01 Set HCV Care Cascade Among Injection Drug Users: Meet, Test and Treat with Compliance a Hard to Reach Vulnerable Population.

Elisabetta Testi

Background. HCV prevalence among Injection Drug Users (IDUs) is 80.9%, but only 54% is tested and few of them receive treatment. The objective is to surface the undeclared HCV among IDUs through a rapid test campaign, to evaluate the adherence to DAAs. Methods. HCV evaluation of IDUs was performed using OraQuick HCV Ab rapid tests. Positive subjects were take in charge by Infectious Diseases Clinic of Policlinico Tor Vergata. Adherence to treatment was measured in terms of percentage of appointments respected of those planned, focusing on the day of withdrawal of treatment. Results. 220 subjects were HIV/HCV screened (70% male, mean age 35.4 years old – SD 9.6), 87.2% used or was using drugs and 44.3% shared syringes/others. 183/220 had sex in the last six months of these ones, 124 have a steady partner – 45.1% screened for HCV (14/56 positive). 178 HCV rapid tests were performed with 25 positive results. 13/25 patients were taken in charge by PTV and 3 started new DAAs. Totally 21 IDUs were treated with new DAAs. The overall adhesion to the programmed controls was 100% in 11 pts, 80-99% in 5 pts, <80% in the remaining ones. 3 pts discontinued at Week 20: two for inprisonment associated with heroine relapse and one for cocaine relapse; however one patient reached SVR12. Conclusions. Data suggest that in our cohort of IDUs high adherence to treatment with new antiviral drugs is present.