Well tolerability and highly effective treatment response for hepatitis C virus-human immunodeficiency virus coinfected patients treated by all oral direct acting antivirals.

BACKGROUND Hepatitis C virus (HCV) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) coinfection is common because the two pathogens share their transmission route. Studies have suggested that coinfection is associated with accelerated hepatic fibrosis, increased hepatic decompensation, and hepatocellular carcinoma development. Historically, the sustained virological response (SVR) rates for patients undergoing pegylated interferon (IFN)-based therapy are poor owing to advanced liver disease, immune dysfunction, and poor medical adherence. This study aimed to investigate the efficacy and safety of oral direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) in HCV-HIV coinfected patients. METHODS Between January 2017 and February 2020, 52 consecutive HCV-HIV coinfected patients treated with oral DAAs (paritaprevir/ritonavir, ombitasvir, and dasabuvir: 7; daclatasvir and asunaprevir: 1; glecaprevir and pibrentasvir: 15; sofosbuvir-based drugs: 29) were enrolled. The DAA regimen was selected based on the genotype/subtypes, patient characteristics, potential drug-drug interaction profiles, and health insurance reimbursement criteria. SVR12 was defined as undetectable HCV RNA ( 2,000,000 IU/mL. After post-treatment follow-up, all 52 patients (100%) achieved SVR12. Subjective and laboratory adverse events during therapy were generally mild, and none of the patients terminated therapy early. CONCLUSION A highly effective treatment response and good tolerability were achieved using the oral DAAs for the HCV-HIV coinfected patient population, which has been considered difficult to treat using IFN-based therapy in the past with urgent unmet medical needs.