EBR/GZR for HCV-1b Patients Receiving Hemodialysis

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is common in patients receiving hemodialysis. The uptake of antiviral therapy for these patients is limited in the era of interferon (IFN) plus ribavirin (RBV), probably because the sustained virologic response (SVR) rates are low and the risk of treatment-related adverse events (AEs) are high. In the era of IFN-free direct acting antiviral agents (DAAs), several studies have indicated high rates of SVR and excellent safety profiles to treat patients with severe renal impairment. With regard to elbasvir/grazoprevir (EBR/GZR) treatment, a phase 3 study (C-SURFER) study has shown 99% of SVR in HCV-1 patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) stage 4 or 5. Furthermore, most patients tolerated the treatment well. Although the data confirmed the excellent safety and efficacy in HCV-1 patients with severe renal impairment, data regarding the safety and efficacy for Asian HCV-1b patients receiving hemodialysis is lacking. Therefore, we aim to evaluated the safety and efficacy of EBR/GZR for 12 weeks in treatment-naive and treatment-experienced HCV-1b patients receiving hemodialysis.