Preferences of Persons With or at Risk for Hepatitis C for Long-Acting Treatments
Year: 2021
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: BACKGROUND: Whereas safe, curative treatments for hepatitis C virus (HCV) have been available since 2015, there are still 58 million infected persons worldwide, and global elimination may require new paradigms. We sought to understand the acceptability of approaches to long-acting HCV treatment. METHODS: A cross-sectional, 43-question survey was administered to 1457 individuals with or at risk of HCV at 28 sites in 9 countries to assess comparative interest in a variety of long-acting strategies in comparison with oral pills. RESULTS: Among HCV-positive participants, 37.7% most preferred an injection, 5.6% an implant, and 6% a gastric residence device, as compared with 50.8% who stated they would most prefer taking 1-3 pills per day. When compared directly to taking pills, differences were observed in the relative preference for an injection based on age (P<.001), location (P<.001), and prior receipt of HCV treatment (P=.005) but not sex. When an implant was compared with pills, greater preference was represented by women (P=.01) and adults of younger ages (P=.01 per 5 years). Among participants without HCV, 49.5% believed that injections are stronger than pills and 34.7% preferred taking injections to pills. Among those at-risk participants who had received injectable medications in the past, 123 of 137 (89.8%) expressed willingness to receive one in the future. CONCLUSIONS: These data point to high acceptability of long-acting treatments, which for a substantial minority might even be preferred to pills for the treatment of HCV infection. Long-acting treatments for HCV infection might contribute to global efforts to eliminate hepatitis C.
Source: Clinical Infectious Diseases
DOI: 10.1093/cid/ciab913
Institutions: Johns Hopkins University, Johns Hopkins Medicine, UNSW Sydney, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard University, University of Nebraska Medical Center, University of Liverpool, Centre of Excellence for Long-acting Therapeutics, University Health Network, University of Toronto
Language: English
Topic: Hepatitis C virus research
Subfield: Hepatology
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: green
Awards: Patient-Oriented Research and Mentorship in HIV and Non-Communicable Diseases, Elimination of HCV and related liver disease among HIV-infected and -uninfected people who inject drugs, Midcareer Investigator Award in Patient-Oriented Research (Parent K24), A randomised study of interferon-free treatment for recently acquired hepatitis C in people who inject drugs and people with HIV coinfection (the REACT Study), Individual, Network and Spatial Drivers of HIV and HCV among PWID in India, AIDS Linked to the IntraVenous Experience (ALIVE) Study, The Johns Hopkins Center for AIDS Research (JHU CFAR), The Long-Acting/Extended Release Antiretroviral Resource Program (LEAP)
OpenAlex ID: W3210374656