Sofosbuvir/Ledipasvir for Hepatitis C Genotype 1-6 in Patients With Transfusion-Dependent Thalassemia: An Open Label Trial

Thalassemia is characterized by a defect in red blood cell production. The anemia is caused by destruction of the erythroblasts in the bone marrow, erythrocytes' hemolysis and disrupted erythropoiesis. The life-long need for transfusions makes patients vulnerable to transfusion transmitted viral infections especially hepatitis C virus (HCV). HCV infection is a widespread disease. It affects a large number of thalassemia patients and it is considered a major public health problem. Infection with HCV results in chronic infection in a huge proportion of infected individuals. Therefore, it has been suggested that early treatment of acute HCV may prevent the development of chronic hepatitis.

Several studies have dwelled on the efficacy of interferon therapy for acute HCV infection in adults. Newer pegylated interferons (PEG-IFN) were used in the treatment of adults with acute HCV which showed equally excellent results. However, in thalassemia patients, iron overload in the liver negatively affects the outcome of liver disease leading to more severe hepatic inflammation and fibrosis in chronic hepatitis C which decreases response to IFN therapy.

Ribavarin has also been added as a treatment option with IFN, but ribavirin in thalassemia patients increases transfusion need by a median of 30-40 %, but does not increase major adverse events or treatment withdrawal.

At the end of 2013, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a new direct-acting antiviral agent for the treatment of HCV infection: Sofosbuvir (Gilead Sciences). Ledipasvir (Gilead Sciences) is a new drug with potent activity against HCV genotypes 1a and 1b. The combination of ledipasvir and sofosbuvir resulted in high rates of response among patients with HCV genotype 1 infection who had received prior treatment with interferon-based regimens. Ledipasvir and sofosbuvir have been combined in a single fixed-dose tablet for use once daily (ledipasvir-sofosbuvir).

Using this drug for HCV therapy alone or in combination with IFN for 12 or 24 weeks, resulted in more than 90% response rates in patients from the general population.