Direct-acting antiviral-based therapy for chronic hepatitis C virus in HIV-infected patients

Purpose of review The aim of this review was to detail the current therapies and treatments for chronic hepatitis C virus in coinfected patients, focusing on HCV antiviral agents currently used in practice today or scheduled to enter the open market soon. Recent findings Several direct-acting antiviral (DAA) combinations show high sustained virologic response (SVR) rates in HIV/HCV-coinfected patients, which are often close to those observed in HCV-monoinfected patients. Most recommendations regarding treatment stem from trials with coinfected patients. However, data are lacking for some aspects of HCV-treatment in coinfection, so extrapolations must be made from data obtained predominately from monoinfected patients. Summary HIV/HCV-coinfected patients, who, not too long ago, had inferior outcomes in capturing SVR, now enjoy similar fates as the monoinfected patients. They should thus be prioritized for treatment, since HCV and liver disease have become major causes of morbidity and mortality in this population. However, potential drug-drug interactions between antiretroviral agents and DAAs have to be systematically anticipated before initiating HCV therapy.