Once-daily simeprevir with peginterferon and ribavirin for treatment-experienced HCV genotype 1-infected patients in Japan: the CONCERTO-2 and CONCERTO-3 studies

Background Efficacy of available therapies for patients with HCV who have previously failed treatment is limited. Two Phase III, open-label trials in Japan investigated efficacy and safety of simeprevir and peginterferon-α-2a/ribavirin (PR) combination therapy in treatment-experienced patients with genotype 1 HCV infection. Methods In CONCERTO-2, prior non-responders to IFN-based therapy ( N = 106) received simeprevir (TMC435) 100 mg QD with PR for 12 (SMV12, n = 53) or 24 weeks (SMV24, n = 53) followed by response-guided therapy (RGT) with PR for 12/36 (SMV12) or 0/24 (SMV24) weeks. In CONCERTO-3, relapsers after IFN-based therapy ( N = 49) received simeprevir 100 mg QD with PR for 12 weeks followed by RGT with PR for 12/36 weeks. Primary endpoints were the rates of sustained virologic response 12 weeks after treatment end (SVR12). Results SVR12 rates were 52.8 % (SMV12) and 35.8 % (SMV24) for prior non-responders, and 95.9 % for prior relapsers (SMV12; p ≤ 0.0001 vs null hypothesis, respectively). Most prior non-responders (SMV12: 81.1 %; SMV24: 73.6 %) and prior relapsers (95.9 %) met RGT criteria and completed PR to Week 24. Of these, 60.5 %, 48.7 %, and 95.7 %, respectively, achieved SVR12. Viral breakthrough occurred in 13.2 % (SMV12) and 11.3 % (SMV24) of prior non-responders; no viral breakthrough occurred in prior relapsers. Viral relapse occurred in 38.6 % (SMV12) and 51.1 % (SMV24) of prior non-responders and 8.2 % of prior relapsers. Simeprevir with PR was generally well tolerated in both studies. Conclusion Re-treatment with 12 weeks of simeprevir QD with PR provided high SVR in treatment-experienced patients with chronic HCV genotype 1 infection, and allowed most patients to complete treatment in 24 weeks.