IAS 2015A look at real-world use of Bristol-Myers Squibb’s Daklinza (daclatasvir) and Gilead Sciences’ Sovaldi (sofosbuvir) showed that, among those coinfected with HIV, the combination treats hepatitis C virus (HCV) just as well as in clinical trials, MedPage Today reports.  Researchers presented findings of an analysis of a compassionate-use program of the regimen, with or without ribavirin, at the 8th International AIDS Society Conference on HIV Pathogenesis, Treatment and Prevention in Vancouver, British Columbia.

The analysis included 147 people with genotypes 1, 3 and 4 of hep C who were treated for 12 or 24 weeks. They had advanced fibrosis, cirrhosis or had received a liver transplant.

Across the board, 97 percent of the participants achieved a sustained virologic response 12 weeks after completing therapy (SVR12, considered a cure).  Ninety-eight percent of the 39 participants treated for 12 weeks were cured, as were 97 percent of the 89 participants treated for 12 weeks. All of those who took ribavirin were cured, including six people treated for 12 weeks and eight treated for 24 weeks.

The researchers concluded that neither doubling the treatment time nor adding ribavirin ups the chances of a cure. The results did not differ by genotype.

The study included nine deaths, seven of which were deemed unrelated to the treatment. It was not clear if the remaining two were related to treatment.

Two people stopped treatment because of adverse side effects.

The hep C regimen did not adversely effect HIV treatment.

To read the MedPage Today article, click here.

To read the study, click here.