Real-World Data on the Use of Glecaprevir/Pibrentasvir in the Treatment of Hepatitis C: Is Shorter Treatment Possible?

Objectives: This study aimed to present real-world data on the efficacy of glecaprevir/pibrentasvir (G/P) in chronic hepatitis C (CHC) patients treated at our center. Materials and Methods: Non-cirrhotic, treatment-naive, and treatment-experienced (TN/TE) CHC patients with CHC who started G/P treatment in 2022 were included in this retrospective, cross-sectional, single-center, national study. Sustained virological response (SVR) was defined as undetectable hepatitis C virus- ribonucleic acid (HCV-RNA) for at least 12 weeks following the discontinuation of antiviral therapy. Results: Sixty patients with non-cirrhotic TN/TE CHC who started G/P were included in the study. All patients received G/P treatment for 8 weeks. The median age of the patients was 45 years (interquartile range 22-3) and 44 (73.3%) were males. The most frequently identified risk factor for CHC was substance use (n=7, 11.7%), whereas the most common comorbidities were cardiovascular disease, hypertension (n=8,13.3%), and diabetes mellitus (n=7, 11.7%). HCV genotype was evaluated in all patients. Genotype distribution: Genotype 1b was detected in 53 patients (88.3%) and genotype 1 was detected in 7 patients (11.7%). The median pretreatment HCV-RNA level of the patients was 137,000 IU/mL. HCV-RNA was evaluated in all patients at the 4 th and 8 th weeks of treatment and at the 12th th week after treatment. All patients were HCV-RNA-negative in the 1 st month of treatment. Additionally, HCV-RNA negativity continued in all patients at the end of treatment and at 12 week follow-up. No mild, moderate, or serious adverse events were observed during or after treatment. All patients were successfully treated. Conclusion: All patients extremely well tolerated the drug. The SVR response was found to be 100%. In addition, the fact that the viral load of all patients in our study was negative in the 4 th week of treatment suggested the possibility of shorter-term treatment. More studies on this subject.