7 HCV Studies Presented at The Liver Meeting

Issue: January 2015

Healio.com/Hepatology has compiled a list of the latest, most relevant research on hepatitis C virus infection, presented recently at The Liver Meeting in Boston.

Direct-acting antiviral regimen produced high SVR among liver transplant recipients with HCV

Liver transplant recipients with hepatitis C virus infection genotype 1 achieved sustained virologic response after 12 weeks of therapy with a regimen of three direct-acting antivirals, with ribavirin.

“This multi-targeted, interferon-free regimen of ABT 450-[ritonavir], ombitasvir, dasabuvir and ribavirin achieved high response rates in immunosuppressed liver transplant recipients with recurrent HCV genotype 1 infection,” Parvez S. Mantry, MD, Medical Director, Liver Institute Research; Medical Director Hepatobiliary Tumor Program, Methodist Health System, Dallas, said during his presentation. “This phase 2 study in liver transplant recipients with mild to moderate liver fibrosis shows that antiviral therapy may offer clinical benefit before the acceleration of fibrosis to advanced liver disease and its associated complications in this difficult-to-treat population.” Read more

C-WORTHY: Grazoprevir/elbasvir regimen yielded high SVR rates in patients with HCV genotype 1

A number of patients with hepatitis C virus genotype 1 infection, with and without cirrhosis, and patients coinfected with HIV and HCV, achieved sustained virologic response at 12 weeks when treated with grazoprevir and elbasvir, with or without ribavirin, according to data from the phase 2 trial of the C-WORTHY study.

Eric J. Lawitz

“Grazoprevir and elbasvir, with or without ribavirin, demonstrated high efficacy,” Eric J. Lawitz, MD, of The Texas Liver Institute, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, said in the hepatitis plenary. “High efficacy was achieved regardless of the presence or absence of ribavirin or extended treatment duration from 12 to 18 weeks.” Read more

Survival after transplant for HCV decreased at long-term follow-up

Data from a single-center study of patients who underwent liver transplantation for hepatitis C virus demonstrated a decreased rate of survival between 10 and 20 years.

Few studies have reported follow-up data beyond 10 years for patients with HCV in the transplant setting, according to the researchers. The goal was to “report a single-center experience with 20-year follow-up,” Vikrant Rachakonda, MD, a transplant hepatology fellow at University of Pittsburgh, told Healio.com/Hepatology. Read more

HCV TARGET Consortium: Sofosbuvir showed efficacy in the transplant setting

Regimens containing sofosbuvir and simeprevir demonstrated encouraging results in real-world liver transplantation patients with HCV.

In 101 patients with HCV treated with sofosbuvir, simeprevir with or without ribavirin, only 8.5% experienced a serious adverse event.

“This regimen holds the highest interest,” Robert S. Brown Jr., MD, MPH, Frank Cardile professor of medicine and medical director of the transplantation initiative at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons in New York, said. “The SVR4 rate in this group was 90%, with a 6% relapse rate. Cirrhotic patients receiving this regimen experienced an SVR4 rate of 86%, compared with 94% for non-cirrhotics. … The small sample size and wide variation in confidence intervals make it difficult to draw any statistical determinations about differences in SVR rates seen.” Read more

ALLY 3: Daclatasvir/sofosbuvir combination shows efficacy in HCV genotype 3

Combination therapy with daclatasvir and sofosbuvir was associated with a 12-week sustained virologic response rate of 90% in previously untreated patients, according to findings presented at the late-breakers session.

David R. Nelson, MD, of the University of Florida in Gainesville, presented data from the ALLY 3 open-label, randomized study, which included 152 patients with HCV genotype 3 disease.

“Cirrhosis had a significant impact on response,” Nelson said. “The overall SVR12 rate was 63% among patients with cirrhosis, compared with 96% for those without cirrhosis. SVR12 rates for patients with cirrhosis were 58% in the treatment-naïve arm and 69% for those who were treatment-experienced.” Read more

Check Hep C program effective in identifying HCV in New York

The Check Hep C program, a community-based initiative in New York that focuses on finding and testing individuals with hepatitis C virus infection in high-risk populations, was effective in increasing diagnostic testing and screening of individuals and connecting them with proper services.

Mary M. Ford

“The screening and diagnosis method was a successful strategy that can not only be used to implement the CDC and US Preventive Services Task Force recommendation and the New York state hepatitis C testing law, but can be replicated in other cities with similar populations,” researcher Mary M. Ford, of the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, told Healio.com/Hepatology. Read more

TURQUOISE-II: Demographics, viral factors did not predict SVR after 3D regimen

Sustained virologic response rates after treatment with an all-oral regimen of coformulated ABT-450 boosted with ritonavir, ombitasvir and dasabuvir plus ribavirin were high in patients with hepatitis C virus genotype 1 infection and cirrhosis across a broad range of subgroups and regardless of baseline characteristics.

SVR at 12 weeks after the completion of therapy was 91.8% for patients who received 12 weeks of treatment and 96.5% for patients who received 24 weeks of treatment.

“Overall, there were 23 patients who did not achieve SVR12,” Michael W. Fried, MD, professor of medicine and director of the University of North Carolina Liver Center, said. “This included 17 patients in the 12-week arm and six patients in the 24-week arm. There were 12 relapses in the 12-week arm and one relapse in the 24-week arm.” Read more

For more coverage from The Liver Meeting, visit the resource center here.