Hep C treatment in co-infected proves life-prolonging and cost-effective
Hepatitis C treatment is cost effective in people co-infected with HIV and provides “substantial” benefits in life expectancy, according to new research.
Harvard researchers analysed data from recent clinical trials to estimate the potential health benefits, cost, and cost effectiveness of three hep C treatment strategies in people with stable HIV.
Almost all those included in the analysis had CD4 counts above 200, the average age was 44 and two-thirds had hep C genotype 1.
Pegylated interferon-alfa and ribavirin was consistently more effective and cost-effective than interferon-alfa and ribavirin, or pegylated interferon-alfa alone, particularly in patients who didn’t have genotype 1 (genotypes 2, 3, 4 etc).
People who didn’t have genotype 1, who usually respond better to treatment, experienced greater life expectancy gains at a lower cost. Results were very similar for women and men.
“For co-infected patients with stable HIV disease, treatment appears to be not only life-prolonging but cost-effective as well,” the researchers concluded.
Am J Med 2007;120:272-279
