Healio
Healio

EASL Congress
April 24, 2012
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Results showed drug interactions should not exclude HCV transplant or HIV coinfected patients from treatment

Undetectable hepatitis C viral loads were observed in 57% of patients 24 weeks after treatment with pegylated interferon alfa-2b, ribavirin and either boceprevir or telaprevir in the first multicentric study of patients with HCV genotype 1 recurrence after liver transplantation, according to new results presented at the International Liver Congress in Barcelona, Spain.

In the treatment of HCV GT1 and HIV coinfected patients, new research showed that the addition of boceprevir to pegylated interferon alfa-2b (PEG-IFN a-2b) and ribavirin (RBV) resulted in higher rates of undetectable hepatitis C (HCV) compared with treatment with PEG-IFN a-2b and RBV alone.

“Patients with HIV coinfection and patients who have been transplanted for HCV infection often have more aggressive disease and have been harder to treat,” Mark Thursz, MD, Secretary General of the European Association for the Study of the Liver, said in a press release. “Worries about drug-drug interactions have caused concern about the use of protease inhibitors in these groups. The new trial data shows that the benefits of direct antivirals can now be experienced by a wider group of patient populations.”

In a study of chronic HCV GT1 patents who had been unresponsive to PEG-IFN and RBV alone, the latest data showed TMC435, combined with PEG-IFN a-2a and RBV, achieved higher SVR24 rates compared with placebo. TMC435 is an oral, once-daily investigational HCV NS3/4A protease inhibitor.

Other data presented at the Barcelona conference suggested that PSI-7977, a uridine nucleotide analog, could eventually supplant response-guided therapy in HCV GT1 patients. The new data showed HCV GT1, GT4 or GT6 patients achieved 97% rapid virological response after treatment with PSI-7977 and PEG/RBV, with no viral breakthrough or relapse observed in patients who completed at least 10 weeks of treatment.

For more information:

Zeuzem S. Abstract #2. Presented at: The International Liver Congress, April 18-22, Barcelona, Spain.

Coilly A. Abstract #47. Presented at: The International Liver Congress, April 18-22, Barcelona, Spain.

Mallolas J. Abstract # 50. Presented at: The International Liver Congress, April 18-22, Barcelona, Spain.