Access assistance and MTM protocols key to successfully curing hepatitis C in co-infected patients.
May 2, 2016 - Atlanta, Georgia - For a cohort of hepatitis C and HIV co-infected patients, Curant Health reports that its C The Cure program produces sustained virological response (SVR12) in 89.7% of program patients at 12 weeks post treatment. SVR12 is the medical term associated with successful hepatitis C treatment outcomes. Patients with SVR12 have undetectable levels of hepatitis C viral load in their blood and are considered “cured,” no longer requiring treatment for the disease.
The referenced patient cohort included patients with hepatitis C who were both treatment naïve and treatment experienced, predominantly with genotype 1 and who most commonly followed treatment regimens that included Harvoni or Sovaldi.
This data is only the second real world data set known for this patient profile and treatment regimens.
“It’s one thing to achieve high cure rates in tightly controlled clinical trials, but achieving high cure rates in real world conditions for co-infected patients who have difficulty accessing therapies is something else entirely,” said Vickie Andros, PharmD, director of clinical services for Curant Health. “The ability to overcome challenges related to access and helping our patients maintain outstanding adherence to their medication regimens allow us to achieve positive outcomes like these.”
Curant Health provides patient support services including medication therapy management (MTM), pharmacy fulfillment and education for thousands of the most difficult to treat, chronically ill patients nationwide. Curant Health’s C The Cure Program includes MTM services designed to bring near clinical trial conditions to real world care. Key elements within the program include: prior authorization assistance, medication reconciliation, patient education and consistent, direct clinical pharmacist contact with each C The Cure patient.
“A 90% hepatitis C cure rate for co-infected patients validates how well our protocols and people work to derive the highest value possible from specialty medications,” said Curant Health CEO Patrick Dunham. “We have known for years that our approach to patient support and MTM improves adherence, outcomes and lives, especially for chronically ill patients with conditions like HIV and hepatitis C.”
In a 2012 study of HIV patients on highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART), Curant Health’s medication management protocols improved the number of patients at least 95% adherent to HAART by 69%. Furthermore, based on published data, the increase in CD4 cell counts has been associated with overall healthcare cost savings of approximately $3000 per patient per year. More recently, researchers at the University of Alabama Birmingham examined a cohort of approximately 650 HIV-infected patients enrolled with Curant Health for enhanced pharmacy services, including dedicated care teams and patient education. At the end of the study period, there was a statistically significant increase in the proportion of patients with a suppressed HIV viral load, from 73% to 88%.
About Curant Health:
The team of healthcare experts at Curant Health provides individualized, patient-centered services proven to deliver improved health outcomes including individualized medication management therapies and continuous, consistent patient care, education and support. In 2015 Curant Health ranked #4 on the Inc 500|5000 for fastest growing, large healthcare companies.