Combination ravidasvir, sofosbuvir effectively treats chronic hepatitis C
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Ravidasvir in addition to sofosbuvir was safe and effective in the treatment of patients with chronic hepatitis C virus, according to research published in The Lancet Gastroenterology and Hepatology.
“The WHO Global Health Sector Strategy on Viral Hepatitis 2016–21 aims to eliminate viral hepatitis as a public health threat, test 90% of people with HCV and treat 80% of people with HCV worldwide by 2030. However, by March 2021, only 12 countries were on course to HCV elimination by 2030,” Isabelle Andrieux-Meyer, MD, of the Drugs for Neglected Diseases Initiative in Geneva, Switzerland, and colleagues wrote. “Therefore, there is a need for an affordable, pangenotypic, potent and safe HCV treatment regimen to complement other regimens, which has low risk of drug–drug interactions and that is simple and suitable for use in decentralized public health settings.”
In a two-stage, open-label, phase 2/3 clinical trial, researchers analyzed 301 patients (median age 47 years, 52% genotype 3 infection) with HCV, regardless of genotype, to assess the safety and efficacy of ravidasvir plus sofosbuvir. Patients without cirrhosis received radidasvir 200 mg and sofosbuvir 400 mg once daily for 12-weeks; patients with cirrhosis received the same regimen for 24-weeks. The primary endpoint was sustained virological response 12-weeks post-treatment.
According to study results, 97% of patients (95% CI, 94-99) achieved sustained virological response at week 12. Further sustained response was reported in 96% of patients with cirrhosis and 97% of patients with genotype 3 HCV infection. Researchers noted no difference in response rates by HIV co-infection or in patients previously treated with interferon.
“This ravidasvir plus sofosbuvir combination appears suitable for use in diverse populations, including individuals with HIV and multiple other comorbidities, and it could provide an additional affordable public health solution with some key advantages for countries that do not have, or have not overcome, sofosbuvir patent barriers,” Andrieux-Meyer and colleagues concluded. “This regimen might be useful in decentralized public health settings in countries, such as Thailand and Malaysia, in which a high proportion of the population are estimated to have a chronic HCV infection.”
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Andrieux-Meyer, et al. Lancet Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2021;doi:10.1016/S2468-1253(21)00031-5.
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