Sofosbuvir Reduces Transplant Need and Mortality Rates in Hepatitis C Patients, Study Finds

Sofosbuvir significantly reduces the risk of death and the need for liver transplant in patients with hepatitis C who suffer from advanced stages of liver disease.

Researchers at Intermountain Healthcare’s Intermountain Medical Center in Salt Lake City studied almost 1,900 patients with hepatitis C and found that the number of patients needing a liver transplant was reduced by 40 percent after they were treated with sofosbuvir.

Now, researchers analyzed new data, including results of clinical trials, to determine the effects of sofosbuvir in treating patients with hepatitis C with advanced stages of liver damage.

They compared the clinical outcomes of 1,857 patients with hepatitis C before the FDA’s approval of sofosbuvir with those from 623 patients who were treated with the drug after the FDA’s approval and were on the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) waitlist for a liver transplant between 2008-2013.

The team found that only 3 percent of patients on sofosbuvir needed a liver transplant compared to 40 percent of patients who were not treated with the drug.

“Prior to FDA approval of sofosbuvir, patients with the most advanced stages of cirrhosis either died from their disease or ended up receiving a transplant,” Michael Charlton, MD, lead researcher and associate director of the Intermountain Medical Center Transplant Program, said in a news release.

“We found that by treating those patients, who were on the verge of needing a transplant, with sofosbuvir-based therapies, we greatly reduced the liver transplant and mortality rates.”

The researchers suggest that HCV treatment with sofosbuvir should be considered in all HCV patients with cirrhosis, even those in advanced stages.

“We found the sicker a patient was, the more benefit they experienced by using sofosbuvir,” Charlton said. “However, many people around the world who might benefit most from this therapy don’t have access to it because the regulatory authorities haven’t felt it safe for use in patients with advanced stages of liver disease due to hepatitis C.”

“Our research shows the benefits of this drug include significantly improving the health of even the sickest patients, allowing them to return to their normal life sooner,” he added.