Comparison of 8- versus 12-weeks of glecaprevir/pibrentasvir for Taiwanese patients with hepatitis C and compensated cirrhosis in a real-world setting

PLoS One. 2022 Aug 18;17(8):e0272567. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0272567. eCollection 2022.

Abstract

Real-world data on the effectiveness of glecaprevir/pibrentasvir (GLE/PIB) for patients with HCV infection and compensated cirrhosis is limited, especially for the 8-week regimen and in an Asian population. This retrospective study enrolled 159 consecutive patients with HCV and compensated cirrhosis who were treated with GLE/PIB at a single center in Taiwan. Sustained virological response (SVR) and adverse events (AEs) were evaluated. Among the 159 patients, 91 and 68 were treated with GLE/PIB for 8 and 12 weeks, respectively. In the per protocol analysis, both the 8- and 12-week groups achieved 100% SVR (87/87 vs. 64/64); and in the evaluable population analysis, 95.6% (87/91) of the 8-week group and 94.1% (64/68) of the 12-week group achieved SVR. The most commonly reported AEs, which included pruritus (15.4% vs. 26.5%), abdominal discomfort (9.9% vs. 5.9%), and skin rash (5.5% vs. 5.9%), were mild for the 8- and 12-week groups. Two patients in the 8-week group exhibited total bilirubin elevation over three times the upper normal limit. One of these two patients discontinued GLE/PIB treatment after 2 weeks but still achieved SVR. Both 8- and 12-week GLE/PIB treatments are safe and effective for patients of Taiwanese ethnicity with HCV and compensated cirrhosis.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Aminoisobutyric Acids
  • Antiviral Agents / adverse effects
  • Benzimidazoles
  • Cyclopropanes
  • Hepacivirus
  • Hepatitis C* / chemically induced
  • Hepatitis C* / complications
  • Hepatitis C* / drug therapy
  • Hepatitis C, Chronic* / complications
  • Hepatitis C, Chronic* / drug therapy
  • Hepatitis C, Chronic* / epidemiology
  • Humans
  • Lactams, Macrocyclic
  • Leucine / analogs & derivatives
  • Liver Cirrhosis / chemically induced
  • Liver Cirrhosis / complications
  • Liver Cirrhosis / drug therapy
  • Proline / analogs & derivatives
  • Proline / therapeutic use
  • Pyrrolidines / therapeutic use
  • Quinoxalines / adverse effects
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Sulfonamides

Substances

  • Aminoisobutyric Acids
  • Antiviral Agents
  • Benzimidazoles
  • Cyclopropanes
  • Lactams, Macrocyclic
  • Pyrrolidines
  • Quinoxalines
  • Sulfonamides
  • pibrentasvir
  • Proline
  • Leucine
  • glecaprevir

Grants and funding

This work was supported by research grant CORPG6L0101 from Chang Gung Memorial Hospital to TSC.The funder plays no role in the study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.