Drug Combo Works for Poz People With Hep C

New research presented at the 2016 AASLD Liver Meeting showed that sofosbuvir/ledipasvir (Harvoni) is just as effective for HIV-positive as it is with HIV-negative people living with hep C.

AIDS Map reports that HIV-positive people living with hep C experience more rapid liver disease progression on average, but real-life clinical trials show these new direct-acting antiviral agents used in interferon-free regimens work just as well for people with hep C, regardless of status. 

Keep in mind, however, outcomes in real-life clinical practice do not always match the results of treatment trials (where participants are selected carefully, with more monitoring and support).

"SVR rates were high across all populations including populations with traditional negative predictors such as black race, cirrhosis, and treatment-experienced patients," researchers said. "This descriptive analysis demonstrated that SVR rates from real-world cohorts are generalizable from clinical trials."

Overall, SVR12 rates were 97 percent in the clinical trials, and 94 percent for those in the real-world cohorts. Cure rates were 93 and 92 percent for Black patients, 98 percent and 97 percent for those on antiretrovirals, and 96 and 94 percent for those already going through cirrhosis.