Open AccessReal-world evidence of sofosbuvir/velpatasvir as an effective and simple hepatitis C virus treatment and elimination tool in homeless populations
Author(s) -
Brian Conway,
Sergio RodríguezTajes,
Montserrat García–Retortillo,
Paco Pérez-Hernandez,
Elisabetta Teti,
Pablo Ryan,
Chris Fraser,
Guilherme Macedo,
Luis Enrique Morano Amado,
Victor de Lédinghen,
Mary Fenech,
Alexandra Martins,
María Fernanda Guerra-Veloz,
Ιωάννα Ντάλλα,
Heribert Ramroth,
Kim Vanstraelen,
Cándido Márquez Hernández,
Michael Mertens,
Joss O’Loan
Publication year - 2022
Publication title -
future virology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.462
H-Index - 34
eISSN - 1746-0808
pISSN - 1746-0794
DOI - 10.2217/fvl-2021-0266
Subject(s) - sofosbuvir , medicine , ribavirin , regimen , population , hepatitis c virus , hepatitis c , immunology , virus , environmental health
Background: People experiencing homelessness are disproportionately affected by hepatitis C virus (HCV) and can face specific barriers to care. Simple treatment algorithms could increase linkage to care in this population. Methods: This retrospective real-world analysis pooling data from 15 clinical cohorts evaluated effectiveness of a once-daily sofosbuvir/velpatasvir (SOF/VEL) regimen in HCV-infected people experiencing homelessness. The primary outcome was sustained virological response (SVR) in the effectiveness population (patients with confirmed SVR status). Secondary outcomes included reasons for not achieving SVR, adherence and time between diagnosis and SOF/VEL treatment start. Results: Of 153 patients treated with SOF/VEL for 12 weeks without ribavirin, SVR was 100% in the effectiveness population (n = 122), irrespective of various baseline factors including active injecting drug use and presence of mental health disorders. Conclusion: HCV-infected people experiencing homelessness can successfully be treated with SOF/VEL. SOF/VEL enables implementation of simple treatment algorithms and can support test-and-treat strategies through rapid treatment starts and minimal monitoring.