Duration of Interferon-Free Regimens for HCV Infection: How Short Can We Go?

With the advent of potent, interferon-free, direct-acting antiviral agents for hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, treatment duration is typically 12 weeks and, in certain cases, 8 weeks. Shorter duration of treatment likely improves compliance and can reduce cost. In the current proof-of-concept, phase IIa, open-label study, researchers evaluated the efficacy of a shorter course of only 6 weeks.

Sixty treatment-naive patients with HCV genotype 1 infection were sequentially enrolled into one of three groups receiving the following regimens: 12 weeks of a once-daily combination tablet of sofosbuvir (400 mg) plus ledipasvir (90 mg) (SOF-LDV), 6 weeks of SOF-LDV plus GS-9669 (500 mg daily; a nonnucleoside NS5B thumb site 3 inhibitor of HCV polym…