Incivo plus peginterferon and ribavirin positive for co-infected hep C and HIV patients, says Janssen

US health care giant Johnson & Johnson’s (NYSE: JNJ) Janssen Infectious Diseases - Diagnostics BVBA presented Study 110 results for Incivo (telaprevir) at the 63rd annual meeting of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD) in Boston over the weekend, highlighting the efficacy and safety of a telaprevir based regimen in patients infected with both genotype-1 chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) and HIV (HCV/HIV).

Results from Study 110 found that HCV/HIV co-infected patients receiving a telaprevir based regimen achieved SVR24 (defined as having HCV RNA <25 IU/mL 24 weeks after stopping treatment) rates of 74% (28/38) as compared with 45% (10/22) of placebo controlled patients who received the standard treatment for HCV; peginterferon alfa and ribavirin (PR).

An estimated 130-210 million people are infected with HCV worldwide, with the prevalence of HCV/HIV co-infection averaging around 40 percent of HCV patients in Europe. Despite these figures, only a small proportion of HCV/HIV co-infected patients are treated for their hepatitis, says Janssen. People co-infected with HCV/HIV have more rapid fibrosis progression and liver disease than mono-infected patients. Chronic HCV infections can lead to end-stage liver disease, which is a major cause of death in HCV/HIV co-infected patients.

Study investigator, Kenneth Sherman, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, said: “The Study 110 further demonstrates the efficacy and safety of telaprevir when used in combination with peginterferon alfa and ribavirin in HCV/HIV co-infected patients. New effective treatment regimens are particularly important for this patient group due to their high risk of rapidly developing liver complications.”