BARCELONA — A new three-pronged approach to hepatitis C virus effectively treated prior non-responders with genotype 1, according to a presenter at the International Liver Congress.
“As increasing numbers of patients get treated, the number of patients that, cumulatively, will fail will increase over time despite rates of 95% or higher,”Eric Lawitz, MD, of Texas Liver Institute, University of Texas Health Science Centre, San Antonio, said in a press conference. “In our quest to get universal success for all patients, we need regimens that can take the next step to allow patients who have failed these really good regimens we have today and allow them to be successful. … This is a small study but is groundwork for an evolving field.”
Lawitz showed data from a small study with two fixed-dose treatment groups: Sovaldi (sofosbuvir)/velpatasvir/GS-9857 (Gilead Sciences; n = 24) and sofosbuvir/velpatasvir/GS-9857 plus ribavirin (n = 25).
“Factors that may predict failure were evenly stratified across the two groups,” Lawitz said, referring to age, BMI, ethnicity, genotype and previous treatment with direct-acting antivirals. Forty percent, he said, had previous NS5A experience.
Overall, the study showed an SVR rate of 98% with just one relapse in the ribavirin group and mostly mild to moderate adverse events.
“The addition of ribavirin to three antivirals did not have any additional benefit,” he said. “The baseline resistance associated variants that would emerge as a result of treatment failure with antivirals did not reduce the rate of success. Having three antivirals with different mechanisms of action allow you to achieve 98% success rate irrespective of failure with other classes of antivirals.”– by Katrina Altersitz
Reference:
Lawitz, E. PS021. Presented at: International Liver Congress. April 13-17, 2016; Barcelona.
Disclosure: Lawitz reports financial relationships with AbbVie, Achillion Pharmaceuticals, Boehringer Ingelheim, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Enanta Pharmaceuticals, Gilead Sciences, GlaxoSmithKline, Janssen, Merck & Co., Novartis, Regulus, Roche, Salix, Santaris Pharmaceuticals, Tacere, and Theravance.
Source: ‘Triple therapy’ shows efficacy in treatment-experienced patients
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