In Vivo Emergence of a Novel Mutant L159F/L320F in the NS5B Polymerase Confers Low-Level Resistance to the HCV Polymerase Inhibitors Mericitabine and Sofosbuvir

Background. Resistance to mericitabine (prodrug of HCV NS5B polymerase inhibitor PSI-6130) is rare and conferred by the NS5B S282T mutation. Methods. Serum HCV RNA from patients who experienced viral breakthrough, partial response, or nonresponse in 2 clinical trials in which patients received mericitabine plus peginterferon alfa-2a (40KD)/ribavirin were analyzed by population and clonal sequence analysis as well as phenotypic assay for assessment of in vivo mericitabine resistance. Results. Among 405 patients treated with mericitabine plus peginterferon alfa-2a/ribavirin in PROPEL and JUMP-C, virologic breakthrough or nonresponse were not observed; 12 patients experienced a partial response. The NS5B S282T resistance mutation was not observed in any patient. A number of treatment-associated NS5B changes were observed and characterized. A novel double mutant (L159F/L320F) with impaired replication capacity was detected in one HCV genotype 1b-infected patient. Introduction of double mutant L159F/L320F into genotype 1a (H77) and 1b (Con-1) replicons, respectively, increased the EC50 for mericitabine by 3.1- and 5.5-fold and the EC90 by 3.1- and 8.9-fold. The double mutant also decreased susceptibility to sofosbuvir (GS-7977) and GS-938 but not setrobuvir, relative to wild-type. Conclusions. A novel and replication-deficient double mutation (L159F/L320F) confers low-level resistance to mericitabine and cross-resistance to both sofosbuvir and GS-938. Clinical Trials Registration NCT00869661, NCT01057667.