August 16, 2013

Risk Seldom the Reason for HCV Testing

Published: Aug 16, 2013

By Michael Smith, North American Correspondent, MedPage Today

Reviewed by Robert Jasmer, MD; Associate Clinical Professor of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco

Action Points

  • Nearly half of people with chronic hepatitis C (HCV) said they were only tested after they had some clinical sign or symptom.
  • Note that less than one fourth of HCV-infected patients gave CDC risk indications as a reason for testing.

Nearly half of people with chronic hepatitis C (HCV) said they were only tested after they had some clinical sign or symptom, a CDC survey showed.

And only about one in five said they were tested because they fit one of the risk categories, such as injection drug use, defined by the CDC , the agency reported in the Aug. 16 issue of Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

The findings come from a survey of nearly 4,700 people with chronic HCV under care in one of four U.S. integrated health-care systems -- the Geisinger Health System of Danville, Pa., the Henry Ford Health System of Detroit, Kaiser Permanente Hawaii of Honolulu, and Northwest Permanente of Portland, Ore.

Chronic HCV accounts for substantial morbidity and mortality in the U.S., the CDC report noted, adding that testing and treating people without symptoms might help reduce the impact.

The agency, recently joined by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, has urged a one-time HCV test for everyone born from 1945 to 1965, because research suggests they account for about 75% of infections.

To understand where and why people with current chronic HCV sought initial testing, the agency queried some 8,101 patients in the four health systems, of whom 4,689 (or 57.9%) completed the survey.

Of those, 78.1% were born from 1945 through 1965, 87.4% had a high school diploma or its equivalent, 98.1% had insurance, and 45.5% had jobs, while 23.2% were getting disability payments.

A doctor's office was the most common location for the initial test, reported by 60.4% of respondents, although the rate was slightly higher for those born during 1945 through 1965 at 62.1% and lower (at 54.3%) for those born outside that period.

The participants reported 7,649 reasons for their initial test (respondents could give multiple reasons), including 3,473 "miscellaneous" responses (or 45.4%) that were not part of the CDC's risk indications, including such things as having many sex partners, coming from a country with endemic HCV, or following a doctor's recommendation.

But almost half of the respondents -- some 2,121 -- said they were tested in response to a clinical sign, either an abnormal liver test or liver symptoms such as jaundice.

And 1,045 said they were tested because they fit into a CDC risk category -- 986 of them cited injection drug use and 59 cited hemodialysis.

Another 781 cited some institutional requirement, such as insurance, as a reason for testing.

The CDC report cautioned that the patients in the survey were not nationally representative, so the results can't be applied to the general U.S. population. Among other things, almost all had some form of health insurance.

Also, because only 57.9% of the eligible participants answered the survey, response bias might have arisen and the gap between initial testing and time of interview might have led to recall bias.

The analysis was supported by the CDC. Ko is an employee of the agency.

Primary source: Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report
Source reference: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention "Locations and reasons for initial testing for hepatitis C infection -- chronic hepatitis cohort study, United States, 2006-2010" MMWR 2013; 62: 645-648.

Source

Gilead deliberately expose patients to deadly risks

Provided by ACT-UP Paris

Hepatitis C: Shame on Gilead! / HCV: Shame on Gilead!

published online: 12 August 2013

People living with hepatitis C and whose state of health emergency should benefit from drugs under development and not yet available on the market. For this, there is a temporary authorizations device use (ATU).

At noon, the activists of Act Up-Paris traveled to Boulogne-Billancourt to the French headquarters of Gilead Sciences Inc. to remind the company that it must follow the advice of the National Security Agency of the drug (MSNA ). Gilead refuses to give early access to sofosbuvir (SOF) to patients because they are therapeutic impasse with molecules currently available on the market, received a nominative ATU ANSM. The activists put up posters on the French headquarters of the firm are poured fake blood, unfurled a banner "Shame on Gilead" and chanted slogans such as "SOF is our right" or "We need this drug." The attitude of Gilead is denounced by several patient groups and national and international coalitions whose TRT-5, CHV, Treatment Action Group (USA) and the European AIDS Treatment Group (EATG). An online petition has collected more than 400 signatures of natural and legal persons.

Laure Pora, president of Act Up-Paris, said: "For Gilead, monopolistic logic premium on therapeutic requirements; compassionate access sofosbuvir is not the only example. We ask members of the Economic Committee of Health Products, which sets the price of drugs to financially penalize the firm when comes the time to fix the price of sofosbuvir and politicians denounce the attitude of Gilead. We call to sign the online petition  "

Act Up-Paris requires Gilead Sciences immediately provide the sofosbuvir to all persons who have registered ATU.

To gather information on the ATU anti-hepatitis C molecules in development, the group has set up an observatory that can be supplied by patients, relatives, doctors and associations.

Source


Gilead deliberately expose patients to deadly risks

Press Release interassociative group TRT-5 and Collective viral hepatitis

published online: 12 August 2013

People living with hepatitis C and whose state of health emergency should benefit from drugs in development and close to putting them on the market. For this, there is in France a device called Temporary Authorization for Use (ATU), which could save lives by providing early access to such drugs.

On 23 July, the National Security Agency of Medicines (MSNA) had granted 96 nominative ATU - ie based on the state of health of the person - sofosbuvir of a molecule developed by Gilead, to people with received a liver transplant, people waiting for transplants and people with cirrhosis therapeutic impasse. Gilead but refused to give the molecule in the majority.

Data from early access programs (or compassionate) can be used to determine the safest and most effective ways to treat HCV in people who need it most. For example, the cohort ANRS CUPIC provided essential information to understand what cirrhosis patients were more likely to get better, or worse - with treatments based on boceprevir or telaprevir. If Gilead refuses to study sofosbuvir "in real life", the opportunity is lost to minimize damage and maximize profits.

That's why we ask Gilead to give sofosbuvir NOW to those who have the greatest need, including those with advanced (Child-Pugh B or C), cirrhosis, some of which are living with HIV or another disease. For this purpose, a petition was launched in ten days which has raised more than 400 individual signatures and associations worldwide.

Of projects ATU cohort and clinical trial (sofosbuvir ledipasvir +) are under consideration in MSNA, but these projects appear equally restrictive and Gilead refuses to disclose its information to patients' associations. It is thus highly likely that doctors have not requested nominative ATU hoping that their patients could access treatment in a cohort ATU or a test, then they will be excluded.

