Health Canada approves Maviret for the treatment of acute hepatitis C infection
February 12, 2026
CATIE News
- Until recently, hepatitis C treatments were only approved for use in Canada for chronic infections
- Health Canada has approved the use of a direct-acting antiviral before the infection becomes chronic
- This allows hepatitis C to be treated earlier, reducing wait times and avoiding liver damage
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection infects the liver and causes inflammation in this vital organ. In some people, the immune system is able to contain and destroy HCV during this initial, or acute, phase of infection. However, in cases where the immune system is not able to contain acute HCV, it becomes a chronic infection. Over time, healthy liver tissue is replaced with scar tissue. Gradually, the liver becomes increasingly dysfunctional, and a variety of problems ensue. Some people develop persistent fatigue. Later, they can develop internal bleeding, fluid buildup in the abdomen and serious abdominal infections. Eventually, difficulty thinking clearly and problems with memory occur. As the liver becomes increasingly unable to filter the blood of waste products, the skin gradually turns yellow (jaundice). The risk of liver cancer increases as the amount of scar tissue expands. Thus, if HCV is left undiagnosed and untreated, it can result in death.
HCV can be detected with blood tests. Furthermore, the health of the liver can be assessed with additional blood tests and a specialized ultrasound scan called Fibroscan. As acute HCV infection can have mild symptoms (similar to a flu-like illness) or even no noticeable symptoms in some people, testing is essential for revealing the presence of this virus. Making access to HCV testing more widely available can help uncover HCV infection.
Chronic infection
Several powerful treatments for chronic HCV infection are available in pill form. These are called direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) and can be taken once daily. Two commonly used DAAs are as follows:
- Epclusa – a pill containing sofosbuvir + velpatasvir
- Maviret – a pill containing glecaprevir + pibrentasvir
These drugs are associated with high rates of cure (95%) after a course of treatment, which is usually eight to 12 weeks, depending on the pill used. They are generally safe and well tolerated.
In Canada, DAAs for the treatment of chronic HCV first became available in 2014, with restrictions on who could access them through public subsidies. By 2018, these restrictions were lifted.
Acute infection
In January 2026, Health Canada approved the use of Maviret for the treatment of acute HCV infection in adults and children three years and older who weigh at least 12 kilograms. This marked the first time that a DAA-based therapy was approved for the treatment of people with acute HCV in Canada.
In one clinical trial, researchers analysed data from 286 adults. Participants were recruited from the following countries:
- Austria
- Australia
- Canada
- France
- Germany
- Italy
- Spain
- United States
Nearly 50% of all participants were coinfected with HCV and HIV. Most coinfected participants were taking HIV treatment and had a suppressed level of this virus (less than 20 copies/mL). About 14% of participants were either current or recent drug users.
Nearly 64% of all participants had a strain, or variant, of HCV called genotype 1. The study found that eight consecutive weeks of Maviret taken daily was at least 96% effective in curing people with acute HCV infection.
If HCV is to be eliminated as a public health issue, the availability of DAAs for the treatment of acute HCV infection is an important step toward achieving this goal.
In the future, more data about the effectiveness of Maviret in people with acute HCV infection will become available.
—Sean R. Hosein
Resources
Hepatitis C Treatment Self-directed course — CATIE
Hepatitis C Key Messages - Treatment – CATIE
New hepatitis C point-of-care tests approved by Health Canada – CATIE News
Large study finds many benefits arise from curing hepatitis C virus – CATIE News
Patient navigator services needed to link people to hepatitis C care and treatment after release from incarceration – CATIE News
Canadian Coinfection Cohort
Integration of hepatitis C testing and treatment in OAT clinics – CATIE News
Increased risk of death in Canadian study of people who fall out of care for HIV and hepatitis C – CATIE News
‘One-stop’ health service in England achieves high rates of hepatitis C cure – CATIE News
REFERENCES:
- Llibre JM, Boesecke C, Moon J, et al. A single-arm phase IIIb study of 8-week glecaprevir/pibrentasvir treatment in adults with acute hepatitis C. Journal of Hepatology. 2025 Nov 24: S0168-8278(25)02625-X.
- Abbvie. Maviret receives Health Canada approval for the treatment of acute hepatitis C virus. Press release. 6 January 2026.
- Abbvie. Glecaprevir/pibrentasvir tablets and granules. Product Monograph. 18 December 2025.
From Canadian AIDS Treatment Information Exchange (CATIE).
This content was originally published by CATIE, Canada’s source for HIV and hepatitis C information.
Source: CATIE:
https://www.catie.ca/catie-news/health-canada-approves-maviret-for-the-treatment-of-acute-hepatitis-c-infection
For more information visit CATIE's Information Network at www.catie.ca
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