What the trial was testing
The REACT enrolled 222 patients with hepatitis c. The study was sponsored by Kirby Institute and tracked outcomes across the full group of patients who matched the trial's eligibility profile.
It was long-term safety (phase 4). Trials at this stage are designed to produce evidence regulators and physicians can act on — not just observations to follow up later.
What the results showed
Only 2 of 95 people relapsed after 12 weeks of treatment, compared to 9 of 93 after 6 weeks.
Journal of hepatology · 2021 · NCT02625909
These findings — that the standard 12-week course had fewer relapses than the shortened 6-week version — were published in the Journal of hepatology and represent the headline result of the study.
Researchers tracked outcomes across 222 patients enrolled in the trial. The result was consistent enough across the group that the team felt confident reporting it.
What this means for patients
For patients with hepatitis c, this result changes the calculus on what to ask their care team about. Whether it changes day-to-day care depends on factors like disease subtype, prior treatments, and where the patient is in their care journey.
What you can do now
This study shows that sticking with the full 12-week treatment gives you a better chance of clearing hepatitis C without it coming back. The pills used here (sofosbuvir/velpatasvir) are FDA-approved, and your doctor can prescribe the standard 12-week course if you've been recently infected.
Eligibility for the treatments mentioned above depends on specific test results and clinical history. Bring this summary, the trial name, and your most recent labs or pathology report to your next visit.
Open hepatitis c trials
Non-interventional Study to Assess the Number of People With Untreated/Unknown HBV + HDV and HCV in South-East Austria
The HEAL-S study is a non-interventional study with retrospective data analysis. It consists of two parts. First a retrospective analysis based on nucleic acid testing (NAT) results will be performed. Two cohorts (HCV) and (HBV) will be established. Patients falling into one (or both) of the two cohorts will be invited to a prospective linkage-to-care study. In this part, patients are invited to the clinic, where the possibility of hepatitis treatment will be discussed.
Characterization of Immune Genotypes and Antibody Profiles to Foster the discoVERY of diagnosticbioMARKERS of Liver Cancer Development
Hepatitis C virus (HCV), which infects more than 185 million people, is a major risk factor. Direct-acting antiviral (DAA) therapy has significantly improved the eradication of the virus, but has not completely eliminated the risk of HCC, so careful surveillance is necessary. The genetic diversity of the natural killer receptor, histocompatibility antigens (HLA) and interferon lambda 4 (INFL4) activity, among other factors, have been found to be crucial in directing disease progression. Importantly, these markers are detectable years before the diagnosis of HCC. In addition, polymorphic variants attributable to the expression of genes involved in innate-type immune response, such as IFNL4 and HLA-E, have been shown to be predictive for the development of HCC and have not yet been extensively studied. The aim of the study is to evaluate novel circulating biomarkers, including the presence of antibodies to specific HCV proteome peptides, IFNL4 expression, and the interaction of specific HLA receptors/ligands in a large cohort of HCV-positive subjects in order to create a screening strategy for the early diagnosis of HCV-associated HCC. Part of the study will be devoted to describing the immune microenvironment associated with the expression of IFNL4 and HLAE, evaluating them as potential prognostic indicators for HCC in HCV-infected subjects undergoing surgery for HCC, as well as in those with advanced/metastatic HCC.