Neglecting health emergencies, building useful prescription and pharmacovigilance scientific data, the Gilead, which markets life-saving medicines is not up to its ethical and social responsibilities.

Declaration of interest link: TRT-5 in 2013 received a grant of € 15,000 from Gilead.

Source

Antiviral activities of Indonesian medicinal plants in the East Java region against hepatitis C virus

Virology Journal 2013, 10:259 doi:10.1186/1743-422X-10-259

Research

Tutik Sri Wahyuni, Lydia Tumewu, Adita Ayu Permanasari, Evhy Apriani, Myrna Adianti, Abdul Rahman, Aty Widyawaruyanti, Maria Inge Lusida, Achmad Fuad, Soetjipto, Nasronudin, Hiroyuki Fuchino, Nobuo Kawahara, Ikuo Shoji, Lin Deng, Chie Aoki and Hak Hotta

For all author emails, please log on.

Published: 13 August 2013

Abstract (provisional)

Background

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a major cause of liver disease and a potential cause of substantial morbidity and mortality worldwide. The overall prevalence of HCV infection is 2%, representing 120 million people worldwide. Current standard treatment using pegylated interferon and ribavirin is effective in only 50% of the patients infected with HCV genotype 1, and is associated with significant side effects. Therefore, it is still of importance to develop new drugs for treatment of HCV. Antiviral substances obtained from natural products, including medicinal plants, are potentially good targets to study. In this study, we evaluated Indonesian medicinal plants for their anti-HCV activities.

Methods

Ethanol extracts of 21 samples derived from 17 species of medicinal plants explored in the East Java region were tested. Anti-HCV activities were determined by a cell culture method using Huh7.5 cells and HCV strains of 9 different genotypes (1a to 7a, 1b and 2b).

Results

Four of the 21 samples tested showed antiviral activities against HCV: Toona sureni leaves (TSL) with 50% inhibitory concentrations (IC50) of 13.9 and 2.0 mug/ml against the HCV J6/JFH1-P47 and -P1 strains, respectively, Melicope latifolia leaves (MLL) with IC50 of 3.5 and 2.1 mug/ml, respectively, Melanolepis multiglandulosa stem (MMS) with IC50 of 17.1 and 6.2 mug/ml, respectively, and Ficus fistulosa leaves (FFL) with IC50 of 15.0 and 5.7 mug/ml, respectively. Time-of-addition experiments revealed that TSL and MLL inhibited both at the entry and post-entry steps while MMS and FFL principally at the entry step. TSL and MLL inhibited all of 11 HCV strains of all the genotypes tested to the same extent. On the other hand, FFL showed significantly weaker inhibitory activities against the HCV genotype 1a strain, and MMS against the HCV strains of genotypes 2b and 7a to a lesser extent, compared to the other HCV genotypes.

Conclusions

Ethanol extracts of TSL, MLL, MMS and FFL showed antiviral activities against all the HCV genotypes tested with the exception that some genotype(s) showed significant resistance to FFL and to MMS to a lesser extent. These plant extracts may be good candidates for the development of anti-HCV drugs.

The complete article is available as a provisional PDF. The fully formatted PDF and HTML versions are in production.

Source

Study reveals much-needed strategy to protect against deadly liver fibrosis

Provided by MedicalXpress

August 15, 2013

28-studyreveals

This image demonstrates that the factor IL-33 (brown cells) is present in livers after chronic damage. Credit: Immunity, Mchedlidze et al.

Chronic liver disease is a leading cause of death in the United States, in part because it often causes the formation of harmful scar tissue—a process known as fibrosis. A study published by Cell Press August 15 in the journal Immunity reveals the central role the immune molecule interleukin 33 (IL-33) plays in the formation of liver fibrosis. The findings suggest that drugs targeting this molecule could serve as a new treatment strategy to protect against liver fibrosis.

"Currently, the therapeutic options for liver fibrosis are limited and not curative," says senior study author Stefan Wirtz of Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg. "We identified novel immunological factors that contribute to the development of liver fibrosis, opening up new avenues for the treatment of this serious condition."

Liver fibrosis refers to the accumulation of harmful deposits of extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins, and it can eventually lead to organ failure. Past studies have suggested that this kind of damage is associated with abnormal immune responses in the liver, but very little was known about the molecules and cells that contribute to fibrosis.

In the new study, Wirtz and his team found that the amount of IL-33 in the blood was higher than normal in patients with liver disease. Following up on this observation, they discovered that injection of IL-33 into mice caused ECM proteins to build up in the liver, whereas mice that were genetically modified to lack IL-33 were largely protected from fibrosis. The researchers went on to identify the immune networks underlying IL-33's harmful effects and discovered that this molecule activates immune cells called type 2 innate lymphoid cells (ILC2), which had never before been linked to liver disease.

"Our findings reveal IL-33 as a novel biomarker that could potentially lead to early detection of fibrosis in patients, which may be extremely valuable for preventing further damage to the liver," Wirtz says. "Moreover, the study shows that drugs targeting IL-33 or ILC2 responses could be a promising strategy to protect against fibrosis and chronic liver disease."

Explore further: How does fibrosis occur in Crohn's disease?

More information: Immunity, Mchedlidze et al.: "Interleukin-33-dependent innate lymphoid cells mediate hepatic fibrosis." dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.immuni.2013.07.018

Journal reference: Immunity

Provided by Cell Press

Source

Advanced fibrosis raised risk for decompensation in HIV/HCV coinfection

Provided by Healio

Macias J. Clin Infect Dis. 2013;doi:10.1093/cid/cit537.

August 15, 2013

Hepatitis C therapy is necessary in patients with advanced fibrosis who are coinfected with hepatitis C and HIV because they are at risk for liver decompensations, researchers in Spain have suggested.

“Liver fibrosis progresses fast among HIV/HCV-coinfected patients and, as a consequence, after the first decompensation patients die soon,” the researchers wrote in Clinical Infectious Diseases. “This grim prognosis can be altered by therapy against HCV. Individuals with HIV infection and compensated HCV-related cirrhosis achieving sustained virological response to therapy against HCV are at a reduced risk of liver events.”

