AbbVie’s Mavyret (glecaprevir/pibrentasvir) cures hepatitis C virus (HCV) at a high rate among individuals typically excluded from clinical trials, including those receiving medication-assisted treatment (MAT) for opioid use disorder, those abusing alcohol or drugs and those with psychiatric conditions.

Presenting their findings at the 53rd International Liver Congress in Vienna, researchers analyzed data on 1,698 people with genotypes 1 through 6 of HCV who received Mavyret treatment and were members of the German Hepatitis C-Registry.

Eighty-four percent of the cohort members took a shortened regimen of just eight weeks of Mavyret because they had not been treated for hep C before and did not have cirrhosis. A total of 439 people (26 percent) were receiving MAT, 247 (15 percent) had a psychiatric condition, 106 (6 percent) were abusing alcohol and 47 (3 percent) were abusing drugs.

Out of the 998 cohort members about whom there were sufficient follow-up data to determine cure status, 964 (97 percent) achieved a sustained virologic response 12 weeks after completing therapy (SVR12, considered a cure).

Mental and physical health scores on the 36-Item Short Form Health Survey improved among numerous subgroups of cohort members, in particular those who had additional health conditions.

Mavyret was generally well tolerated. Three people stopped the regimen because of adverse health events.

Six people contracted hep C again after completing treatment, and an additional six experienced a viral relapse.

To read a press release about the study, click here.