Effectiveness of dasabuvir/ombitasvir/paritaprevir/ritonavir for hepatitis C virus in clinical practice: A population-based observational study

BACKGROUND: Direct acting antivirals for hepatitis C virus have shown dramatic results in clinical trials. However, their effectiveness has yet to be demonstrated within observational cohorts which lack exclusion criteria found in randomized control trials. AIM: To determine the effectiveness of dasabuvir/ombitasvir/paritaprevir/ritonavir in achieving sustained virological response. METHODS: Retrospective observational cohort study of all Clalit Health Services members with hepatitis C virus genotype 1 who were dispensed dasabuvir/ombitasvir/paritaprevir/ritonavir from January 1, 2015 to-November 31, 2015. RESULTS: There were 564 participants during the study period. The average age was 61.9 years, 52.0% were male, and 61.5% were born Eastern/Central Europe or Central Asia. The prevalence of diabetes was 31.7% and 70.3% were overweight/obese. Cirrhosis was present in 41.0% of participants, of whom 52.8% had stage 4 fibrosis. Of the cohort, 416 (74.8%) had follow-up viral load testing at 10 or more weeks after the end of treatment. We report a sustained virological response of 98.8% among those tested. CONCLUSIONS: Treatment with dasabuvir/ombitasvir/paritaprevir/ritonavir demonstrated a near universal effectiveness in achieving a sustained virological response among HCV patients in a large cohort.