The retrospective cohort study included 892 patients with HIV/HCV coinfection who were treated from November 1990 to June 2012. They had not previously received HCV therapy or had received treatment but not reached sustained virological response. All patients had advanced fibrosis diagnosed by liver biopsy or liver stiffness measurement. The researchers evaluated the number of liver decompensations recorded during the follow-up period.

Among the 317 patients who had liver biopsy, 40 patients experienced liver decompensation, with a rate of 2.3 decompensations per 100 person-years. At 5 years, the probability of remaining free of liver decompensation was 90%. Twelve patients with fibrosis stage 3 at baseline developed liver decompensation, for an incidence of 1.4 per 100 person-years. Twenty-eight patients with cirrhosis at baseline developed liver decompensation, for an incidence of 3.1 per 100 person-years.

Among the 575 patients who had liver stiffness measurement, 53 patients experienced liver decompensation, with a rate of 3.98 decompensations per 100 person-years. At 5 years, the probability of remaining free of liver decompensation was 77%. Six individuals with a liver stiffness measurement of ≥9.5 kiloPascal (KPa) and <14.5 KPa and 47 patients with a measurement of ≥14.6 KPa at baseline experienced decompensations of cirrhosis. The incidence rates were 0.9 per 100 person-years and 4 per 100 person-years, respectively.

“Liver decompensations among HIV/HCV-coinfected patients can emerge shortly after the detection of advanced fibrosis,” the researchers wrote. “In those patients, immediate anti-HCV therapy should be considered.”

Disclosure: Some of the researchers report financial relationships with Abbott, Boehringer Ingelheim, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Gilead, GlaxoSmithKline, Jansen Cilag, Merck Sharp & Dome, Roche, Schering-Plough and ViiV.

Source

August 15, 2013

Gilead Races against Competitors for an Oral Hepatitis C Cure

Provided by The Motley Fool

By Todd Campbell - August 13, 2013 | Tickers: ABBV, GILD, MRK, VRTX | 0 Comments

Todd is a member of The Motley Fool Blog Network -- entries represent the personal opinion of the blogger and are not formally edited.

The search for a hepatitis C cure is one of the most active areas within biotechnology research and development.

One of the company's ushering in the next generation of hepatitis C treatment is Gilead Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: GILD). The company acquired hepatitis C drug sofosbuvir in its $11.2 billion acquisition of Pharmasset back in January 2012.

Sonosbuvir has a very good chance of beating rival drugs to the market. Those competing drugs are being developed by Vertex Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: VRTX), Merck (NYSE: MRK) and AbbVie (NYSE: ABBV), the drug manufacturing giant that split off from Abbott Labs last winter.

Gilead's hopes for first-to-market approval.

In April, Gilead reported strong Phase 3 trial data. Those positive results for sonosbuvir as a combination therapy with ribavirin for genotype 2 and 3 hepatitis C patients prompted Gilead to file for FDA approval. The filing also seeks approval for sonosbuvir combined with ribavirin and interferon for genotype 1 -- the most common variant of the disease. The FDA granted Gilead's application priority review in June.

However, the holy grail of Hepatitis C treatment is an interferon free oral treatment alternative.

Developing such a solution will likely grab significant share in the $20 billion hepatitis C treatment market because interferon comes with significant side effects and current non-oral treatments require injections, which many patients dread.

As a result of the opportunity, Gilead is studying 12 and 24 week dosing of oral sonosbuvir without interferon through its Ion 1 and Ion 2  trials.

If those trials work as hoped, doctors will likely make it a first line treatment, shifting use of current treatments from Vertex and Merck to second tier status. Vertex's Incivek - the fastest drug to reach one billion in sales after launching in May 2011 -- and Merck's Victrelis combined to generate $330 million in sales last quarter.

But, that underestimates the true potential for an oral hepatitis C treatment as many doctors are delaying treatment in hope of these new options. This suggests the first to market will see significant ramp in sales tied to pent-up demand.

Gilead's competitors aren't giving up.

That's not to say Vertex and Merck are giving up on the market. Both are committing significant resources developing their own interferon free choices.

Vertex hopes to follow up its highly successful Incivek with another all-oral option. However, the company's VX-135 faced headwinds in late July when the FDA put a partial hold on a mid stage trial of the drug due to toxicity concerns tied to the highest 400 mg dose. The trial is continuing for the lower 100 mg dose.

At Merck, the company announced its MK-5172 saw a 92% cure rate six months after completing a 12 week treatment course. MK-5172 was dosed alongside ribavirin in the trial.

But, the competitor closest to threatening Gilead in the race to launch is AbbVie. During an investment conference in July, the company suggested it could have the first oral drug approval. It is in the final stages of its phase 3 trials. If approved, AbbVie's drug would help the company diversify its sales away from mega-blockbuster Humira, which accounted for $2.6 billion in Abbvie sales last quarter, roughly 55% of the company's total revenue.

Despite pressure from AbbVie, Gilead seems to remain the front runner.

Its sonosbuvir treatment would require just one daily pill versus four for AbbVie's drug. And, sonosbuvir showed a 95% cure rate in Phase 2 trials, similar to AbbVie's cure rate following 12 weeks of treatment. This suggests even if AbbVie does get to market first, doctors and patients will likely favor Gilead's drug.

That could mean a big pay day for the company given there are roughly 180 million people infected with Hepatitis C worldwide. While drug development is notoriously difficult and setbacks do occur, it appears Gilead and AbbVie should be watched closely as either could see substantial revenue growth if granted approval, making them Fool-ishly attractive.

Source

NHS lifts ban on health workers with HIV

Published August 15, 2013 AFP

photo_1376569884507-1-HD

LONDON, England (AFP) –  The government said Thursday it would lift a ban on staff with HIV working in the state-run National Health Service from carrying out certain procedures on patients.

Staff who are undergoing treatment for HIV will be able to carry out all procedures from which they are currently banned, including surgery and dentistry, provided they are having effective anti-retroviral drug therapy.

England's chief medical officer, Professor Sally Davies, said there was no proof that anyone had contracted HIV from a health worker and it was time to scrap "outdated rules".

She said improved treatment meant HIV, the human immunodeficiency virus that can lead to AIDS, could often be managed and carriers could lead long and normal lives.

Self-testing kits for HIV will also be legalised in Britain from April 2014, to improve early detection of the disease.

"We've got outdated rules," said Davies.

"At the moment we bar totally safe healthcare workers who are on treatment with HIV from performing many surgical treatments, and that includes dentists."

