Background: Simeprevir is approved with pegylated interferon and ribavirin (PR) for chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype (GT) 1 and GT4 infection in the USA and the European Union.
Methods: This 3-year follow-up study assessed the durability of sustained virologic response (SVR) (undetectable HCV RNA 12 or 24 weeks after treatment end), and evaluated the persistence of treatment-emergent NS3/4A protease inhibitor resistance in patients not achieving SVR following treatment with simeprevir plus PR in the parent study. The maintenance of SVR after the last post-therapy follow-up visit of the parent study (LPVPS) was assessed using HCV RNA measurements. The persistence of treatment-emergent NS3 amino acid substitutions in patients with no SVR at LPVPS was assessed using population sequencing. No study medications were administered.
Results: Overall, 249 patients were enrolled (200 with SVR at LPVPS; 49 with no SVR at LPVPS); 40 patients discontinued prematurely (18 with SVR; 22 with no SVR). All 200 enrolled patients who achieved SVR in the parent study maintained SVR until the last available visit in this study (median follow-up time: 35.8 months). The treatment-emergent NS3 amino acid substitutions detected at time of failure in the parent study in 43/49 enrolled patients were no longer detected in 37/43 (86.0%) at the end of this study (median follow-up time: 179.9 weeks [41.3 months]).
Conclusion: This 3-year follow-up study provides evidence for the long-term durability of SVR (100%) after successful treatment with simeprevir plus PR. Treatment-emergent NS3 amino acid substitutions became undetectable in the majority of patients.
Trial registration: NCT01349465; ClinicalTrials.gov .
Keywords: Direct-acting antivirals; Hepatitis C virus; NS3 amino acid substitutions; Pegylated interferon; Simeprevir; Sustained virologic response.