Treatment benefits patients with thalassaemia and HCV

Many individuals with the blood disorder thalassaemia also carry the hepatitis C virus (HCV) due to contaminated transfusions before 1990. Due to the co-existence of iron overload (from repeated blood transfusions), these patients are at increased risk of developing liver cancer.

A new study indicates that treatment with a combination of sofosbuvir and ledipasvir as a once a day single pill leads to a sustained virological response in 98% of patients with thalassaemia and HCV.

"The findings are significant because, unlike other , this simple treatment is expected not to be limited by drug-to-drug interactions with other medications usually taken by thalassaemia patients," said Dr. Alessandra Mangia, lead author of the Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics study.

More information: A. Mangia et al, Randomised clinical trial: sofosbuvir and ledipasvir in patients with transfusion-dependent thalassaemia and HCV genotype 1 or 4 infection, Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics (2017). DOI: 10.1111/apt.14197

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Citation: Treatment benefits patients with thalassaemia and HCV (2017, June 29) retrieved 28 March 2024 from https://medicalxpress.com/news/2017-06-treatment-benefits-patients-thalassaemia-hcv.html
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