She said: "What we want to do -- and want to get over -- is how society needs to move from thinking about HIV as positive or negative and thinking about HIV as a death sentence, to thinking about whether they're infectious or not infectious."

Davies said huge improvements in the treatment of HIV meant that today, carriers can lead "lives that are normal in quality and length".

"With effective treatment, they are not infectious," she added.

There are about 100,000 people with HIV in Britain although experts say a quarter of those who are infected do not know they have it.

In 2011, there were around 6,000 new diagnoses of HIV.

Apart from being on retroviral drugs, healthcare workers must also have an undetectable viral load of HIV, meaning the level of the virus in their blood is so low that the likelihood of transmitting it to another person is greatly reduced.

They will also have to be monitored every three months and sign a confidential register of infected staff.

There have been just four cases in Western countries of health workers infecting patients, with no cases ever recorded in Britain.

Deborah Jack, chief executive of the National Aids Trust (NAT), welcomed the new policy, which she said was "based on up-to-date scientific evidence and not on fear, stigma or outdated information".

Professor Damien Walmsley, scientific advisor to the British Dental Association, said the change brought Britain in line with many other countries.

"Dentists in the UK comply with rigorous infection control procedures to protect both patients and the dental team against the risk of transmission of blood-borne infections," he added.

Source

Psychiatric Treatment Considerations With Direct Acting Antivirals in Hepatitis C

BMC Gastroenterology

Sanjeev Sockalingam, Alice Tseng, Pierre Giguere, David Wong

BMC Gastroenterol. 2013;13(86)

Abstract

Background Despite recent advances in hepatitis C (HCV) treatment, specifically the addition of direct acting antivirals (DAAs), pegylated interferon-alpha remains the backbone of HCV therapy. Therefore, the impact of DAAs on the management of co-morbid psychiatric illness and neuropsychiatric sequalae remains an ongoing concern during HCV therapy. This paper provides a review of the neuropsychiatric adverse effects of DAAs and drug-drug interactions (DDIs) between DAAs and psychiatric medications.

Methods We conducted a Pubmed search using relevant search terms and hand searched reference lists of related review articles. In addition, we searched abstracts for major hepatology conferences and contacted respective pharmaceutical companies for additional studies.

Results Limited data is available on the neuropsychiatric adverse effects of DAAs; however, data from major clinical trials suggest that DAAs have minimal neuropsychiatric risk. DAAs can potentially interact with a variety of psychotropic agents via cytochrome P450 and p-glycoprotein interactions. Triazolam, oral midazolam, St. John's Wort, carbamazepine and pimozide, are contraindicated with DAAs. DDIs between DAAs and antidepressants, anxiolytics, hypnotics, mood stabilizers, antipsychotics and treatments for opioid dependence are summarized.

Conclusions Although DAAs do not add significant neuropsychiatric risk, the potential for DDIs is high. Consideration of DDIs is paramount to improving medication adherence and mitigating adverse effects during HCV therapy.

Background

Treatment of hepatitis C virus (HCV), a virus infecting over 170 million worldwide,[1] has evolved over the last two decades and moved from interferon-alpha monotherapy to pegylated interferon-alpha (IFNα) in combination with ribavirin therapy. HCV therapy with IFNα and ribavirin has yielded overall sustained virological response (SVR) rates of approximately 54% to 56% with SVR rates for genotype 1 approximating 45% to 50%.[2,3] The next generation of HCV therapeutic agents is direct acting antivirals (DAAs) that still require the use of interferon-ribavirin combination therapy. Protease inhibitors, specifically telaprevir or boceprevir, in combination with IFNα and ribavirin (i.e. triple therapy) have improved SVR rates to 70% to 75% in HCV genotype 1 patients.[4,5]

Despite these enhanced SVR rates, psychiatric illness remains a barrier to widespread HCV treatment uptake due to the neuropsychiatric risks associated with IFNα. It is estimated that up to 50% of patients with untreated chronic HCV suffer from psychiatric illness when substance abuse and dependence is excluded.[6,7] Lifetime rates of mood, anxiety and personality disorders in untreated HCV-infected patients have each ranged from approximately 20% to 40%.[6,7] Treatment with pegylated interferon-alpha (IFNα) therapy can induce a myriad of neuropsychiatric side effects including depression in approximately 25% to 30% of patients undergoing IFNα therapy for HCV.[8–11] In addition, HCV-infected patients with pre-existing psychiatric disorders may experience an exacerbation of psychopathology secondary to IFNα.

Poorly managed psychiatric illness can lead to treatment discontinuation, poor adherence to treatment and serious psychiatric sequalae, such as suicide.[12,13] The onset of suicidal ideation and suicide on HCV therapy coincides with the onset of IFNα-induced depression (IFNα-D) and requires prompt recognition and treatment to prevent these serious psychiatric sequelae.[12,14] Integrated Hepatology-Psychiatric care models have demonstrated the capacity to mitigate neuropsychiatric risks associated with HCV therapy through improved access to psychiatric and psychological interventions.[15,16]

In the era of DAAs, adherence is paramount to treatment success given the strict dosing regimen of first generation HCV protease inhibitors (PIs). First generation DAAs have high pill burdens and frequent dosing intervals. Active depression has been associated with poor antiviral therapy (ART) in patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).[17] Therefore, it is possible that poorly controlled psychiatric illness may compromise adherence to PI dosing schedules and as a result, reduce HCV treatment efficacy. Similar to the advent of HIV ART, first generation DAAs have also presented concerns regarding drug-drug interactions (DDIs) with medications including several psychotropic medications. Given the high prevalence of psychiatric illness in HCV-infected patients and need for psychotropic treatments for IFNα-induced neuropsychiatric side effects, an understanding of salient DDIs involving psychotropic medications is essential to the clinical care of patients treated for HCV.

With respect to DDIs, both boceprevir and telaprevir are substrates and inhibitors of CYP3A4.[18,19] Both agents also inhibit p-glycoprotein[18,19] and telaprevir may inhibit renal transporters.[20] Approximately 50% to 60% of available prescription medications are metabolized via CYP3A4 pathway.[21,22] Moreover, preliminary HCV data suggests that in clinical practice, 72% of patients had at least one DDI and 50% had at least two DDIs related to DAAs.[23] Therefore, there is a high potential for DDIs with HCV protease inhibitors, particularly if treatment for other comorbid conditions is necessary.

