Progress Toward Hepatitis C Virus Elimination among People Living with HIV-Hepatitis C Virus Coinfection in Canada.

Abstract

Background: Direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) for hepatitis C virus (HCV) were approved in Canada in 2013. By 2018, treatment restrictions had been lifted in all provinces, making DAAs universally accessible. Here, we aim to assess progress toward HCV elimination in the DAA era (2014-2022) within the Canadian Co-infection Cohort.

Methods: The CCC is a multisite open cohort of people living with HIV-HCV coinfection with cohort visits scheduled biannually. We calculated annual cure rates overall by province and key population: gay bisexual and other men who have sex with men, people who inject drugs, and Indigenous peoples.

Results: Among the 952 participants eligible for DAAs, 65% (n = 623) were cured and 3% (n = 26) achieved late clearance without treatment by the end of the study period. Of the 35% (n = 303) who were not cured, 46% (n = 138) were lost to follow-up, 31% (n = 95) died, and 23% (n = 70) had insufficient data to determine their cure status. Annual cure rates increased from 2014 to 2019 and then decreased across the cohort and in all key populations. From 2015 to 2018, gay bisexual and other men who have sex with men had the highest cure rates, but by 2019 people who inject drugs and Indigenous peoples caught up. Annual cure rates dropped in all provinces with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic (after 2019).

Conclusions: Universal accessibility of DAAs was an important step toward HCV elimination among people living with HIV-HCV coinfection, but this is not sufficient alone. Efforts are needed to re-engage those who remain uncured and reduce mortality in people living with HIV-HCV coinfection.