'Sensational' HCV response rates in HIV coinfection trial

Researchers in the C-EDGE study found that a combination of a protease inhibitor and an NS5A inhibitor led to a sustained virologic response in patients infected with both HIV and hepatitis C virus (HCV).

Researchers in the C-EDGE study found that a combination of a protease inhibitor and an NS5A inhibitor led to a sustained virologic response in patients infected with both HIV and hepatitis C virus (HCV). Jurgen Rockstroh, MD, of the University of Bonn in Germany, reported that the sustained virologic response was 96.3% overall after stopping treatment for 12 weeks. The response rate for the 35 patients with cirrhosis at baseline was 100%. Of the study's 218 patients, two experienced a relapse after stopping therapy, but both had been reinfected with HCV. The Phase III study included patients infected with HCV genotypes 1, 4, or 6, and HIV. All patients received grazoprevir 100 mg and elbasvir 50 mg, which were coformulated by Merck into one tablet that was taken once daily for 12 weeks. No patients experienced any serious drug-related adverse events during the study. The results were presented at the International AIDS Society Conference in Vancouver.

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Canada: Leading Canadian researcher calls for inclusion of co-infected people in large HCV clinical trials

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infects the liver. Chronic infection with HCV causes inflammation in this vital organ and slowly degrades it as healthy tissue is replaced with scar tissue. This ongoing injury to the liver results in complications, including bacterial infections, internal bleeding and liver, kidney and brain dysfunction. If left untreated, HCV infection can cause severe liver injury, the liver can stop working and death can occur. HCV infection also increases the risk for developing liver cancer.

Impact of HIV co-infection
Co-infection with HCV and HIV is relatively common, as both viruses have shared routes of infection. HIV-HCV co-infection accelerates the pace of HCV-related liver injury.

Historically, co-infected people have had increased rates of illness and death compared to people with HCV infection alone (mono-infection). There are at least two reasons for this, as follows:

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Benitec Biopharma signs manufacturing deal for hepatitis C treatment

Benitec Biopharma (ASX:BLT) has entered into an agreement with Maryland-based Omnia Biologics to manufacture material for its current first-in-man clinical trial for its TT-034 hepatitis C treatment.

This ensures the company has enough clinical material to complete the current trial.

The company is also moving to establish its own scalable manufacturing process in collaboration with third parties to supply large markets it is targeting.

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