Treatment guidelines for Hepatitis C in Spain

The discovery of new orally administered drugs that can block different targets of the replication cycle of the hepatitis C virus (HCV) with major antiviral activity, has revolutionized treatment of this infection and relegated interferon-based treatments to a secondary position. The start up of the National Strategic Plan for Combating Hepatitis C, which acknowledges the greater efficacy and safety of oral antiviral drugs, as well as the agreements between the pharmaceutical companies and different government bodies has enabled the initial difficulties of access to these medicines due to their high cost to be overcome. In this rapidly changing environment, the availability of a therapeutic guide based on a critical analysis of the available evidence, takes on special relevance and provides a basic support for medical practitioners involved in HCV treatment. However, the speed with which new therapeutic options are included and the limited evidence in some clinical scenarios signifies a challenge for those responsible for scientific societies whose job it is to coordinate the preparation of therapeutic guides and to keep recommendations up to date. In this review we analyze the treatment recommendations for HCV in a consensus document drawn up by the Spanish Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AEEH), to contrast them with recommendations given by American and European associations that study hepatic diseases.