Abstract
Background and AimThe hepatitis C virus (HCV) is considered a global health challenge that requires urgent interventions for prevention and control. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of direct-acting antiviral agents (DAAs) for HCV-infected patients in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA).Patients and MethodsIn this retrospective cohort study, we ascertained data of patients treated with DAA-based regimens for chronic HCV in the private health-care sector hospitals of KSA between April 2015 and December 2017. Data regarding presence or absence of liver cirrhosis, virus genotype, quantitative HCV RNA test, fibrosis stage, and history of liver disease were included. The primary end point of the study was the overall cure rate, defined as the number of patients achieving sustained viral response (SVR) rate at least 12 weeks following completion of treatment, divided by the total number of patients included in the study.ResultsA total of 262 patients fulfilled the study inclusion criteria. Adult patients were enrolled, of which 114 (44%) were females and 148 (56%) were males. About 105 of the patients (40%) were cirrhotic and 156 were treatment-naïve patients (60%), 84 patients were interferon (INF) experienced, and 22 patients had previously received new DAAs but failed to achieve SVR. The majority of patients received ledipasvir–sofosbuvir±RBV (57%) with SVR rate of approximately 97%.ConclusionsOur local real-world data indicate an overall HCV cure rate of 97% following treatment with DDA’s when prescribed in the private sector. This estimate is acquiescence with previously reported global cure rates.
Highlights
The hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a considerable global health problem that requires urgent public health interventions for its prevention and control
According to World Health Organization, approximately 71 million people worldwide have chronic hepatitis C infection and approximately 400,000 people die each year from HCV, mostly from cirrhosis or hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) [1]
We present real-world data of the effectiveness of direct-acting antiviral agents (DAAs) for HCV-infected patients in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA)
Summary
The hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a considerable global health problem that requires urgent public health interventions for its prevention and control. According to World Health Organization, approximately 71 million people worldwide have chronic hepatitis C infection and approximately 400,000 people die each year from HCV, mostly from cirrhosis or HCC [1]. The prevalence of HCV in Saudi Arabia is uncertain because no recent studies have been conducted. The estimated prevalence of HCV in injection and non-injection drug users is around 35.6%, and the RNA prevalence is estimated to be around 29.9% [1]. The hepatitis C virus (HCV) is considered a global health challenge that requires urgent interventions for prevention and control. We aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of direct-acting antiviral agents (DAAs) for HCV-infected patients in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA)
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