Preventing hepatitis C after receiving a kidney from an HCV-positive donor
Official title: A Randomized Controlled Trial of Prophylaxis with Direct-acting Antivirals for Kidney Transplantation from Hepatitis C virus-infected donor to Uninfected Recipients (PREVENT-HCV)
Funded at Johns Hopkins University · NIH-11319833 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This compares two ways of giving hepatitis C antivirals to people getting a kidney from an HCV-positive donor to find which best prevents infection and complications.
Quick facts
| Grant type | U01 cooperative agreement |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Johns Hopkins University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Baltimore, United States) |
| Project start | March 25, 2022 |
| Project end | February 28, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $976,602 |
| NIH project number | 5U01AI157931-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11319833 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults who are HCV-negative and listed for kidney transplant who are willing and eligible to accept an HCV-positive donor kidney are the ideal candidates.
✕Less likely to help
People who are already HCV-positive, not eligible for transplant, or unwilling to accept an HCV-positive donor would not benefit from this protocol.
What this research studies
If I need a kidney and agree to accept an HCV-positive donor organ, I would be randomly assigned to one of two antiviral plans: a short two-week course given just before transplant to try to prevent infection, or waiting to start a 12-week antiviral course beginning two weeks after transplant only if hepatitis C appears. The trial will enroll 120 recipients across six transplant centers, including Johns Hopkins, and follow people closely after transplant. Doctors will watch for liver injury, organ rejection, and infections such as CMV and BK virus while tracking whether hepatitis C develops or is cured. The team aims to determine which approach is safer and lets more people safely receive these donor kidneys.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, more HCV-positive donor kidneys could be used safely, shortening wait times and lowering the chance of hepatitis C-related complications after transplant.
How similar studies have gone: Early single-center experiences have cured hepatitis C after transplant with direct-acting antivirals and suggest prophylaxis may prevent complications, but a randomized head-to-head comparison is new.
Where this research is happening
-
Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Durand, Christine Marie — Johns Hopkins University
- Study coordinator: Durand, Christine Marie
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.