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Directly Observed Hepatitis C Treatment in Methadone Clinics

Not Applicable
Completed
Conditions
Hepatitis C
Medication Adherence
Registration Number
NCT01442311
Lead Sponsor
Albert Einstein College of Medicine
Brief Summary

Drug users account for a disproportionately large burden of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. However, HCV treatment adherence rates in drug users may be suboptimal in patients who use drugs regularly during HCV treatment. Because HCV treatment is most effective when patients adhere to at least 80% of the prescribed treatment regimen, interventions to improve HCV treatment adherence need to be developed and evaluated. The investigators designed the HCV DOT trial to test the efficacy of two versions of modified directly observed HCV therapy provided on-site at a methadone clinic. The primary objective of this trial is to determine whether enhanced DOT with both pegylated interferon alfa-2a plus ribavirin (PEG/RBV-DOT) is more efficacious than standard DOT with weekly provider-administered pegylated interferon (PEG-DOT) and self-administered ribavirin for increasing adherence and improving HCV treatment outcomes. The investigators hypothesize that PEG/RBV-DOT is associated with increased adherence and rates of sustained viral response compared with PEG-DOT.

Detailed Description

Not available

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
COMPLETED
Sex
All
Target Recruitment
80
Inclusion Criteria
  • HCV-infected
  • receive HCV medical care at the methadone clinic
  • plan to initiate HCV treatment on-site within the next 3 months
  • psychiatrically stable as determined by HCV treatment provider and/or on-site psychiatrist
  • attend the methadone clinic between three and six days per week to receive methadone
  • stable dose fo methadone for two weeks prior to the baseline visit
Exclusion Criteria
  • unable or unwilling to provide informed consent
  • currently receiving HCV treatment
  • primary HCV care provider does not agree to their participation in the trial
  • psychiatrically unstable

Study & Design

Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Study Design
PARALLEL
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Adherence24 -48 weeks

Adherence assessed by pill count, self-report, and medical records.

Secondary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
end of treatment response (ETR)24 - 48 weeks
treatment completion24 - 48 weeks

completion of at least 80% of planned duration of HCV treatment.

sustained viral response (SVR)24 weeks after treatment completion

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Albert Einstein College of Medicine Division of Substance Abuse

🇺🇸

Bronx, New York, United States

Albert Einstein College of Medicine Division of Substance Abuse
🇺🇸Bronx, New York, United States

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