A study of Swiss individuals coinfected with hepatitis C virus (HCV) and HIV found that, during the era of interferon HCV treatment, the population had a low treatment rate for that virus, Healio reports. Publishing their findings in the Journal of Hepatology, researchers looked at 2001 to 2013 data from the Swiss HIV Cohort Study of 12,401 individuals with HIV, 17 percent of whom (2,107) were coinfected with HCV.

During that time period, interferon was a mainstay of hep C treatment. Since then, new hep C drugs have largely made the use of the onerous injectable drug unnecessary.

Thirty percent of the coinfected individuals (636) started HCV treatment during the study period, at a rate of 5.8 percent per year. Of those treated with interferon and ribavirin, half were cured, or 15 percent of all those with hep C in the study. Of those who began treatment, 11 percent underwent hep C therapy twice and 2 percent did so three or more times.

Sixteen percent of the coinfected study participants (344) died, 59 percent of them due to non-liver-related causes. The death rate was 2.9 percent per year among the coinfected individuals who did not receive hep C treatment, 1.3 percent among those who attempted and failed HCV therapy, 0.6 percent among those who were cured of HCV, and 0.9 percent among those who had HIV but not HCV.

To read the Healio report, click here.

To read the study abstract, click here.