Timing of Hepatitis C Antiviral Therapy in Liver Transplant Recipients With Direct-acting Agents.

ABSTRACT

Chronic hepatitis C virus infection is a substantial health care burden worldwide and is the leading cause of liver transplant in adults. In patients with detectable hepatitis C virus RNA at the time of transplant, interferon-based therapies for hepatitis C virus were poorly tolerated with low virologic response rates. Although reinfection after transplant is inevitable, the recent advent of direct-acting antiviral agents has revolutionized treatment of hepatitis C virus in the pre- and posttransplant settings. These antiviral agents have been shown to have high-sustained virologic response rates, shorter courses of treatment, and decreased frequencies of adverse effects. Here, we review the current literature on the use of direct-acting agents for treatment of patients with hepatitis C virus before and after liver transplant.