Antiviral Combination Could Effectively Treat Acute Hepatitis C

Research presented at the European Association of the Study of the Liver’s International Liver Congress (held April 13 – 17 in Barcelona, Spain), found that a course of antiviral drugs can be used to cure individuals with acute hepatitis C (HCV).

A team including Heiner Wedemeyer, MD, a professor at Hannover Medical School, conducted a single-arm prospective pilot study involving 20 patients with known or suspected exposure to HCV in the preceding 4 months. The researchers noted that acute HCV is a relatively rare condition that can still severely affect some patients, whose symptoms may not always be evident, but may include jaundice, nausea, and abdominal pain. The individuals taking part in this study had confirmed antibodies against HCV, and/or a level of alanine aminotransferase of more than 10 times the normal limit, according to the investigators.
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Participants were adults with detectable plasma HCV RNA of genotype 1 and no worse than compensated liver disease and were treated with the fixed-dose, single-pill combination of the antiviral drugs sofosbuvir and ledipasvir. Most participating patients had plasma HCV RNA levels below 15 IU/mL after 2 weeks of treatment, according to the authors, who note that 6 weeks of the antiviral combination cured 100% of patients after 6 weeks.

While a high baseline viral load delayed the response in some patients, this did not affect the ultimate outcome, the investigators added, pointing out that all patients demonstrated no sign of the virus 12 weeks later.

Early and shorter treatment of acute hepatitis C “is justified” for selected patients, says Wedemeyer. However, he says, more research is required before general recommendations for the treatment of acute hepatitis C can be given.

“Until then,” says Wedemeyer, “treatment with new direct-acting antivirals should be restricted to patients with chronic hepatitis C.”

—Mark McGraw

Reference:

Deterding K, Spinner C, Schott E, et al. Six weeks of sofosbuvir/ledipasvir (SOF/LDV) are sufficient to treat acute hepatitis C virus genotype 1 monoinfection: The HepNet Acute HCV IV Study. Presented at: ILC 2016. April 13-17. Barcelona, Spain. http://ilc-congress.eu/wp-content/uploads/2016/abstracts/20160416_sat/sat_ilc2016_no_embargo_lr.pdf.