Telaprevir in Acute HCV Infection

A small pilot study showed promising efficacy and an acceptable safety profile when telaprevir was added to a standard interferon/ribavirin regimen in HIV patients with acute HCV infection.

Chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is common in patients with HIV due to shared modes of transmission. Recently, several cities in Europe and the U.S. have seen marked increases in men who have sex with men presenting with acute HCV infection. Although treatment is more likely to be curative for acute than for chronic HCV infection, the duration, side-effect profile, and cost of the standard 24- to 48-week interferon/ribavirin regimen are substantial. How novel HCV protease inhibitors affect treatment outcomes in this setting is unclear.

To explore this issue, researchers in New York conducted a study involving insured HIV-infected patients presenting with acute genotype 1 HCV infection. The 58 patients all received a standard regimen…

Reviewing Author

Helmut Albrecht, MD

Disclosures

Grant / Research supportHealth Resources and Services Administration; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Leadership positions in professional societiesColumbia Medical Society; South Carolina Infectious Diseases Society

Helmut Albrecht, MD

Disclosures

Grant / Research supportHealth Resources and Services Administration; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Leadership positions in professional societiesColumbia Medical Society; South Carolina Infectious Diseases Society

Telaprevir in Acute HCV Infection

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Reviewing Author