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The looming arrival of Epclusa – sofosbuvir + velpatasvir

The pharmaceutical company Gilead Sciences has been developing combinations of anti-hepatitis C virus (HCV) drugs. One combination consists of the following two drugs:

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  • sofosbuvir 400 mg
  • velpatasvir (formerly called GS-5816) 100 mg

Both of these drugs are co-formulated (in one pill) that is taken once daily and sold under the brand name Epclusa.

In clinical trials the combination of sofosbuvir + velpatasvir was highly effective in treating adults with chronic HCV infection, with cure rates generally exceeding 90%. This combination was effective against a broad range of strains, or genotypes, of HCV, specifically genotypes 1 through 6.

Epclusa was approved in Canada in July 2016 and has also been approved in the United States and the European Union.

In this issue of TreatmentUpdate, we report on the effectiveness of Epclusa in cases of HCV retreatment and in cases with HIV-HCV co-infection. Additionally, we provide information on some drug interactions between Epclusa and other medicines.

For further information about Epclusa see the following:

—Sean R. Hosein