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Glecaprevir/pibrentasvir expands reach while reducing cost and duration of hepatitis C virus therapy

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Abstract

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) treatments have dramatically progressed from poorly tolerated, moderately successful interferon-based therapies to highly effective all-oral interferon-free regimens. While sustained virologic responses have significantly improved with fixed-dose combinations (FDC) of these direct-acting antivirals (DAA), cost remains high and certain populations of patients remain difficult to treat. Glecaprevir (GLE, an NS3/4A protease inhibitor) and pibrentasvir (PIB, NS5A inhibitor) were recently approved as a FDC therapy for HCV, and have expanded reach, reduced cost, and in certain populations, reduced HCV treatment duration. GLE/PIB is effective across all genotypes, and has been shown to be effective in HIV-infected patients, patients with chronic kidney disease, and Child–Pugh A-compensated cirrhosis. GLE/PIB is also effective for a shortened duration of 8 weeks in treatment-naive non-cirrhotic patients.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Clinical Care and Research, Institute of Human Virology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA

    Ameer Abutaleb, Shyam Kottilil & Eleanor Wilson

  2. Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA

    Ameer Abutaleb

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  1. Ameer Abutaleb
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  2. Shyam Kottilil
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Correspondence to Eleanor Wilson.

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Ameer Abutaleb was supported by T32 Training Grant DK067872. Ameer Abutaleb declares that he has no conflict of interest. Shyam Kottilil declares that he has no conflict of interest. Eleanor Wilson declares that she has no conflict of interest.

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This article does not contain any studies with human participants or animals performed by any of the authors.

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Abutaleb, A., Kottilil, S. & Wilson, E. Glecaprevir/pibrentasvir expands reach while reducing cost and duration of hepatitis C virus therapy. Hepatol Int 12, 214–222 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12072-018-9873-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12072-018-9873-y

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