The treatment of chronic hepatitis C has radically changed due to the development of direct-acting antiviral agents (DAAs). Twelve-week treatment with ledipasvir and sofosbuvir (LDV/SOF), a combination of DAAs, is highly effective in patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype 1 infection. However, the overall sustained virological response rate 12 weeks after the end of treatment (SVR12) is not 100%. Elbasvir (EBR) combined with grazoprevir (GZR) is the latest approved therapy for patients with genotype 1 or 4 chronic hepatitis C. However, to the best of our knowledge no case reports have described retreatment with GZR/EBR in patients with a history of failed LDV/SOF treatment. The present case report indicated a case in which GZR/EBR was effective for the retreatment of a patient with a history of failed LDV/SOF treatment and chronic hepatitis C. The present study indicated a 55-year-old Japanese male with a history of chronic hepatitis C and compensated liver cirrhosis. The patient exhibited the amino acid mutation Y93H in NS5A. Therefore, treatment with LDV/SOF was initiated, which was effective and suppressed the virus during oral administration. However, 4 weeks after treatment, the patient's viral load relapsed and returned to its original level. After the patient provided informed consent, treatment with GZR/EBR was initiated. No problems related to GZR/EBR were observed during treatment and the patient's SVR12 was evaluated at 12 weeks posttreatment. In conclusion, GZR/EBR treatment was useful for treating a relapse of HCV genotype 1b infection in the present case after LDV/SOF treatment, despite liver fibrosis, in the presence of the high-frequency amino acid mutation Y93H in NS5A. Although it will be necessary to examine a large number of cases, the present findings suggest that GZR/EBR may be a potential treatment option for relapse of HCV genotype 1b infection after LDV/SOF treatment.
Keywords: direct-acting antiviral agent; elbasvir; grazoprevir; hepatitis C; ledipasvir; sofosbuvir.