Hepatitis C: efficacy and safety in real life

Abstract

Interferon-free combinations were registered in 2014 and 2015 for the treatment of chronic HCV infection. As a result, real-world experience has been gathered in the last year and this paper presents data available in September 2016. Real-world studies on the efficacy of the ledipasvir/sofosbuvir (LDV/SOF)±ribavirin (RBV) regimen showed a sustained virologic response (SVR) rate of between 91% and 98%. The SVR rate in the 13858 patients included in this paper was 94%, and 92% in the 3506 patients with cirrhosis. In a number of recently published real-world studies evaluating ombitasvir/paritaprevir/ritonavir (OBV/PTV/r)±dasabuvir (DSV)±RBV, the SVR rate was between 92% and 100%. The SVR rate of the 4260 patients included in the studies in this paper was 97% and the rate was the same in the 1647 patients with cirrhosis. Recently, data evaluating SOF/simeprevir±RBV showed an SVR rate >90%, while in combination with daclatasvir this rate reached approximately 95%. The safety data available for LDV/SOF±RBV and OBV/PTV/r±DSV±RBV show that discontinuation due to adverse events was necessary in no more than 3% of patients and the frequency of serious adverse events was between 0 and 11%, in particular in real-world studies. Because of the similar efficacy and safety, real-world data support the use of either the LDV/SOF±RBV or OBV/PTV/r±DSV±RBV regimen in patients with genotypes 1 or 4. There is still not enough real-world data in patients with genotype 3 and other genotypes.

Keywords: direct-acting antivirals; hepatitis C; real-world experience.