DAA Agent Deemed Highly Effective for HCV, Regardless of Comorbidities

The direct-acting antiviral (DAA) agent elbasvir/grazoprevir (EBR/GZR) is safe and highly effective among patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV) regardless of gender, age, and comorbidities, according to new findings.

Researchers arrived at this conclusion following a study of 2436 patients with positive HCV RNA in the US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Of these patients, 95.4% had HCV genotype 1. Data were obtained from the VA Corporate Data Warehouse.

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Comorbidities and related conditions present in this cohort included:

  • Diabetes (53.2%)
  • Depression (57.2%)
  • Cirrhosis (33.2%)
  • HIV (3.0%)
  • History of drug abuse (53.9%)
  • History of alcohol abuse (60.5%)

All patients initiated the study drug from February 1, 2016, to August 1, 2016. Clinical and demographic characteristics for each patient were taken into account, and 95% confidence intervals were calculated for binomial proportions for sustained virologic response (SVR) overall and for specific demographic subgroups.

Results indicated that 95.6% of patients achieved SVR. Rates in each subgroup were:

  • 95.5% of men
  • 96.5% of women
  • 93.4% of patients with HCV genotype 1a
  • 96.6% of patients with genotype 1b
  • 96.9% of patients with genotype 4
  • 95.9% of African American patients
  • 96.3% of treatment-experienced patients
  • 95.6% of patients with cirrhosis
  • 96.3% of patients with stage 4 to 5 chronic kidney disease
  • 98.6% of patients with HIV

“SVR rates were high overall and across patient subgroups regardless of gender, race/ethnicity, cirrhosis, renal impairment or HIV,” the researchers concluded. “This study provided important data regarding the effectiveness of EBR/GZR in a large clinical setting.”

—Christina Vogt

Reference:

Kramer JR, Puenpatom A, Erickson KF, et al. Real‐world effectiveness of elbasvir/grazoprevir In HCV‐infected patients in the US veterans affairs healthcare system [Published online May 31, 2018]. J Viral Hepatitis. https://doi.org/10.1111/jvh.12937