Interactions may be pharmacokinetic or pharmacodynamic in nature. Pharmacodynamic interactions impact drug efficacy or toxicity in an additive, synergistic or antagonistic manner. For instance, pegylated interferon and ribavirin have CNS effects that overlap with those of the antiretroviral regimens involving efavirenz; co-administration may theoretically contribute to adverse effects including depression, mood changes, and suicidality. Clinicians may therefore wish to avoid this combination if possible, particularly in patients with a history of significant mental illness.

Pharmacokinetic interactions may result in altered concentrations of one or more interacting drugs. Negative two-way interactions have been observed between both boceprevir and telaprevir and ritonavir-boosted HIV protease inhibitors, with significant reductions in exposures of HCV agents and HIV protease inhibitors; therefore, telaprevir should not be coadministered with ritonavir-boosted darunavir, fosamprenavir, or lopinavir[18] and boceprevir is not recommended for use with any boosted protease inhibitor.[24]

Negative consequences of drug interactions may include viral breakthrough and development of resistance, sub-optimal disease/symptom management, or drug toxicity and possible non-adherence.[25] These interactions highlight the challenges of managing multiple comorbidities in patients with HCV infection.

The purpose of this review was to evaluate the current evidence on: (i) the neuropsychiatric adverse effects of DAAs, and (ii) the DDIs between DAAs and psychotropic agents when used in HCV patients.

Methods

We performed a Pubmed search using MeSH headings "hepatitis C" AND "boceprevir" OR "telaprevir" combined with "mental disorders", "psychotropic drugs" and "drug interactions". We limited our search to English language studies published between 2000-April 2013. References for all review articles were searched for additional studies as well as conference abstracts. Additional information on psychiatric adverse effects and DDIs with DAAs were requested from Vertex and Merck. Due to the limited literature, data on psychiatric adverse effects was also obtained from registration trials for boceprevir and telaprevir. Theoretical drug interactions were included in the respective sections. Due to available data on antidepressant efficacy in depressed HCV populations, we discussed potential DAA and antidepressant DDIs in the context of clinical evidence for specific antidepressant agents for treating depression during HCV therapy. Level of evidence was derived from 2 recent guidelines and existing reviews[26–29] and a previously published grading system[30] was used classify evidence for only studies examining antidepressant treatment of depression during HCV therapy.

Results

Neuropsychiatric Side Effects of DAAs

Data on neuropsychiatric adverse effects of DAAs is limited and predominantly derived from landmark clinical trials for boceprevir and telaprevir (see Table 1).[4,5,31–34] Across trials, there was no significant difference in neuropsychiatric side effects between DAAs and treatment with peg- IFNα and ribavirin alone. It should be noted that the rates of neuropsychiatric sequalae from DAAs may be an underestimate, as patients with significant psychiatric illness were excluded from these studies and detection of psychiatric side effects did not utilize formal psycho-diagnostic tools. Only one study published data on anxiety during triple therapy and found a comparable reported rate of anxiety in patients treated with triple therapy (10%) versus standard therapy alone (12%).[4] Although studies focusing specifically on psychiatric complications of DAAs are lacking, this preliminary data suggests that DAAs confer a minimal risk of additional neuropsychiatric side effects.

Table 1.  Psychiatric adverse effects in DAAs

  Telaprevir trials Boceprevir trials
ADVANCE4 ILLUMINATE*31 REALIZE32 SPRINT-133 SPRINT-25 RESPOND-234
Psychiatric side effect            
Fatigue 57% (57%) 68% 55% (40%) 68% (55%) 53% (60%) 54% (50%)
Insomnia 32% (31%) 31% 26% (26%) 28% (38%) 33% (32%) 30% (20%)
Irritability 22% (18%) - 14% (16%) - 22% (24%) 19% (13%)
Depression 18% (22%) - 9% (14%) - 23% (22%) 12% (15%)
Anxiety 10% (12%) - - - - -

% - percent for study arm corresponding to current standard of care for DAA.

(%) – percent for pegylated IFNα and Ribavirin treatment arm.

*ILLUMINATE – did not have pegylated IFNα and Ribavirin treatment arm.

Antidepressant Use With DAAs

Antidepressants are used primarily in the treatment of depression and anxiety in both untreated HCV patients and patients undergoing IFNα therapy for HCV. Studies have explored the use of antidepressants in HCV as both prophylactic (i.e. antidepressant pre-treatment) and symptomatic treatment for IFNα-D. Two recent guidelines have specifically identified management of IFNα-D and provided recommendations for antidepressant therapy in HCV-infected patients (see Table 2). Based upon these guidelines and previous reviews,[26] only escitalopram currently has Level 1 evidence for treating or preventing depression emerging during HCV treatment.[35,36]

Table 2.  Evidence for antidepressant treatment of depression during HCV Therapy and drug interactions with DAAs

Level of evidence for depression treatment Antidepressant (route of metabolism) Known or potential interactions with DAAs Comments
Level 1 Escitalopram (CYP2C19, 3A4 >> 2D6) No interaction observed with boceprevir37 35% ↓ escitalopram AUC with telaprevir38 Boceprevir: no dose adjustment required. Telaprevir: May need to titrate escitalopram dose according to clinical response.
Level 2 Citalopram (CYP2C19, 3A4 >> 2D6) Potential for ↓ antidepressant concentrations based on escitalopram interaction data. Monitor and titrate dose according to clinical response.
Paroxetine* (CYP2D6) No interaction expected based on known pharmacologic characteristics. Monitor and titrate dose according to clinical response.
Level 4 Bupropion (CYP2B6), Fluoxetine (CYP2D6) No interaction expected based on known pharmacologic characteristics. Monitor and titrate dose according to clinical response.
  Sertraline (CYP2B6 > 2C9/19, 3A4, 2D6, UGT1A1 - possible), Mirtazapine (CYP2D6, 1A2, 3A4), Venlafaxine (CYP2D6 > CYP3A4) Potential for ↑ sertraline, mirtazapine, venlafaxine concentrations (clinical significance unknown). Use with caution; monitor and titrate dose according to clinical response.
  Desvenlafaxine (UGT>>3A4) [39,40] Potential for ↑ desvenlafaxine concentrations (clinical significance unknown). Monitor and titrate antidepressant dose according to clinical response.
  Tricyclic antidepressants i.e. Desipramine (CYP2D6>>UGT), Imipramine (CYP2D6, 1A2, 2C19, 3A > UGT), Trazodone** (CYP2D6> CYP3A) Potential increase in TCA concentrations resulting in dizziness, hypotension and syncope. Use with caution with DAAs, lower TCA doses are recommended.
  Nortriptyline (CYP2D6) No interaction expected based on known pharmacologic characteristics. Monitor and titrate dose according to clinical response.
Avoid (exceptional circumstances only) Duloxetine (CYP1A2, 2D6) Duloxetine: risk of hepatotoxicity. Duloxetine is contraindicated in liver disease.
Nefazodone (CYP3A4) Nefazodone: potential for ↑ nefazodone and/or DAA concentrations; also risk of hepatotoxicity. Nefazone was discontinued in the United States and Canada in 2003 due to hepatotoxicity concerns. Avoid use in liver disease.
  St. John's Wort (hypericum perforatum); induces CYP3A4 and P-gp.40 Potential for ↓ DAA concentrations. St. John's Wort is contraindicated with boceprevir19 and telaprevir.18

