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New data: Treating injection drug users with HCV
New study results show that people with chronic HCV who inject drugs and are on opioid agonist therapy respond well to an investigational therapy.
Despite the fact that injection drug use is the most common risk factor for hepatitis C infection, limited research has been done in this population.
However, new research recently presented during the American Association for the Study of Liver Disease’s President’s Press Conference at The Liver Meeting, shows that treating hepatitis C in this complex demographic can be effective, and patients in this trial showed high adherence to their HCV treatment.
C-EDGE CO-STAR, a phase 3 randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study, evaluated treatment with elbasvir/grazoprevir in patients with chronic HCV GT 1, 4 or 6 infection who were on opioid agonist therapy, such as methadone or buprenorphine.
The study showed that these patients not only respond well to treatment with investigational elbasvir/grazoprevir, but also have a high adherence rate (97%)-even though some continued to use illicit drugs during the trial.
Dr Barr
“Injection drug use is the most common risk factor for hepatitis C and new research. This is an important finding that can help reveal ways to treat this often overlooked patient population that can be a major driver of the hepatitis C crisis,” says Eliav Barr, MD, vice president of infectious diseases at Merck.
The study randomly assigned 301 patients to one of two study arms. The first was an immediate treatment group (ITG) that received elbasvir/grazoprevir (blinded) for 12 weeks (n=201). The second was a deferred treatment group that received 12 weeks of placebo (control arm) followed by a four-week follow-up period and then elbasvir/grazoprevir (open-label) for 12 weeks (n=100).
There were no restrictions on concomitant use of drugs with abuse potential (e.g., heroin, cocaine, marijuana).
“The C-EDGE CO-STAR efficacy and patient adherence data suggests that patients on opioid agonist therapy-even if they continue to use illicit drugs-can complete therapy and achieve high rates of efficacy with an acceptable safety profile,” Barr says.
A Conversation With Greg Baker, RPh, CEO of AffirmedRx
March 31st 2024Greg Baker, CEO of AffirmedRx, describes his early career, shares some of his critical opinions about the pharmacy benefit management (PBM) industry and how, in his view, his company is offering a better alternative.
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David Calabrese of OptumRx Talks New Role, Market Insulin Prices and Other Topics 'On His Mind'
April 13th 2023In this month’s episode of the "What's On Your Mind podcast," Peter Wehrwein, managing editor of MHE connects with the now Chief Clinical Officer of OptumRx Integrated Pharmacies, David Calabrese. In this conversation, David touches on his transition in January as OptumRx’s former chief pharmacy officer and market president of health plans and PBMs to his new role as Chief Clinical Officer where he now focuses more on things such as specialty pharmacy to home delivery — with an overall goal of creating whole-patient care. Throughout the conversation, Calabrese also touched on the market’s hot topic of insulin prices and behavioral health services within the OptumRx community, among other topics.
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Florida Gets the OK. But Will Drug Importation from Canada Actually Happen?
March 5th 2024Canadian health officials warn that maintaining a drug supply for Canadians is their priority. The staunch opposition of the U.S. pharmaceutical industry may also be an obstacle to imports from north of the border.
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Briana Contreras, editor of Managed Healthcare Executive, spoke with Nancy Lurker, CEO and president of EyePoint Pharmaceuticals. Nancy shared a bit about EyePoint and how the organization’s innovative therapies are addressing patient needs through eye care, and most importantly, she addressed C-Suite positions like the CEO role. Nancy shared advice for those seeking to reach the CEO level, especially toward women in healthcare and other roles, and what it takes to run a biopharma company.
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What Payers Need to Know As Retail Pharmacies Move Into Primary Care
September 6th 2023Healthcare beyond the doors of the doctor’s office has the potential to offer more care to more people. But payers need to think about how to ensure that care is consistent. Regardless of the setting, care decisions must be based on evidence-based content and supported with strong patient education.
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