People who receive hepatitis B virus (HBV)­–infected liver transplants have better indicators of kidney and bone health after one year of Vemlidy (tenofovir alafenamide, or TAF) prophylaxis treatment compared with taking Viread (tenofovir disoproxil fumarate, or TDF).

Presenting their findings at the Annual Meeting of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases in San Francisco (The Liver Meeting), researchers conducted a Phase II open-label study (meaning participants knew which drug they were receiving) in New Zealand including 51 liver transplant recipients taking Viread as HBV prophylaxis treatment.

The participants, who had Stage 2 or greater chronic kidney disease, were randomized evenly to stay on Viread or switch to Vemlidy.

After 48 weeks of treatment, all of those about whom there were available data, including 20 in the Vemlidy arm and 18 in the Viread arm, had an undetectable viral load.

Twelve percent of those in the Vemlidy group and 24 percent of those in the Viread group experienced serious adverse health events. The median increase in eGRFCKD-EPI, a measure of kidney function, was 3.9 milliliters per minute per 1.73 meters squared among those who took Vemlidy and 0.2 ml/min/1.73m2in the Viread group.

As for changes in hip and spine bone mineral density (BMD), those in the Vemlidy group experienced a 0.689 percent increase in the spine compared with a 0.762 decline in the Viread group. At the hip, the two groups experienced a 1.007 percent increase and a 0.334 percent decline in BMD, respectively.

The differences between the two treatment groups in eGRFCKD-EPIand BMD changes were greater among those with risk factors for severe kidney dysfunction, such as being older than 60, having a eGRFCKD-EPIbelow 50 ml/min/1.73m2and taking calcineurin inhibitor medications.

The study authors concluded that Vemlidy was safe, well tolerated and efficacious.

To read the conference abstract, click here.