Interferon-Free Regimen: Equally Effective in Treatment Naive and Experienced HCV Patients

Introduction and aim. Interferon-free regimen has been reported to be highly efficient in treatment of HCV infection, including patients with compensated cirrhosis. We compared the efficacy of Ombitasvir, Paritaprevir, Ritonavir, Dasabuvir and Ribavirin (OBT/PTV/r, with DSV and RBV) therapy in patients with chronic HCV genotype 1b infection and compensated cirrhosis with and without prior treatment experience with pegylated interferon and ribavirin (IFN/RBV). Material and methods. A prospective two-center study was conducted in Mures County Hospital and Brasov County Hospital, Romania in period November 2015-July 2016. Both treatment naive and PegIFN/RBV experienced patients with chronic HCV genotype 1b infection received 12 weeks of OBT/PTV/r, with DSV and RBV. Sustained virologic response 12 weeks after the treatment and eventual discontinuation of therapy due to adverse events were assessed in order to estimate safety and efficiency of therapeutic regimen. Results. Fifty nine patients were included in study, 35 (59.3%) of them were previously treated with IFN/RBV. Forty four (74.5%) patients were previously diagnosed with cirrhosis Child Pugh score 5, while 15 (25.4%) with Child Pugh score 6. All 59 patients achieved a SVR12 of 100% and one patient from treatment naive cohort discontinued the therapy due to hyperbilirubinemia and encephalopathy. However viral load assessed at 12 weeks after discontinuation of therapy in this patient was undetectable. Conclusion. An all-oral regimen of co-formulated OBT/PTV/r with DSV and RBV results in high rate of sustained virologic response at post-treatment week 12 among HCV GT1b infected patients associated with compensated cirrhosis, regardless of previous treatment experience with PegIFN/RBV.