DAAs with ribavirin yielded strong SVR rates in patients with HCV, HIV

A regimen of three direct-acting antiviral agents plus ribavirin was safe and effective among patients with hepatitis C virus infection and HIV, according to research presented at the International AIDS Conference in Melbourne, Australia.

In the TURQUOISE-I study, Mark Sulkowski, MD, Johns Hopkins University, and colleagues analyzed data from 63 patients (92.1% men), including 56 with hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype 1 infection and HIV-1. They were treated with three direct-acting antiviral agents (ABT-450 co-dosed with ritonavir, ombitasvir and dasabuvir) plus ribavirin (DAA+RBV) for 12 (n=31) or 24 (n=32) weeks. There were 21 treatment-experienced and 42 treatment-naïve patients, including 12 patients with cirrhosis.

Mark Sulkowski

In the 12-week therapy arm, 96.8% of patients reached sustained virologic response (SVR), while 93.5% of them maintained SVR at 4 and 12 weeks after therapy ended. After 24 weeks of therapy, 96.9% of patients achieved SVR and maintained it through 4 weeks after treatment ended. Data is currently being analyzed to determine how many patients were able to maintain SVR 12 weeks after the 24-week regimen ended. Three patients were excluded from the final analysis; one discontinued treatment and two relapsed 2 weeks after treatment was completed. No serious adverse events were reported, and none of the patients has had an HIV-1 RNA equal to or greater than 200 copies/mL.

“The high virologic response rate and low rate of treatment discontinuation observed with [DAA+RBV] in treatment-naive and treatment-experienced HCV GT-1/HIV-1 coinfected patients with or without cirrhosis is consistent with those in HCV GT-1 monoinfected populations receiving this regimen,” the researchers wrote.

For more information:

Sulkowski M. #MOAB0104LB. Presented at: 20th International AIDS Conference; July 20-25, 2014; Melbourne, Australia.

Disclosure: See the study for a full list of relevant financial disclosures.