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Hepatitis CDecember 2022

What Researchers Found Comparing Two Care Models for Hepatitis C in People Who Inject Drugs

This trial compared two patient-centered care models — modified directly observed therapy and patient navigation — for hepatitis C treatment in 755 active people who inject drugs. Both approaches achieved high cure rates with sofosbuvir-velpatasvir.

What the trial was testing

The trial enrolled 755 patients with hepatitis c. The study was sponsored by Prisma Health-Upstate and tracked outcomes across the full group of patients who matched the trial's eligibility profile.

Researchers followed patients through treatment and into recovery, tracking the outcomes that mattered most for the disease being studied.

What the results showed

Roughly 75% cured in both groups — well above usual real-world rates.

The Lancet Gastroenterology & Hepatology · 2022 · NCT02824640

These findings — that in active people who inject drugs treated with sofosbuvir-velpatasvir — were published in the The Lancet Gastroenterology & Hepatology and represent the headline result of the study.

Researchers tracked outcomes across 755 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

Sofosbuvir-velpatasvir (Epclusa) is FDA-approved and available now and cures most cases of hepatitis C in 12 weeks. Many opioid treatment programs and harm-reduction clinics now offer it on-site. Ask any addiction medicine doctor or hepatologist about access — Medicare and most state Medicaid programs cover it.

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.