JHEP Reports (Aug 2024)

Treatment with bulevirtide in HIV-infected patients with chronic hepatitis D: ANRS HD EP01 BuleDelta and compassionate cohort

  • Victor de Lédinghen,
  • Claire Fougerou-Leurent,
  • Estelle Le Pabic,
  • Stanislas Pol,
  • Dulce Alfaiate,
  • Karine Lacombe,
  • Marie-Noëlle Hilleret,
  • Caroline Lascoux-Combe,
  • Anne Minello,
  • Eric Billaud,
  • Isabelle Rosa,
  • Anne Gervais,
  • Vlad Ratziu,
  • Nathalie Ganne,
  • Georges-Philippe Pageaux,
  • Vincent Leroy,
  • Véronique Loustaud-Ratti,
  • Philippe Mathurin,
  • Julie Chas,
  • Caroline Jezequel,
  • Sophie Métivier,
  • Jérôme Dumortier,
  • Jean-Pierre Arpurt,
  • Tarik Asselah,
  • Bruno Roche,
  • Antonia Le Gruyer,
  • Marc-Antoine Valantin,
  • Caroline Scholtès,
  • Emmanuel Gordien,
  • Christelle Tual,
  • Amel Kortebi,
  • Fatoumata Coulibaly,
  • Eric Rosenthal,
  • Miroslava Subic-Levrero,
  • Dominique Roulot,
  • Fabien Zoulim,
  • François Raffi,
  • Laurent Alric,
  • Patrick Miailhes,
  • Albert Tran,
  • Christiane Stern,
  • Xavier Causse,
  • Simona Tripon,
  • Ghassan Riachi,
  • Olivier Chazouillères,
  • Armando Abergel,
  • Louis d’Alteroche,
  • Jérôme Gournay,
  • Garance Lagadic,
  • Patrizia Carrieri,
  • Ségolène Brichler,
  • Martin Siguier,
  • Jessica Krause,
  • Juliette Foucher,
  • Souad Ben Ali,
  • Magdalena Meszaros,
  • Anne Varaut,
  • Valérie Canva

Journal volume & issue
Vol. 6, no. 8
p. 101057

Abstract

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Background & Aims: In France, bulevirtide (BLV) became available in September 2019 through an early access program to treat patients with HDV. The aim of this analysis was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of BLV in patients with HIV and HDV coinfection. Methods: Patients received BLV 2 mg ± pegylated interferon-α (pegIFNα) according to the physician’s decision. The primary endpoint (per-protocol analysis) was the virological response rate at Week 48, defined as the proportion of patients with undetectable serum HDV RNA or a HDV RNA decline >2 log10 IU/ml from baseline. Results: The characteristics of the 38 patients were as follows: 28 male, mean age 47.7 years, and mean baseline HDV RNA viral load 5.7 ± 1.2 log10 IU/ml. Median HIV viral load and mean CD4 count were 32 (30–65) copies/ml and 566 ± 307/mm3, respectively. Eight patients stopped treatment before Week 48. At Week 48, 10 of 19 patients (52.6%) in the 2 mg BLV group and five of seven patients (71.4%) in the 2 mg BLV + pegIFNɑ group had reached virological response (no HDV RNA available in four patients). At Week 48, seven of 19 patients in the 2 mg BLV group and three of six patients in the 2 mg BLV + pegIFNɑ group had a combined response (virological response and normal alanine aminotransferase level). Conclusions: Adults living with HIV coinfected with HDV can be treated by BLV with a virological response in more than 50% of patients. The combination of BLV and pegIFNɑ showed a strong virological response. Impact and implications: Bulevirtide is the only EMA-approved drug for HDV treatment, and we showed that it can be used in adults living with HIV, with an overall good tolerability. Bulevirtide induces a virological response in more than 50% of patients, suggesting that bulevirtide should be considered as a first-line therapy in this specific population. Bulevirtide in combination with pegIFNα could be used in patients without pegIFNα contraindication. No specific drug–drug interaction is reported. Bulevirtide is the only EMA-approved drug for HDV treatment, and we showed that it can be used in adults living with HIV, with an overall good tolerability. Bulevirtide induces a virological response in more than 50% of patients, suggesting that bulevirtide should be considered as a first-line therapy in this specific population. Bulevirtide in combination with pegIFNα could be used in patients without pegIFNα contraindication. No specific drug–drug interaction is reported. Bulevirtide is the only EMA-approved drug for HDV treatment, and we showed that it can be used in adults living with HIV, with an overall good tolerability. Bulevirtide induces a virological response in more than 50% of patients, suggesting that bulevirtide should be considered as a first-line therapy in this specific population. Bulevirtide in combination with pegIFNα could be used in patients without pegIFNα contraindication. No specific drug–drug interaction is reported.

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