Abstract
Purpose of Review
Acute hepatitis C infection is a growing concern in the USA, especially in light of the opioid epidemic. Prior treatment data consisted of trials in patients receiving interferon-based regimens. There is now emerging evidence regarding the safety and efficacy of direct-acting antivirals for the treatment of acute hepatitis C. This review summarizes the current evidence on the treatment of acute HCV in the DAA era.
Recent Findings
Certain populations, such as people who inject drugs, or HIV-positive men who have sex with men, may benefit from early treatment of acute HCV. As compared with chronic hepatitis C, shorter durations of treatment appear highly effective in acute infection, resulting in reduced viral transmission, as well as potentially reduced overall costs of care related to this disease.
Summary
Further studies are needed to clarify the optimal drug combinations and treatment durations to achieve sustained virologic response in these patients.
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Robert S. Brown, Jr., reports grants and personal fees from Gilead, grants and personal fees from Abbvie, grants and personal fees from Merck, and grants and personal fees from BMS, outside the submitted work. Zurabi Lominadze declares no potential conflicts of interest.
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Lominadze, Z., Brown, R.S. Acute HCV Treatment: What Should We Do in the DAA Era?. Curr Hepatology Rep 18, 216–221 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11901-019-00463-3
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11901-019-00463-3