The Efficacy of Glecaprevir/Pibrentasvir in Chronic Hepatitis C Patients and the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic: Multicenter Real-Life Data

• Published in: Infectious diseases & clinical microbiology 2024-09, Vol.6 (3), p.216-224
• Main Authors: Gürbüz, Yunus, Kocagül-Çelikbaş, Aysel, Öztoprak, Nefise, Aygen, Bilgehan, Batırel, Ayşe, Habiloğlu, Arif Doğan, Aktuğ-Demir, Nazlım, Çeken, Sabahat, Demirtürk, Neşe, Ceylan, Mehmet Reşat, Üçer, Şengül, Karakeçili, Faruk, Alkan, Sevil, İnce, Nevin, Akça, Anıl, Günay, Veli, Mustanoğlu-Özatağ, Duru, Çınar, Güle, Kınıklı, Sami, Yıldız, Orhan, Şarlak-Konya, Petek, Sümer, Şua, Yekenkurul, Dilek, Çelik, Mehmet, Binay, Umut Devrim, Aşık-Otman, Zahide
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Covid-19; Drug therapy; Hepatitis; Hepatitis C; Hepatitis C virus; Medical research; Medicine, Experimental; Original; Protease inhibitors; RNA; Treatment
• ISSN: 2667-646X; 2667-646X
• DOI: 10.36519/idcm.2024.344

This study aimed to demonstrate the real-life efficacy and safety of glecaprevir /pibrentasvir in the treatment of chronic hepatitis C, as well as to identify the problems caused by the COVID-19 pandemic in the follow-up and treatment of patients. The study was conducted retrospectively with the participation of researchers from universities or training and research hospitals. It included patients with chronic hepatitis C who were over 18 years of age, treatment-naïve or treatment-experienced, had detectable HCV RNA and were receiving glecaprevir/pibrentasvir treatment. Only 188 of the 385 patients who participated in the study came to the follow-up visit 12 weeks after treatment, and all of them had a sustained virological response. It was thought that a significant portion of the 177 patients who did not come to the follow-up visit at 12 weeks after treatment refrained from coming to the hospital due to the COVID-19 pandemic. None of the patients who attended the follow-up visits required treatment discontinuation due to adverse events. Glecaprevir/pibrentasvir is a highly effective and relatively safe drug in the treatment of chronic hepatitis C. The COVID-19 pandemic has negatively affected the follow-up and treatment processes of patients. New measures are needed for the follow-up and treatment of patients with chronic hepatitis C during pandemics.