In a recent Phase III trial, 12 weeks of treatment with Gilead Sciences’ Harvoni (ledipasvir/sofosbuvir) cured hepatitis C virus (HCV) in 96 percent of people who were co-infected with HIV.

“This is an absolutely fabulous result,” says Daniel Fierer, MD, an infectious disease specialist at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City, “showing again that HIV infection does not compromise treatment outcomes in this modern era of potent anti-hepatitis C medications.”

The study involved 335 coinfected participants, 98 percent of whom had HCV genotype 1, while 2 percent had genotype 4. Fifty-five percent had failed a previous hep C cure attempt; the rest were undergoing treatment for the first time. Twenty percent had compensated cirrhosis of the liver.

All of the participants had a fully suppressed HIV viral load and were taking one of three HIV regimens: Atripla (efavirenz/tenofovir/emtricitabine), Complera (rilpivirine/tenofovir/emtricitabine), or Truvada (tenofovir/emtricitabine) plus Isentress (raltegravir).