*Evidence in RCT for depressed mood component of major depression only.

**Trazodone is primarily used clinically for treating insomnia.

Level of Evidence: Level I (≥ 2 RCTs or meta-analysis), Level 2 (1 RCT), Level 4 (Case reports/series or expert opinion
).

Anxiety secondary to IFNα can also be treated with antidepressants, which are a first line treatment based upon the limited available literature (Level 4).[41,42] Escitalopram and citalopram may be beneficial options in treating anxiety disorders in HCV based upon the anecdotal reports of safety in HCV[43–45] and extrapolation of evidence from non-HCV anxiety treatment guidelines.[46] Clinicians should be aware of the potential risk of dose-related QT prolongation with citalopram and escitalopram.[47] The maximum recommended dose is citalopram 20 mg per day in patients with hepatic impairment, those 65 years of age or older, patients who are CYP2C19 poor metabolizers, or patients who are taking concomitant cimetidine or another CYP2C19 inhibitor.[48] In some countries, such as Canada, the maximum recommended dose for escitalopram in patients with hepatic impairment is 10 mg per day due to QT prolongation concerns.[49]

Drug interactions between DAAs and some antidepressants, specifically those affected by CYP 450 interactions of PIs, may lead to clinically significant adverse effects which impact tolerability to therapy for HCV. For example, SSRIs and Selective Noradrenergic Reuptake Inhibitors (SNRIs) can be associated with nausea, gastrointestinal upset, sweating and sexual dysfunction, which could emerge with PI related drug interactions.

Specific drug interactions with antidepressants and DAAs are summarized in Table 2. In a single study involving telaprevir, escitalopram area under the curve (AUC) was reduced by 35%, suggesting the need for clinicians to monitor the need for dose optimization on triple therapy.[50] No significant DDI has been observed between escitalopram and boceprevir.[37] Specific antidepressants, for example trazodone, that have a high sedative potential and potential for DDIs with DAAs can lead to increased sedation and may impact overall tolerability and compliance to both agents. Therefore, the selection of antidepressant agents during HCV therapy should include consideration of potential DDIs, in order to avoid possible adverse effects, which may negatively affect HCV antiviral treatment adherence. Clinicians should also be aware that St. John's Wort is a potent inducer of CYP3A4 and P-gp,[40] and is contraindicated with DAAs due to the potential risk for significant reductions in boceprevir or telaprevir concentrations.[18,19]

Benzodiazepine and Hypnotic Use With DAAs

Benzodiazepines may be a treatment option for anxiety symptoms in the context of HCV or secondary to IFNα; however, no large trials have examined the efficacy of anxiolytics in HCV.[16,41,42,51,52] Anecdotally, benzodiazepines have also been used short-term for insomnia in HCV-infected patients.[41] Furthermore, the prevalence of substance dependence in HCV patients has cautioned the use of benzodiazepines in this patient population. In general, short-acting benzodiazepines should be avoided due to potential rebound effect on anxiety and long-term benzodiazepine use may lead to tolerance and dependence.

If benzodiazepines are used, lorazepam, oxazepam or temazepam are preferred due to the reliance on glucuronidation, a process that is relatively preserved in patients with significant liver disease.[53] Furthermore, these three agents are the least susceptible to pharmacokinetic interactions with DAAs since they are not metabolized through the cytochrome P450 system. Most other benzodiazepine agents undergo metabolism solely or partially through CYP3A4, and thus concentrations may be increased by DAAs via CYP3A4 inhibition. Triazolam and oral midazolam are contraindicated with boceprevir and telaprevir, due to hypothesized or documented significant interactions. When administered orally, midazolam exposures were increased 430% in the presence of boceprevir[54] and almost 9-fold in the presence of telaprevir.[55] Intravenous midazolam concentrations increased 3.4-fold when co-administered with telaprevir.[55] Thus, while intravenous midazolam is not absolutely contraindicated with PIs, it is recommended that this combination be administered with caution in a setting which allows for close clinical monitoring for prolonged sedation and/or respiratory depression, and that dose adjustment of intravenous midazolam should be considered.[19]

Zolpidem is metabolized through a variety of CYP450 isozymes, including CYP3A, 2C9, 1A2, 2D6, and 2C19. In the presence of steady-state telaprevir, zolpidem exposures were unexpectedly reduced by 47%.[56] Close monitoring and dose titration of zolpidem is recommended if this agent is coadministered with telaprevir. Zopiclone is also metabolized predominantly by CYP3A4 and to a lesser degree by CYP2C8 and CYP2C9. Zopiclone concentrations may theoretically be increased by DAAs and require close monitoring. Most other benzodiazepines should be used cautiously in patients on DAAs. Clinicians may consider starting with a decreased benzodiazepine dose and monitoring for benzodiazepine-related toxicity, or selecting an alternate agent such as lorazepam, oxazepam or temazepam. Dose reductions are also recommended in patients with severe liver impairment as per product monographs.[18,19]

Anticonvulsant Use With DAAs

Anticonvulsants can be used as mood stabilizers for new onset or de-stabilized bipolar disorder during IFNα therapy for HCV. Studies on the efficacy of anticonvulsants as moodstabilizers in HCV are limited to case reports and as a result, treatment often follows non-HCV bipolar treatment guidelines.[30]

