 percent of patients who took sofosbuvir, velpatasvir and GS-9857 without ribavirin and in 96 percent of patients who additionally took ribavirin.
A total of 49 patients were randomized and treated in the American study. The majority were male (65 percent), and had HCV genotype 1a (88 percent). Overall, 41 percent of patients had previously received an NS5A inhibitor, and 47 percent of patients had previously received at least two classes of DAA. The triple combination of sofosbuvir, velpatasvir and GS-9857, with or without ribavirin was generally safe and well tolerated. There was one serious adverse event and two patients discontinued treatment with ribavirin due to adverse events. Most frequent adverse events were fatigue and anemia, which were only observed in patients that received ribavirin.
"This new combination of treatments could add to our arsenal of therapies for patients with hepatitis C, a disease which could eventually be eradicated. In the hard-to-treat patient population who had previously failed on existing treatment regimens, the combination with GS-9857 could provide these people with another hope," said professor Tom Hemming Karlsen, EASL vice secretary.
Source: European Association for the Study of the Liver
Dear Helpdesk: Working in a Toxic Health Care Environment
March 28th 2024Dear Helpdesk is your steadfast companion, offering life coaching and workplace advice from 2 seasoned IPs for some of your most challenging real-life situations. Let us help you navigate the intersection between work and life, guiding you to navigate the dynamic world of infection prevention with confidence and grace. This article is on handling a toxic health care environment.
Product Locator: Spring and Early Mother's Day Gift Guide for Infection Prevention Personnel
March 27th 2024Whether it's a spring holiday, birthdays, or no reason at all, infection prevention personnel love to give and receive gifts that help at the end of a stressful day. Infection Control Today® offers some gift ideas for infection prevention personnel and their families.
Catching Up With Vangie Dennis, AORN 2022-2023 President at AORN 2024
March 26th 2024Infection Control Today (ICT) had the privilege of catching up with Vangie Dennis, MSN, RN, CNOR, CMLSO, at the Association of periOperative Registered Nurses' (AORN’s) International Surgical Conference & Expo 2024. As the former president of AORN and an esteemed figure in perioperative services, Vangie Dennis shared insights into her recent endeavors and the exciting new chapter she's embarked upon.
How To Optimize Your Time Management Strategies for the Busy Infection Preventionist
March 25th 2024Is your calendar resembling a chaotic masterpiece of overlapping tasks? Join the club of infection preventionists striving to balance responsibilities. Dive into proven strategies from a fellow infection preventionist to reclaim control of your time, streamline tasks, and boost productivity effectively. This is an IP Lifeline article.