Safety data from 12 clinical trials that enrolled 1743 adults with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection indicate that elbasvir/grazoprevir (EBR/GZR) is a safe treatment option for individuals with HCV genotype (GT)1 or GT4 infection. In populations with chronic kidney disease stage 4/5 or inherited blood disorders or receiving opioid agonist therapy, safety was similar in participants receiving EBR/GZR for 12 weeks and those receiving placebo. Safety was also similar in participants with and those without cirrhosis.

The updated prevalence of hepatitis B chronic infection is 0.6%, which demonstrates a very slow decrease over the past 15 years (previous studies observed a prevalence of 0.7%). An age greater than 50 years, non-Spanish nationality and nosocomial risk are associated with a higher probability of infection, and efforts aimed at HBV screening in these groups are necessary.Most of the hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg)–positive patients (76.6%) presented as hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg)–negative chronic infection (formerly “inactive carriers”), and only 9.4% HBsAg carriers fulfilled current criteria for treatment.