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Treatment outcomes and costs of a simplified antiviral treatment strategy for hepatitis C among monoinfected and HIV and/or hepatitis B virus-co-infected patients in Myanmar.

ABSTRACT: Access to hepatitis C virus (HCV) testing and treatment is limited in Myanmar. We assessed an integrated HIV and viral hepatitis testing and HCV treatment strategy. Sofosbuvir/velpatasvir (SOF/VEL) ± weight-based ribavirin for 12 weeks was provided at three treatment sites in Myanmar and sustained virologic response (SVR) assessed at 12 weeks after treatment. Participants co-infected with HBV were treated concurrently with tenofovir. Cost estimates in 2018 USD were made at Yangon and Mandalay using standard micro-costing methods. 803 participants initiated SOF/VEL; 4.8% were lost to follow-up. SVR was achieved in 680/803 (84.6%) by intention-to-treat analysis. SVR amongst people who inject drugs (PWID) was 79.7% (381/497), but 92.5% among PWID on opioid substitution therapy (OST) (74/80), and 97.4% among non-PWID (298/306). Utilizing data from 492 participants, of whom 93% achieved SVR, the estimated average cost of treatment per patient initiated was $1030 (of which 54% were medication costs), with a production cost per successful outcome (SVR) of $1109 and real-world estimate of $1250. High SVR rates were achieved for non-PWID and PWID on OST. However, the estimated average cost of the intervention (under the assumption of no genotype testing and reduced real-world effectiveness) of $1250/patient is unaffordable for a national elimination strategy. Reductions in the cost of antivirals and linkage to social and behavioural health services including substance use disorder treatment to increase retention and adherence to treatment are critical to HCV elimination in this population.

SUBMITTER: Min Thaung Y

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7746582 | biostudies-literature |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Project description:The incidence and determinants of hepatic decompensation have been incompletely examined among patients co-infected with HIV and hepatitis C virus (HCV) in the antiretroviral therapy (ART) era, and few studies have compared outcome rates with those of patients with chronic HCV alone.To compare the incidence of hepatic decompensation between antiretroviral-treated patients co-infected with HIV and HCV and HCV-monoinfected patients and to evaluate factors associated with decompensation among co-infected patients receiving ART.Retrospective cohort study.Veterans Health Administration.4280 co-infected patients who initiated ART and 6079 HCV-monoinfected patients receiving care between 1997 and 2010. All patients had detectable HCV RNA and were HCV treatment-naive.Incident hepatic decompensation, determined by diagnoses of ascites, spontaneous bacterial peritonitis, or esophageal variceal hemorrhage.The incidence of hepatic decompensation was greater among co-infected than monoinfected patients (7.4% vs. 4.8% at 10 years; P < 0.001). Compared with HCV-monoinfected patients, co-infected patients had a higher rate of hepatic decompensation (hazard ratio [HR] accounting for competing risks, 1.56 [95% CI, 1.31 to 1.86]). Co-infected patients who maintained HIV RNA levels less than 1000 copies/mL still had higher rates of decompensation than HCV-monoinfected patients (HR, 1.44 [CI, 1.05 to 1.99]). Baseline advanced hepatic fibrosis (FIB-4 score >3.25) (HR, 5.45 [CI, 3.79 to 7.84]), baseline hemoglobin level less than 100 g/L (HR, 2.24 [CI, 1.20 to 4.20]), diabetes mellitus (HR, 1.88 [CI, 1.38 to 2.56]), and nonblack race (HR, 2.12 [CI, 1.65 to 2.72]) were each associated with higher rates of decompensation among co-infected patients.Observational study of predominantly male patients.Despite receiving ART, patients co-infected with HIV and HCV had higher rates of hepatic decompensation than HCV-monoinfected patients. Rates of decompensation were higher for co-infected patients with advanced liver fibrosis, severe anemia, diabetes, and nonblack race.National Institutes of Health.

