Glecaprevir and pibrentasvir aid HCV-positive kidney transplants

(HealthDay)—By treating or preventing infection, glecaprevir and pibrentasvir (G/P) regimens are promising for increasing access to the transplantation of kidneys from hepatitis C virus (HCV)-positive donors to HCV-negative recipients (HCV D+/R−), according to two studies recently published in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology and Annals of Internal Medicine.

Meghan E. Sise, M.D., from Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, and colleagues enrolled 63 patients without HCV infection of whom 30 underwent kidney transplantation from an HCV-viremic deceased donor followed by eight weeks of once-daily G/P. The researchers found that all recipients achieved a sustained virologic response. There were no serious adverse events deemed likely to be related to HCV infection or treatment with G/P.

Christine M. Durand, M.D., from Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in Baltimore, and colleagues conducted a single-center, open-label trial involving HCV D+/R− patients. Participants received one dose of G/P before organ perfusion and once-daily treatment for four weeks. Ten kidney transplants were performed. The researchers found no recipient deaths during a median 12 months of follow-up. After day 7, HCV RNA was undetectable in all recipients. At any time point, none of the recipients had grade 3 or higher treatment-related adverse events or aminotransferase or bilirubin levels 2.5 times the upper limit of normal or greater.

"In all 10 HCV D+/R− kidney transplants, four-week G/P prophylaxis prevented HCV without treatment-related adverse events or substantial liver enzyme abnormalities," the authors write.

Several authors from both studies disclosed ties to the pharmaceutical industry.

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