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Can you drink alcohol while taking Mavyret?

Medically reviewed by Leigh Ann Anderson, PharmD. Last updated on June 15, 2025.

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 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. Studies of antivirals for hepatitis C virus (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.

A specific alcohol (ethanol) drug interaction does not exist in the product labeling for Mavyret, but it still may be unsafe for you. The exact amount of alcohol that might aggravate liver disease in patients diagnosed with hepatitis C virus (HCV) is not known. Ask your doctor before you drink alcohol if you are taking Mavyret.

Read More: What are the new drugs for the treatment of hepatitis C?

Related questions

What is Mavyret approved to treat?

Mavyret is is an oral, combination medicine approved for 2 uses:

  1. To treat adults and children 3 years of age and older with acute (recently infected) or chronic (lasting a long time) hepatitis C virus (HCV). It treats HCV genotypes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6 infection without cirrhosis or with compensated cirrhosis. Compensated cirrhosis occurs in the early stages of HCV when the liver is still working and the person may not have symptoms.
  2. To treat HCV genotype 1 infection in adults and children 3 years of age and older who have been previously treated with a medicine regimen that contained an HCV NS5A inhibitor or an NS3/4A protease inhibitor (PI), but not both.

Cure rates of up to 95% to 99% after 8 weeks of treatment have been reported in people with HCV who took Mavyret.

It is not known if this medicine is safe and effective in children under 3 years of age.

This is not all the information you need to know about Mavyret (glecaprevir-pibrentasvir) for safe and effective use and does not take the place of your doctor’s directions. Review the full product information and discuss this information and any questions you have with your doctor or other health care provider.

References
  • Mavyret [prescribing information]. AbbVie. No. Chicago, Ill. Updated June 2025. Accessed June 15, 2025 at https://www.rxabbvie.com/pdf/mavyret_pi.pdf
  • Muga R, Sanvisens A, Jarrin I, et al. Hepatitis C infection substantially reduces survival of alcohol-dependent patients. Clin Epidemiol. 2018 Aug 1;10:897-905. doi: 10.2147/CLEP.S162308
  • Marshall C. Up to Date. Hepatitis C and alcohol. Accessed March 31, 2020 at https://www.uptodate.com/contents/hepatitis-c-and-alcohol

Read next

Does Mavyret make your hair fall out?

Mavyret should not make your hair fall out and hair loss is not a known side effect of Mavyret and was not a reported in clinical trials of Mavyret. Medication blog sites about Mavyret also do not mention hair loss as a side effect. Continue reading

How long is Mavyret treatment?

Treatment with Mavyret can range from 8 to 16 weeks depending upon your liver function, previous treatments, and other medical conditions you may have. Your doctor will decide the most appropriate length of time for your treatment regimen.

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Is Mavyret better than Harvoni?

Mavyret is reported to have some advantages over Harvoni including the number of HCV genotypes it covers, the length of treatment required, its approval for both acute (recently infected) and chronic ( lasting a long time) HCV, and the cost of a course of treatment.

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