In the hepatitis C realm, when we talk about coinfection we are usually referring to people who have hepatitis C and HIV. It is also applied to people with hepatitis B and C, or hepatitis B and HIV. But what about those who are infected with all three: HBV, HCV, and HIV?

At a recent American College of Gastroenterology Annual Scientific Meeting in Philadelphia, Patrick Basu, MD and colleagues presented research on hepatitis C treatment for patients who are triply-infected. The research is titled: Sofosbuvir, Velpatasvir, Veloxpravir Efficacy in 12-Week Treatment in Triple Infected (Chronic Hepatitis C, Chronic Hepatitis B, and HIV) Geno 3 Naive Population: An Open Level Prospective Clinical Trial - SOLVVE – C).

The study enrolled 22 patients with HCV, HBV and HIV who underwent a 12-week course of treatment with Vosevi (sofosbuvir/velpatasvir/voxilaprevir). Nineteen patients were HBV e-antigen negative and three were e-antigen positive.

Four patients stopped treatment. The reasons were severe pneumonia, rectal bleeding and herpes zoster. All but one patient who completed the 12-week course were cured (sustained virologic response or SVR). The one patient who did not achieve SVR was due to resistance.

These are very encouraging results.