New hepatitis C treatments promising

HealthDay News — New treatment options may be available for patients diagnosed with hepatitis C virus genotype 1, according to two studies published in The Lancet.

To examine all-oral therapy with daclatasvir plus asunaprevir in patients diagnosed with hepatitis C virus genotype 1b infection, Michael Manns, MD, of the Hannover Medical School in Germany, and colleagues conducted a phase 3, multi-cohort study at 116 sites in 18 countries. Participants included 307 treatment-naïve patients, 205 non-responders, and 235 intolerant, ineligible, or intolerant and ineligible patients.

A sustained virological response with daclatasvir plus asunaprevir was seen in 90% of treatment-naïve patients, 82% of non-responders, and 82% of the ineligible, intolerant or ineligible and intolerant, observed the investigators.

“These results support the use of daclatasvir plus asunaprevir as an all-oral, interferon-free and ribavirin-free treatment option for patients with HCV genotype 1b infection, including those with cirrhosis,” wrote the researchers.

In a separate study, Eric Lawitz, MD, of the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio, Texas, examined the efficacy of combined simeprevir and sofosbuvir in patients with hepatitis C virus genotype 1 who were non-responders to peginterferon and ribavirin or were treatment-naive.

Participants were randomized to receive simeprevir and sofosbuvir for 24 weeks with ribavirin (n=80 patients) or without ribavirin (n=87 patients). Of the participants, 90% assigned ribavirin and 94% not assigned ribavirin achieved sustained virological response 12 weeks after stopping treatment. In the pooled groups, the most common adverse events were fatigue, headache, and nausea.

“Combined simeprevir and sofosbuvir was efficacious and well tolerated,” concluded the investigators.