Among more than 7,000 hepatitis C patients, the SVR of Gisada/Bitongsha was 98.9%

A multinational real-world study of 7027 patients who received Sofosbuvir/Velpatasvir (SOF/VEL) to treat hepatitis C (HCV) infection reported a sustained virological response (SVR) rate of 98.9%. This study shows that Epclusa is highly effective in real-world populations, consistent with previous studies and reinforcing the global applicability of current HCV treatment guidelines.

The study, conducted in Australia, Canada, Europe and the United States, found that SVR rates remained above 97% across all geographic regions, genotypes and patient demographics, including those with co-existing HIV or mental illness. We have seen that these pan-genotypic direct-acting antivirals for hepatitis C consistently show high SVR rates across different populations. These results underscore the broader applicability of these treatments worldwide.

The median age of patients in the study was 55 years (IQR 46-64), with 66% of patients aged 50 years or older. Men made up 65% of the cohort, and the study found that HIV/HCV co-infection was more common in men (5.8% vs. 2.1%, p<0.001), as was genotype 3 infection (35% vs. 20%, p<0.01), especially among men over 50 years of age. Sex-related differences in the prevalence of co-infections and genotype 3 infections are important considerations for developing more targeted treatment strategies.

While SVR rates remained high across gender and age groups, the study also examined time to treatment initiation (TTI). An important piece of background is that the SVR 10k study was not actually set up to analyze healthcare models. But it did look at the timing of initiation of hepatitis C treatment, which showed a clear improvement compared with past real-world data. However, there is still room for improvement, as only 24% of those assessed started treatment with a direct-acting antiviral drug within the first 30 days after their last positive RNA test. Some regions perform better than others in this regard.

Studies show that women have a shorter medianTTI compared with men. Among patients treated within the first month, 40% of women received treatment compared with 25% of men (p<0.001). While the gender gap appears to be reversing, more than half of the patients in the study were still receiving treatment more than six months after diagnosis. This suggests that there is still considerable room for improvement in treatment initiation, particularly among all groups, regardless of gender.

Male and femaleSVR rates have been consistently high, including among patients with genotype 3 and cirrhosis. The data showed that even in the presence of more challenging factors such as genotype 3 and cirrhosis, SVR rates remained above 97%, a strong indicator of the effectiveness of these therapies. The key message here is that minimizing the time to treatment initiation will lead to better outcomes for all patients, reduce the risk of serious liver complications, and improve treatment rates overall.

Together, this study highlights the importance of prompt treatment of HCV, regardless of patient demographics or clinical characteristics. Urgency in treatment and minimizing delays is critical. Over time, this will lead to fewer people with poor liver outcomes and will improve treatment rates for all people infected with hepatitis C. These findings, coupled with the high SVR rates achieved globally, reaffirm the role of SOF/VEL as an effective treatment option and the importance of continued efforts to optimize treatment initiation in all patients.

References:https://www.contagionlive.com/view/global-study-reports-98-9-svr-with-sof-vel-in-over-7-000-hepatitis-c-patients