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Coblopasvir plus sofosbuvir taken once daily provides a high rate of sustained virologic response (SVR) with a good safety profile among patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotypes 1, 2, 3, or 6, according to exploratory study results published in the Journal of Viral Hepatitis.1
The estimated prevalence of chronic HCV infection in China is 0.7%, with approximately 10 million people infected.2,3 Although the introduction of all-oral direct-acting antiviral therapy in China has improved treatment options and outcomes for patients with HCV infection, a simple, pangenotypic, and effective treatment regimen for patients with HCV is needed.1 Researchers in China conducted a phase 2 open study involving 110 untreated patients with chronic HCV genotypes 1 (n=69), 2 (n=27), 3 (n=7), or 6 (n=7). Patients without cirrhosis were randomly divided into Arm A (coblopasvir 30 mg daily) or Arm B (coblopasvir 60 mg daily) at a ratio of 1:2. Patients with cirrhosis received coblopasvir 60 mg daily (Arm C; n=12).
The researchers found that 98.2% of patients achieved an SVR after 12 weeks of once-daily treatment, and that the response rate did not differ for patients with compensated cirrhosis or with a higher baseline viral load. They also found that the main adverse reactions to coblopasvir combined with sofosbuvir were abnormal laboratory tests, and most adverse events did not require special treatment and were self-limiting or resolved on their own. Thus, this combination was safe and well tolerated in Chinese patients.
The authors concluded, “The treatment regimen in this study has the advantages of having a fixed duration and being easy to use; additionally, this treatment regimen does not rely on complex laboratory genotyping before treatment to determine the treatment regimen and does not need to be combined with ribavirin, which is known to have significant blood toxicity.”1
Disclosure: Several study authors declared affiliations with the pharmaceutical industry. Please see the original reference for a full list of authors’ disclosures.
References
1. Rao H, Song G, Li G, et al. Safety and efficacy of coblopasvir and sofosbuvir in patients with genotype 1, 2, 3, and 6 HCV infections without or with compensated cirrhosis [published online September 13, 2019]. J Viral Hepat. doi:10.1111/jvh.13208
2. Polaris Observatory HCV Collaborators. Global prevalence and genotype distribution of hepatitis C virus infection in 2015: a modelling study. Lancet Gastroenterol Hepatol.
2017;2:161-176.
3. Rao H, Wei L, Lopez-Talavera JC, et al. Distribution and clinical correlates of viral and host genotypes in Chinese patients with chronic hepatitis C virus infection. J Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2014;29:545-553.