Lithium is a preferred moodstabilizer due its renal excretion and minimal dose adjustment in patients with HCV except in patients with shifting fluid balance resulting from decompensated cirrhosis.[57] Lithium has no known drug interactions with DAAs. Valproic acid has no significant DDIs with DAAs; however, valproic acid use in HCV has been limited by its purported risk of hepatotoxicity.[58] Nonetheless, in a study of patients with less severe HCV disease, elevations in alanine aminotransferase (ALT) were comparable between valproic acid and other psychotropic agents.[59]

Amongst the remaining moodstabilizers, carbamazepine is contraindicated due to induction of cytochrome P450 3A4 and potential for decreasing boceprevir or telaprevir levels (see Table 3). Lamotrigine undergoes extensive metabolism by UDP-glucuronosyltransferase (UGT) 1A4.[60] This metabolic pathway is not inhibited or induced by boceprevir or telaprevir. Lamotrigine has been associated with severe rash, including Steven's Johnson rash. Given that DAAs, particularly telaprevir, have also been associated with severe rashes, it is recommended to use extra precautions if coadministration is required. Gabapentin and pregabalin are not effective moodstabilizers for bipolar disorder in monotherapy;[61] however, based upon data from non-HCV populations pregabalin and gabapentin can be efficacious in treating co-morbid generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) in HCV. Both pregabalin and gabapentin have no significant drug interactions with HCV triple therapy involving DAAs as they are both predominantly renally excreted. Table 3 provides a summary of anticonvulsant drug interactions with DAAs.

Table 3.  Anticonvulsant drug interactions with DAAs

Drug (route of metabolism) Known or potential interactions with DAAs Comments
Lithium (renal) No interaction expected based on known pharmacologic characteristics Monitor and titrate dose according to clinical response and serum levels.
Valproic Acid, divalproex Parent: UGT (50%), minor CYP dependent oxidation pathway (<10%) Inhibitor of UGT,CYP2C9/19 No interaction expected based on known pharmacologic characteristics Monitor and titrate dose according to clinical response and serum levels.
Carbamazepine Parent: CYP3A>> 2C8, 1A2 Inducer of CYP3A, 2C9, 2C19, UGT and possibly 1A2 Potential for ↓ DAAs concentrations Carbamazepine is contraindicated with boceprevir19 Co-administration of telaprevir with potent CYP3A4 inducers such as carbamazepine may lead to reduced DAA plasma concentrations and decreased efficacy18 Carbamazepine clearance can also potentially be decreased.62 Consider an alternate agent with non-inducing metabolic properties.
Oxcarbazepine Parent: UGT Inhibitor of CYPC19; Potent inducer of CYP3A4. Relative to carbamazepine, oxcarbazepine inducing effect is 54% lower63 Potential for ↓ DAAs concentrations Co-administration of boceprevir and telaprevir with potent CYP3A4 inducers, may lead to reduced DAA plasma concentrations and decreased efficacy. Consider an alternate agent with non-inducing metabolic properties.64
Lamotrigine (UGT) No interaction expected based on known pharmacologic characteristics Monitor and titrate dose according to clinical response.
Gabapentin (Renal) No interaction expected based on known pharmacologic characteristics Monitor and titrate dose according to clinical response.
Pregabalin (Renal) No interaction expected based on known pharmacologic characteristics Monitor and titrate dose according to clinical response.

Antipsychotic Use With DAAs

Antipsychotic medications can be used during HCV therapy to stabilize pre-existing mood or psychotic disorders in patients or to treat IFNα-induced mood or psychotic symptoms secondary. Patients with severe mental illness, such as schizophrenia[65,66] and bipolar disorder[67] have been shown to have higher rates of HCV compared to the general population and thus, it may not be uncommon to treat patients with HCV who are already treated with antipsychotic medications for severe mental illness. Albeit rare, antipsychotic medications may be used to treat de novo secondary to IFNα.[68–72] In addition, atypical antipsychotics can be used for mood stabilization and irritability emerging during HCV therapy.[41,73,74]

Several DDIs and side effects should be considered when prescribing antipsychotic medication in the context of HCV triple therapy (see Table 4). Telaprevir and boceprevir may interact with antipsychotics prone to corrected QT (QTc) interval prolongation and elevations in plasma levels could increase QTc prolongation risk. As a result, pimozide, a conventional antipsychotic with a high propensity for QTc prolongation, is contraindicated when treating patients with boceprevir and telaprevir. Amongst the atypical antipsychotics, ziprasidone, which is metabolized by CYP 3A4, is associated with an increased QTc prolongation risk amongst novel antipsychotics.[75] Initiation of ziprasidone should include a baseline electrocardiogram (ECG) and this may need to be reassessed on triple therapy for HCV due to DDI.

Table 4.  Antipsychotic drug interactions with DAAs

Drug (route of metabolism) Known or potential interactions with DAAs Comments
Aripiprazole (CYP3A4, 2D6) Potential for ↑ aripiprazole concentrations Use combination with caution, and monitor for aripiprazole-related toxicity (sedation, sinus tachycardia, nausea/vomiting, or dystonic reactions). Consider starting with a decreased aripiprazole dose or select an alternate agent.
Asenapine (UGT1A4, CYP1A2) No interaction expected based on known pharmacologic characteristics Monitor and titrate dose according to clinical response.76
Clozapine (CYP1A2> 3A4,P-gp) Potential for ↑ clozapine concentrations Clozapine has a narrow therapeutic index. Use combination with caution, and monitor for clozapine-related toxicity (Bone marrow suppression, generalized seizures, severe sedation, confusion and delirium). Consider starting with a decreased clozapine dose or select an alternate agent. When available, clozapine therapeutic drug monitoring is recommended.77,78
Olanzapine (CYP1A2, UGT,PGP>2D6) No interaction expected based on known pharmacologic characteristics Monitor and titrate dose according to clinical response.
Paliperidone Primarily renally excreted (59%); minor CYP dependant pathway (CYP3A4, PGP>2D6), but may not be clinically significant. Substrate and inhibitor of P-gp79 Potential for ↑ paliperidone concentrations DAAs inhibit both CYP3A4 and P-gp, and clinically significant interaction, although unlikely, cannot be ruled out. Use combination with caution, and monitor for possible paliperidone-related toxicity.
Quetiapine (CYP3A4>2D6, P-gp) Potential for ↑ quetiapine concentrations Use combination with caution, and monitor for quetiapine-related toxicity (excessive sedation). Consider starting with a decreased quetiapine dose or select an alternate agent.80
Risperidone (CYP2D6, P-gp>3A4) Potential for ↑ risperidone concentrations Unlike its active metabolite paliperidone, risperidone is primarily metabolized by CYP2D6. However, the elimination of paliperidone may be impaired. Use combination with caution, and monitor for possible risperidone-related toxicity.
Ziprasidone (CYP3A4>1A2) Minor CYP dependant pathway (33%).78 Potential for ↑ ziprasidone concentrations Although clinically significant interaction unlikely, use combination with caution, and monitor for possible ziprasidone-related toxicity (QTc).

