Twelve weeks of Gilead Sciences’ Harvoni (ledipasvir/sofosbuvir) yielded a 98 percent hepatitis C virus (HCV) cure rate among those with genotype 1 of the virus who are coinfected with HIV. Researchers in an open-label, Phase IIb pilot study gave 12 weeks of Harvoni to 50 treatment-naive, noncirrotic participants. They published their findings in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Ninety-eight percent (49 out of 50) of the participants achieved a sustained virologic response 12 weeks after completing therapy (SVR12, considered a cure). The one participant who was not cured experienced a hep C viral relapse four weeks after finishing treatment. The investigators later found that this person’s virus had a genetic mutation that is linked with resistance to NS5A inhibitors, the class of drug to which ledipasvir belongs.

The most common side effects were nasal congestion (16 percent) and muscle pain (14 percent). No one stopped treatment because of side effects, and there were no serious side effects.

To read the study, click here.