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Can you drink alcohol while taking Mavyret?

Medically reviewed by Leigh Ann Anderson, PharmD. Last updated on March 21, 2024.

Official answer

by Drugs.com

Alcohol use in patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV) may result in a quicker progression to cirrhosis and liver cancer. Mavyret (glecaprevir-pibrentasvir) is used to treat patients with advancing HCV. Because there is a link between a more rapid progression of liver disease and the use of alcohol, clinicians typically suggest that all patients with HCV avoid alcohol use.

Chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) and alcoholism commonly lead to liver disease in the US and around the world.

A specific alcohol (ethanol) drug interaction does not exist in the product labeling for Mavyret.

Studies of antivirals for HCV treatment usually required that patients have no or limited alcohol use, so the clinical outcomes of combining alcohol with these regimens are not well-defined. The exact amount of alcohol that might aggravate liver disease in HCV patients is not known.

References
  1. Marshall C. Up to Date. Hepatitis C and alcohol. Accessed March 31, 2020 at https://www.uptodate.com/contents/hepatitis-c-and-alcohol

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Some of the main differences between hepatitis B and C are:

  • Hepatitis B virus can be prevented with a vaccine, but not hepatitis C.
  • Hepatitis B and C are different viruses, but you can have both hepatitis B and hepatitis C at the same time.
  • Over 90% of people infected with hepatitis C who have not received treatment can be cured with 8 to 12 weeks of oral medications, but treatment for hepatitis B, if needed, may be long-term or lifelong.
  • There is no cure for hepatitis B, but once you recover from acute hepatitis B, you develop antibodies that protect you from the virus for life.
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The newest drugs for the treatment of hepatitis C include Mavyret (glecaprevir and pibrentasvir), Vosevi (sofosbuvir, velpatasvir, and voxilaprevir), and Epclusa (sofosbuvir and velpatasvir). All are FDA-approved for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6 infection without cirrhosis or with compensated cirrhosis (Child-Pugh A), as well as other uses. Continue reading

The cost of Mavyret for 84 tablets is $13,909 if you are paying cash using an online discount card, however, most people do not pay this amount. If you are eligible, AbbVie offers a $5 per month Copay Savings Card. You can call 1-800-628-9738 to find out how much this medicine may cost you. Continue reading

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