Effectiveness and Safety of Glecaprevir/Pibrentasvir Combination Therapy in Patients Diagnosed with Chronic Hepatitis C

Abstract

Objective: The study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of glecaprevir/pibrentasvir (GLE/PIB) treatment in patients infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV).

Materials and Methods: Forty-four patients who applied to the Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology Clinic between December 2019 and December 2022 were infected with HCV genotype 1–6 and came regularly for treatment and follow-up visits were included in the study. The study was conducted retrospectively by accessing patient data through the hospital information management system. In patients receiving GLE/PIB treatment, data regarding the effectiveness and reliability of the treatment were recorded both during the treatment process and after the treatment was terminated.

Results: Of the 44 patients, 47.7% were genotype 1b, 18.2% were genotype 1a, 15.9% were genotype 2, 13.6% were genotype 4, and 4.5% were infected with genotype 3. Early virological response (EVR) was achieved in 81.8% of 44 patients. End-of-treatment response and sustained virological response at the 12th week were achieved in all patients. No treatment failures were observed. There was no significant difference between EVR rates according to genotypes. There was a significant improvement in the liver function tests of the patients from the 4th week of treatment. The most common adverse events were fatigue and itching.

Conclusion: The GLE/PIB combination is an effective and safe treatment option in the treatment of HCV infection. Due to the high EVR rates, more comprehensive studies need to be conducted to keep the duration of GLE/PIB treatment shorter in some patient groups in patients diagnosed with CHC.