DAA Combination Treatment Fast and Effective for Hepatitis C

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Sofosbuvir, velpatasvir, and voxilaprevir for 8 weeks does the trick across all genotypes, treatment experienced, DAA relapse or cirrhosis!

Two phase 2 studies of combination direct-acting antiviral agent (DAA) treatments were published recently in Gastroenterology. They were accompanied by an editorial simply titled “Hepatitis C Therapy: Game Over!”

The optimism of that title stems from the strength of the results the two studies produced and the variety of hepatitis C (HCV) genotypes they covered. One dealt entirely with genotype 1, while the other examined the treatment’s efficacy in genotypes 2, 3, 4, and 6.

As DAAs have become more and more specific in targeting the virus’s ability to replicate, they have shown the ability to quickly eradicate HCV. Previous trials have shown their safety in combination, and with the increased potency, their ability to destroy the virus in a shorter course of treatment and thus save healthcare costs. The DAAs in question for the two recent studies were sofosbuvir, velpatasvir, and voxilaprevir (Gilead Science’s GS-9857), which each inhibit different viral proteins vital to the proliferation of HCV.