US Pharm. 2014;39(5):38.
Boston, MA—A new 12-week single-tablet regimen of ledipasvir and sofosbuvir has been proven highly effective in treating a wide swath of patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype 1, which is found in up to 75% of HCV infections. In two multicenter trials conducted by researchers from Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, between 94% and 99% of patients were cured of HCV. Results were similar between patients never treated and those previously treated with the standard course of peginterferon and ribavirin, and the oral regimen was better tolerated. “[The] tablet enables us to treat almost all genotype 1 patients with a short duration of treatment, expanding the treatment pool and increasing the overall cure rate,” noted senior author Nezam Adfhal, MD.
To comment on this article, contact rdavidson@uspharmacist.com.
