Patients’ preferences for treatment with the new direct acting antiviral therapies for chronic hepatitis C virus infection

OBJECTIVES: The efficacy of new direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) in treating hepatitis C infection can depend on treatment adherence, which may be influenced by the patient’s current lack of awareness of the disease. This study set out to understand the treatment naïve chronic hepatitis C patients’ preferences for new DAAs (attributes) and to compile information about the diagnosis process. MATERIAL AND METHOD: Spanish quantitative market research study conducted between November 2018 and January 2019 to assess the posology preferences of treatment-naïve patients with chronic hepatitis C before starting treatment (seen by hepatologists and infectious diseases specialists). A telephone interview was carried out to collect demographic, diagnostic and treatment preference data, consisting of two dosing OPTIONS: 1) three tablets/day (single dose), at the same time, with food (8 weeks). 2) single tablet/day, at any time with/without food (12 weeks). A descriptive analysis of pooled results was performed. RESULTS: 104 patients (mean age: 49 years) with hepatitis C diagnosed 7.3±9.7 years ago (average), mainly in primary care (PC) (42%). The most common reasons for not having started treatment were health problems/comorbidities (31%). Fifty-eight percent of patients were not informed about the available treatments. Seventy-two percent of patients preferred a simple tablet/day, at any time, with/without food (12 weeks), and considered compatibility with other treatments, side effects, ease of administration, treatment duration and the number of tablets to be very important. DISCUSSION: Patient preferences are mainly driven by dosing flexibility and simplicity, including freedom to take the medication with/without food. The role of PC in the diagnosis should be taken into account. There are still patients who are untreated after diagnosis.