• All News
• Consumer
• Pro
• New Drugs
• Pipeline
• Clinical Trials
• FDA Alerts

Two-Week DAA Prophylaxis Prevents Hep C After Kidney Transplant

Medically reviewed by Carmen Pope, BPharm. Last updated on Nov 28, 2023.

By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter

TUESDAY, Nov. 28, 2023 -- Two-week direct-acting antiviral (DAA) prophylaxis prevents hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in individuals without HCV viremia who received kidney transplant (KT) from donors with HCV viremia (HCV D+/R−), according to a study published online Nov. 28 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

Niraj M. Desai, M.D., from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, and colleagues examined the safety and efficacy of two-week DAA prophylaxis for HCV D+/R− KT in a small uncontrolled trial involving 10 patients. Eligible candidates were 18 years of age and older, had negative HCV RNA results, and did not have HIV or active hepatitis B. Eligible deceased donors were aged 13 to 60 years, had positive HCV RNA, and had no chronic changes on renal biopsy. Before KT, participants received a dose of glecaprevir (300 mg)-pibrentasvir (120 mg) prophylaxis, followed by 13 additional doses, once daily, after KT. Standard immunosuppression was used. Hepatitis C virus RNA was measured on postoperative days 1 and 4, prophylaxis weeks 1 and 2, and at postprophylaxis follow-up weeks 1, 2, 4, and 12.

The researchers found that two of the recipients had undetectable HCV RNA at all of the time points. Eight had low-level HCV viremia during prophylaxis week 1; at follow-up week 12, all recipients had HCV RNA less than the lower limit of quantification. No rejection events or deaths occurred.

"This study provides proof of concept for two-week DAA prophylaxis as the optimal duration," the authors write.

Abstract/Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)

Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.

© 2024 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

Posted November 2023

More news resources

• FDA Medwatch Drug Alerts
• Daily MedNews
• News for Health Professionals
• New Drug Approvals
• New Drug Applications
• Drug Shortages
• Clinical Trial Results
• Generic Drug Approvals

Subscribe to our newsletter

Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.