Eliminating Hepatitis C Transmission by Enhancing Care and Treatment Among HIV Co-infected Individuals (co-EC)

Eliminating Hepatitis C Transmission by Enhancing Care and Treatment Among HIV Co-infected Individuals: The Co-EC Study

This study will offer proof of concept that scaling up treatment for Hepatitis C virus (HCV) in individuals co-infected with HIV could lead to elimination of HCV/HIV co-infection in gay and bisexual men by treating prevalent infection, thereby reducing new primary infections and re-infection.

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Conditions

Detailed Description

The co-EC study aims to to enhance HCV care and treatment among HIV-infected individuals through a predominantly nurse-led model of care in primary care as well as hospital settings. It involves:

  1. A nurse-led model of care in primary health care to increase access to PBS HCV treatment with interferon-free HCV antiviral treatment; and
  2. An integrated HCV/HIV surveillance system and database to deliver and monitor the impact of the program at the local and statewide level.

The study is based in Victoria, Australia where the highest prevalence of HIV/HCV co-infection is in gay and bisexual men (GBM). HCV infection is a significant health issue among individuals with HIV infection and has been associated with more rapid progression to HCV-related liver disease and increased risk for cirrhosis and liver cancer. Hepatitis C is a major cause of hospital admissions and is a leading cause of death among HIV-infected persons.

The advent of directly acting antiviral (DAA) treatment provides us with a unique opportunity to increase the number of people accessing hepatitis C treatment. Importantly it is likely that the treatment could be administered in the primary health care setting improving treatment capacity and accessibility, whilst potentially reducing treatment costs.

The primary objectives of co-EC Study are:

  1. Achieve HCV sustained virological response (SVR12) to treatment among HIV co-infected participants in a real-world primary care or hospital clinic setting; and
  2. Measure the impact of treating HCV in HIV infected individuals on primary HCV and reinfection incidence and HCV prevalence in gay and bisexual men in Victoria.

The study design involves an open label, non-randomised clinical trial of hepatitis C treatment for people with HIV coinfection. Treatment will involve any combination of hepatitis C antiviral therapy approved for use in Australia appropriate for the participants' hepatitis C genotype and selected at the decision of their treating clinicians.

Study Type

Observational

Enrollment (Actual)

200

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

    • Victoria
      • Carlton, Victoria, Australia, 3053
        • Melbourne Sexual Health Centre
      • Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 3004
        • Alfred Health, The Alfred Hospital
      • North Fitzroy, Victoria, Australia, 3068
        • Northside Clinic
      • Parkville, Victoria, Australia, 3052
        • Melbourne Health, Royal Melbourne Hospital
      • Prahran, Victoria, Australia, 3181
        • Prahran Market Clinic
      • St Kilda, Victoria, Australia, 3182
        • Centre Clinic

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Sampling Method

Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Any HCV/HIV co-infected individuals attending any of the six clinical sites involved in this study will be eligible to participate. While the study's objective are to focus on HCV among HIV infected gay and bisexual men, females and men not identifying as gay or bisexual will also be able to participate and receive HCV treatment.

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  1. Aged ≥18 years;
  2. Attendance for medical care of HIV at any study site;
  3. Evidence of chronic HCV infection (HCV antibody or RNA positive for ≥6 months and HCV RNA positive);
  4. HIV infected;
  5. Willing and able to provide written informed consent;

Subjects must meet routine clinical care criteria for commencing HCV treatment, in accordance with Australian licensing, prescribing restrictions, manufacturers' recommendations and best- practice clinical care.

Exclusion Criteria:

  1. Pregnancy or breastfeeding at time of HCV antiviral treatment;
  2. Evidence of any condition, therapy, laboratory abnormality or other circumstance (current or prior) that may confound the study's results, or interfere with participation for the full duration of the study, such that it is not in the best interest of the participant

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Treatment uptake
Time Frame: 18 months
The number of individuals receiving at least one dose of HCV treatment among all HCV/HIV coinfection individuals in care (seen within the previous 12 months) at that health service.
18 months
Sustained virological response after treatment (SVR12)
Time Frame: Change in sustained viral response rates post-treatment (SVR12).
Determined using any licensed qualitative HCV RNA test among all those receiving at least one dose of HCV treatment.
Change in sustained viral response rates post-treatment (SVR12).
HCV prevalence
Time Frame: 12 months
The proportion HCV RNA positive of all HIV infected individuals in care (seen within the previous 12 months) at that health service. Statewide HCV prevalence will be determined as a proportion of all HIV infected individuals in care (determined by at least one HIV RNA within the previous 12 months).
12 months
HCV incidence
Time Frame: 12 months
The number of newly detected HCV RNA cases occurring among all HIV infected individuals during the time in care (determined by clinical visit or HIV RNA test within the previous 12 months).
12 months

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Change in HCV testing among HIV-infected gay and bisexual men
Time Frame: 18 months
Hypothesized that primary care and clinic-based nurses will increase the proportion of people in care receiving HCV testing annually and repeat testing at intervals recommended by national guidelines.
18 months
Change in number of HIV/HCV infected gay and bisexual men who have a complete management plan including HCV RNA status, FibroScan and liver function tests.
Time Frame: 18 months
Number of HCV/HIV reinfections in gay and bisexual men management plan will be increased.
18 months
Medical adherence
Time Frame: Up to 24 weeks, documented at each study visit
Primar care and clinic based nurses will increase medical adherence.
Up to 24 weeks, documented at each study visit

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Collaborators

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Joseph Doyle, The Alfred

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

April 1, 2016

Primary Completion (Actual)

July 1, 2019

Study Completion (Actual)

August 1, 2019

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

May 3, 2016

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

May 25, 2016

First Posted (Estimate)

June 1, 2016

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

February 28, 2020

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

February 26, 2020

Last Verified

February 1, 2020

More Information

Terms related to this study

Other Study ID Numbers

  • burnet_coec_2016

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

UNDECIDED

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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