Revised Hepatitis C (HCV)/HIV Coinfection Section of the Adult and Adolescent Antiretroviral Treatment Guidelines Released

Last week, the HHS Panel on Antiretroviral Guidelines for Adults and Adolescents announced the release of the updated “Guidelines for the Use of Antiretroviral Agents in HIV-1-Infected Adults and Adolescents.” As described in What's New in the Guidelines, this interim revision of the guidelines features a revised section on Hepatitis C (HCV)/HIV Coinfection that emphasizes considerations for use of antiretroviral (ARV) drugs in patients who also receive treatment for HCV infection. The section includes a new table (Table 12) that provides clinicians with guidance on the concomitant use of HCV drugs and ARV drugs with a focus on potential pharmacokinetic drug interactions.

To view or download the guidelines, go to the Adult and Adolescent ARV Guidelines section of NIH’s AIDSinfo. Separate PDF files that include only the guideline tables or boxed recommendations can also be downloaded from the page.

“Given the quickly evolving HCV therapy arena, timely updates to the HCV/HIV Coinfection section of the Antiretrovial Treatment Guidelines help ensure that HIV care providers are well-equipped to take full advantage of new therapeutic options. Such provider resources are an important part of implementing the national Viral Hepatitis Action Plan as we work to improve testing, care, and treatment of viral hepatitis to prevent liver disease and cancer,” noted Corinna Dan, R.N., M.P.H., the Viral Hepatitis Policy Advisor in the HHS Office of HIV/AIDS and Infectious Disease Policy. “Using the newly approved HCV therapies is highly effective in curing coinfected patients of their HCV and can reduce deaths due to liver disease, one of the leading causes of death among people living with HIV/AIDS.”