Several antipsychotics are metabolized via CYP3A4/5, which are inhibited by current DAAs. Sedating antipsychotics that are metabolized by CYP3A4, such as quetiapine, may be increased via DDIs secondary to DAAs and could result in more pronounced sedation that could hinder compliance with multiple daily dosing regimens of DAAs. Clozapine is also metabolized in part by CYP3A4 and clozapine levels should be monitored closely during HCV triple therapy as higher doses of clozapine have been associated with an increased adverse effects including seizures.[81] Treatment with clozapine is further complicated during HCV therapy due to additive theoretical risks of agranulocytosis and neutropenia related specifically to IFNα effects. Therefore, clozapine monitoring protocols may need to be adjusted due to this risk and vigilant follow-up monitoring for signs of infection is recommended.[82]

Lastly, DAAs are known inhibitors of P-gp and many second generation antipsychotics are substrates of P-gp.[83] In theory, inhibition of P-gp may lead to increased exposure of the antipsychotic in the CSF, and may be associated with enhanced effectiveness or toxicity.[79] Despite the absence of documented metabolic drug interactions, caution is to be exercised with known substrates of P-gp (quetiapine, risperidone, olanzapine) and DAAs.

Addictions Agents With DAAs

Given the higher rates of substance dependence in HCV-infected patient populations compared to the general population,[6] treatment of concurrent substance use disorders, either through harm reduction or abstinence based models, is an important component of pre-HCV therapy stabilization. To date, no studies have determined if the addition of DAAs to HCV treatment increased the risk of substance use relapse.

In some HCV-infected populations, methadone treatment is a core component of HCV treatment stabilization in patients at risk of opioid and polysubstance dependence.[84,85] Methadone is metabolized by CYP2C19 and 3A4. The coadministration of methadone and telaprevir was shown to result in a 21% decrease of the active enantiomer R-methadone exposure.[86] However, free concentrations of R-methadone were unaffected and therefore no dosage adjustment is necessary. Buprenorphine pharmacokinetics are not affected by telaprevir and is safe for coadministration.[87] Boceprevir was studied with methadone, buprenorphine and naloxone. Similar to telaprevir, boceprevir led to a 15% decrease of R-methadone exposure. No free methadone concentrations were performed. Boceprevir was also associated with an increase of naloxone and buprenorphine exposure by 19 and 33% respectively, which is considered to be clinically non-significant.[88]

Discussions

Psychiatric disorders are highly prevalent in patients infected with chronic HCV and until IFNα-free therapies for HCV emerge, it is evident that neuropsychiatric risks of HCV therapy continue to be a significant concern. This review provides further information on the impact of DAAs on the neuropsychiatric sequelae of HCV therapy and clarifies the potential for DDIs with psychotropic medications.

First, DAAs do not appear to confer additional neuropsychiatric risks to patients undergoing HCV triple therapy. However, the use of DAAs warrants careful recognition of potential DDIs with psychotropic agents and an analysis of whether psychotropic regimens should be changed due to significant DDI risks. In addition, the potential for DDIs with psychotropic agents may exacerbate side effects and may interfere with DAA compliance, thus reducing HCV treatment efficacy.

The potential for clinically significant and complex interactions between DAAs and psychotropic drug classes is high. Interactions are primarily pharmacokinetic in nature, and may result in increased or decreased exposures of either/both drug classes. Potential clinical consequences of such interactions may include increased toxicity or potential under dosing. In the case of DAAs, sub-therapeutic concentrations may lead to treatment failure and development of resistance. Whenever possible, non-essential medications should be discontinued for the duration of HCV treatment.

Steps to identifying and managing interactions include ensuring that medication records are up to date at each patient visit (i.e., medication reconciliation), use of a systematic approach to identify combinations of potential concern, consulting pertinent HCV drug interaction resources, and frequent patient monitoring. Other management options include altering dosing frequency or replacing one agent with another drug with lower interaction potential. Given the complexity of this field, clinicians are encouraged to consult with pharmacists or physicians with expertise in HCV pharmacology when managing drug therapy of co-infected patients.

The results of this review can be beneficial in informing the selection of psychotropic agents for common psychiatric presentations in HCV. Using self-report or clinician rated psychiatric scales to measure treatment response to pharmacotherapy can be beneficial in monitoring relapse following psychotropic dose adjustments due to DDIs. For example, both the Beck Depression Inventory-II[89] or Patient Health Questionnaire-9[87] for depression have been used and validated in this patient population. Further, awareness and education of the entire interdisciplinary treatment team is important in order to assist with prompt recognition of psychiatric symptoms, appropriate selection of psychotropic agents with minimal drug interactions and to minimize adverse effects to increased overall treatment adherence. The importance of interdisciplinary models of HCV care is evident from studies showing comparable HCV treatment adherence rates and outcomes for patients with either active substance use[84,90] or severe mental illness[91,92] as compared to controls.

Conclusions

In summary, this review summarizes the emerging body of evidence in this area but also acknowledges the remaining gaps in the literature. Studies utilizing more detailed psychiatric assessment tools during HCV treatment with DAAs are needed to increase our understanding of DAA related psychiatric complications. Additional drug interaction studies between DAAs and commonly used psychotropic agents are urgently needed. The results of these studies will be essential to guiding clinicians presented with challenges in interpreting DDI risks related to psychiatric care in the era of HCV triple therapy, in order to optimize HCV treatment outcomes and as well as management of psychiatric symptomatology.

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