Project description:ImportanceDirect-acting antiviral (DAA) therapy for hepatitis C is highly effective but expensive. Evidence is scarce on whether DAA therapy reduces downstream medical costs.ObjectiveTo examine the association of DAA therapy with posttreatment medical costs among Medicare beneficiaries.Design, setting, and participantsThis retrospective cohort study obtained data from various Medicare claims files for 2013 to 2017. The study population comprised patients with a hepatitis C diagnosis in 2014 who were enrolled in fee-for-service Medicare and Part D. Multivariate regression models were used to compare changes in medical costs over a 30-month posttreatment follow-up period between patients who used DAA therapy (treatment group) and a propensity score-matched cohort of patients who did not use DAA (control group). The model was estimated separately for patients with and those without cirrhosis. Data were analyzed between September 1, 2019, and March 31, 2020.ExposuresCompletion of DAA therapy.Main outcomes and measuresTwo outcomes were established: hepatitis C or liver disease-related costs and total medical costs. Costs were measured by Medicare-allowed payments, which included Medicare reimbursements, patient responsibilities, and third-party payments.ResultsA propensity score-matched cohort of 15 198 patients (9038 men [59.5%]; mean [SD] age, 60.2 [10.8] years) was analyzed. During the first 6 months after DAA therapy, hepatitis C or liver disease-related costs decreased by $2498 (95% CI, -$3356 to -$1640) in patients with cirrhosis and by $486 (95% CI, -$603 to -$369) in patients without cirrhosis compared with control or untreated patients. Cumulative reductions in hepatitis C or liver disease-related costs during 30 months after DAA treatment were $15 808 (95% CI, -$22 530 to -$9085) in patients with cirrhosis and $5372 (95% CI, -$6384 to -$4360) in patients without cirrhosis. Among those who used DAA therapy compared with control patients, total medical costs decreased by $2905 (95% CI, -$4832 to -$979) in patients with cirrhosis and by $1287 (95% CI, -$2393 to -$283) in patients without cirrhosis during the first 6 months after DAA therapy. No statistically significant association was found between DAA therapy and total medical cost reductions after 12 months of follow-up. Cumulative reductions in total costs during 30 months after DAA therapy were $7074 (95% CI, -$18 448 to $4298) in patients with cirrhosis and $7497 (95% CI, -$14 287 to -$709) in patients without cirrhosis.Conclusions and relevanceThis study reported that DAA therapy appeared to be associated with a decrease in hepatitis C or liver disease-related costs for 30 months after treatment and with reduction in total medical costs for only 12 months after treatment in patients with or without cirrhosis. Longer-term follow-up studies with diverse outcomes are necessary to assess the value of DAA therapy.

Project description:BackgroundGlobally, 56.8 million people are living with hepatitis C and over three-quarters of those reside in low and middle-income countries (LMICs). Barriers and enablers to hepatitis C care among people who inject drugs in high-income countries are well documented. However, there is scant literature describing the patient experience in LMICs. Understanding the barriers and enablers to care from the patient perspective is important to inform service refinements to improve accessibility and acceptability of hepatitis C care.MethodsWe conducted a qualitative evaluation of the patient experience of accessing the national hepatitis C program at eight hospital sites in Myanmar. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with four to five participants per site. Interview data were analysed thematically, with deductive codes from Levesque et al.'s (2013) Framework on patient-centred access to healthcare.ResultsAcross the eight sites, 38 participants who had completed treatment were interviewed. Barriers to accessing care were mostly related to attending for care and included travel time and costs, multiple appointments, and wait times. Some participants described how they did not receive adequate information on hepatitis C, particularly its transmission routes, and on the level of cirrhosis of their liver and what they were required to do after treatment (i.e. reduce alcohol consumption, liver cirrhosis monitoring). Many participants commented that they had few or no opportunities to ask questions. Provision of treatment at no cost was essential to accessibility, and gratitude for free treatment led to high acceptability of care, even when accessing care was inconvenient.ConclusionsThese findings highlight the importance of streamlining and decentralising health services, adequate human resourcing and training, and affordable treatment in maximising the accessibility and acceptability of hepatitis C care in LMICs. Findings from this work will inform future service delivery refinements for national program and other decentralised programs to improve accessibility and acceptability of hepatitis C care in Myanmar.

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Treatment outcomes and costs of a simplified antiviral treatment strategy for hepatitis C among monoinfected and HIV and/or hepatitis B virus-co-infected patients in Myanmar.

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