Hepatitis C virus treatment in the 'real-world': how well do 'real' patients respond?

Outcomes of treatment with direct-acting antivirals for infection with hepatitis C virus genotypes 1-4 in an ambulatory care setting

PURPOSE

Outcomes with direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) for the treatment of hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotypes 1-4 were determined.

METHODS

A total of 360 patients at 36 clinical sites in Massachusetts with HCV genotypes 1-4 and a prescription for at least one DAA medication between May 2011 and October 2015 were included. The primary investigator completed a retrospective and concurrent chart review, and data were collected through April 2016.

RESULTS

A total of 446 patients were assessed for eligibility into the study, with 86 patients excluded. The majority of patients were white males with genotype 1 infection. About half of the patients were treatment naive (TN), and 40% of patients had documented cirrhosis. TN patients without cirrhosis had the highest overall sustained virologic response (SVR) rate at 107 of 109 (98.2%), followed by treatment-experienced (TE) patients without cirrhosis at 59 of 63 (93.7%), TN patients with cirrhosis at 40 of 46 (87.0%), and TE patients with cirrhosis at 64 of 79 (81.0%) when boceprevir- and telaprevir-containing regimens were excluded. A total of 7 of 360 (1.9%) patients reported missing at least one dose of medication. Adverse drug reactions reported in the electronic medical record (EMR) were collected for analysis and included patients who received at least one dose of medication and had adequate EMR documentation.

CONCLUSION

In patients treated with DAAs for infection with HCV genotypes 1-4, variables favoring achievement of SVR included an age of <45 years, a body mass index of <25 kg/m², absence of cirrhosis, a fibrosis score of 0-2, and being TN.

Hepatitis C Continuum of Care in a Treatment Center in Sub-Saharan Africa

BACKGROUND

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a major public health challenge in Cameroon with over three million people infected. Government efforts to improve care and treatment are unsatisfactory and need to be assessed. We aimed at studying the several steps along the HCV continuum of care in one of two hepatitis treatment centers in Cameroon.

METHODS

We undertook a retrospective chart review of anti-HCV positive individuals, who attended the Douala general hospital between 2008 and 2015. We defined the HCV treatment cascade as follows: step 1-HCV RNA testing, step 2-complete pre-therapeutic evaluation (genotyping and liver fibrosis markers), step 3-initiation of treatment, step 4-treatment completion, and step 5-sustained virological response (SRV). Each successive step in the HCV care continuum was dependent on passing through the previous step.

RESULTS

The mean age of the 669 anti-HCV antibody positive individuals was 57 (sd: ±13) years. Females were 52.8% of the study population. 410 (61.3%) were tested for HCV RNA. Three hundred and sixty-six (54.7%) were confirmed to have viral replication (HCV RNA positive). One hundred and eighty (26.9%) did a complete pre-therapeutic evaluation (both HCV genotyping and liver fibrosis assessment included). Eighty-one (12.1%) initiated treatment with pegylated interferon/ribavirin. Seventy-two (10.8%) completed treatment and 44 (6.6%) had SVR. Sociodemographic characteristics including age, gender, marital status, having medical insurance, and profession were associated with attaining later steps in the care cascade.

CONCLUSION

This study shows that HCV continuum of care and treatment is less optimal at the Douala general hospital and is highly impacted by socio-economic factors. Continued efforts are needed to improve HCV care.

Use of the PRECIS-II instrument to categorize reports along the efficacy-effectiveness spectrum in an hepatitis C virus care continuum systematic review and meta-analysis

There is increasing recognition of the importance of the distinction between efficacy and effectiveness research in the design, conduct, and evaluation of interventions and program outcomes. There is a concurrent increase in the application of systematic reviews and meta-analyses. These two lines of inquiry are only beginning to meet. There is an emerging need for systematic reviews and meta-analyses to account for differences in degrees to which included studies reflect either efficacy or effectiveness design. Based on ongoing work on a formal systematic review of the hepatitis C virus care continuum, this paper describes and discusses the rationale for, and how the PRECIS-II instrument can be used on, and modestly adapted to, studies included in the systematic review examining the extent to which studies include elements of efficacy or effectiveness or a combination of the two. We also highlight that use of such an instrument may have general applicability to and value in the conduct of systematic reviews and meta-analysis.

Conceptual framework for outcomes research studies of hepatitis C: an analytical review

Hepatitis C virus infection is one of the main causes of chronic liver disease worldwide. Until recently, the standard antiviral regimen for hepatitis C was a combination of an interferon derivative and ribavirin, but a plethora of new antiviral drugs is becoming available. While these new drugs have shown great efficacy in clinical trials, observational studies are needed to determine their effectiveness in clinical practice. Previous observational studies have shown that multiple factors, besides the drug regimen, affect patient outcomes in clinical practice. Here, we provide an analytical review of published outcomes studies of the management of hepatitis C virus infection. A conceptual framework defines the relationships between four categories of variables: health care system structure, patient characteristics, process-of-care, and patient outcomes. This framework can provide a starting point for outcomes studies addressing the use and effectiveness of new antiviral drug treatments.

Incidence of hepatitis C in Brazil

INTRODUCTION

Hepatitis C is a public health problem of global dimensions, affecting approximately 200 million people worldwide. The main objective of this study was to estimate the incidence rate of hepatitis C in Brazil during the period between 2001 and 2012.

METHODS

An epidemiological, temporal, and descriptive study was performed using data from the Information System for Reportable Diseases.

RESULTS

Between 2001 and 2012, a total of 151,056 hepatitis C cases were recorded, accounting for 30.3% of all hepatitis notifications in Brazil. The average gross coefficient for the analysis period was 6.7 new cases per 100,000 inhabitants. The regions with the highest rates were the Southeast region (8.7 new cases/100,000 inhabitants) and the South (13.9 new cases/100,000 inhabitants). There was a predominance of men with respect to the incidence rate (8.0 new cases/100,000 inhabitants) compared to women (5.5 new cases/100,000 inhabitants). Injection drug use was the most common source of infection, and members of the white race, residents of urban areas, and those aged 60 to 64 years had the highest incidences.

CONCLUSIONS

Over the last 10 years, the incidence of hepatitis C in Brazil has increased, mainly in the South and Southeast. The adoption of fast, accurate diagnostic methods, together with epidemiological awareness, can facilitate early intervention measures for adequate control of the disease.