Abstract
Introduction: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection represents a major healthcare challenge in both industrialized and developing countries. The standard treatment for hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection has been interferon-based over many years with less than satisfactory cure rate and many side-effects. Directly acting antivirals (DAAs) have promise for a treatment regimen free of interferons with much better cure rate and minimal side-effects.
 Aims and Objectives: To evaluate efficacy and safety of an oral interferon-free regimen, sofosbuvir plus ribavirin in the treatment in genotype 3 chronic hepatitis C patients.
 Materials and Methods: 200 treatment naïve chronic hepatitis C genotype 3 patients of either sex with age more than 18 years were enrolled in the study. Sofosbuvir 400 mg once daily plus Ribavarin weight-based was given to all the patients. Duration of treatment was 24 weeks and 12 weeks to cirrhotics and non-cirrhotics respectively.
 Data analysis was performed using the IBM SPSS version 22.
 Results and Observations: In this prospective study the total number of patients was two hundred (n=200). The mean age (in years) of patients was 44.2 ± 14.7. The number of male patients was 112 (56 %) and 88 (44 %) were females. The number of cirrhotic patients was 70 while 130 were non-cirrhotic.
 On comparison on the basis of sustained virological response at twelve weeks of the completion of treatment (SVR12) we observed that treatment naïve cirrhotic patients had SVR 12 of 92.8 % while in the non cirrhotic patients SVR 12= was 96.9 % . Adverse effects were insignificant and none of the patients dropped out because of side effects.
 Conclusion: The sofosbuvir and ribavirin based therapy showed very good rates of sustained virological response in chronic hepatitis C genotype 3 patients irrespective of the state of fibrosis. In addition it was found to be cost effective, safe and very well-tolerated.
 Keywords: Hepatitis C; Genotype 3; directly acting antivirals, Sofosbuvir, Sutained virologic response (SVR).
Highlights
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection represents a major healthcare challenge in both industrialized and developing countries
On comparison on the basis of sustained virological response at twelve weeks of the completion of treatment (SVR12) we observed that treatment naïve cirrhotic patients had Sutained virologic response (SVR) 12 of 92.8 % while in the non cirrhotic patients SVR 12= was 96.9 %
Viral hepatitis is estimated as the 7th leading cause of global mortality, with about 50% of these deaths caused by HCV and its complications.(1)The goal of HCV therapy is to cure the infection, i.e. to achieve a sustained virologic response (SVR) defined as undetectable HCV RNA 12 weeks or 24 weeks after treatment completion.SVR12 and SVR24 have been accepted as endpoints of therapy by regulators (2)
Summary
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection represents a major healthcare challenge in both industrialized and developing countries. The standard treatment for hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection has been interferon-based over many years with less than satisfactory cure rate and many side-effects. Aims and Objectives: To evaluate efficacy and safety of an oral interferon-free regimen, sofosbuvir plus ribavirin in the treatment in genotype 3 chronic hepatitis C patients. Conclusion: The sofosbuvir and ribavirin based therapy showed very good rates of sustained virological response in chronic hepatitis C genotype 3 patients irrespective of the state of fibrosis. Sofosbuvir (SOF), a first in-class nucleotide NS5B polymerase inhibitor with a high barrier to resistance, was approved for interferon-free treatment of HCV infection in the USA and Europe in early 2014.(6) Directing acting antivirals (DAAs) have led to high sustained virologic responses (SVRs) than interferon based regimens, are shorter in treatment duration, are orally administered and have fewer adverse effects.
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