Interferon-free therapies for patients with chronic hepatitis C genotype 3 infection: A systematic review

V Gimeno-Ballester1,2, M Buti3, R San Miguel2,4

  • 1Department of Pharmacy, Hospital Universitario Miguel Servet, Zaragoza, Spain.

Insights

Direct-acting antiviral (DAA) treatment for hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype 3 infection is improving. New regimens offer higher sustained virological response (SVR) rates, particularly for patients with cirrhosis, making HCV genotype 3 less challenging.

Area of Science:

  • Hepatology
  • Virology
  • Infectious Diseases

Background:

  • Hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype 3 infection presents unique treatment challenges, with lower direct-acting antiviral (DAA) efficacy and increased risk of disease progression and hepatocellular carcinoma.
  • Current treatment strategies for HCV genotype 3 require optimization to improve outcomes and reduce the burden of this specific viral genotype.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To conduct a comprehensive literature review on the efficacy of interferon-free regimens for treating HCV genotype 3 infection.
  • To evaluate sustained virological response (SVR) rates across different DAA-based treatment regimens in patients with HCV genotype 3, including those with cirrhosis and HIV coinfection.

Main Methods:

  • Systematic literature search of PubMed/Medline, Embase, and Web of Science databases for clinical trials and observational studies.
  • Inclusion of studies involving chronic hepatitis C patients treated with DAAs, with or without ribavirin.
  • Independent evaluation of trials for eligibility, risk of bias, and data extraction, focusing on SVR as the primary outcome.

Main Results:

  • A total of 29 studies encompassing 4068 patients with HCV genotype 3 were included in the review.
  • Regimens like sofosbuvir/velpatasvir for 12 weeks and sofosbuvir/daclatasvir/ribavirin for 12 weeks demonstrated higher SVR rates compared to sofosbuvir/ribavirin for 24 weeks, especially in cirrhotic patients.
  • Sofosbuvir/ledipasvir + ribavirin for 12 weeks achieved an 85% SVR in patients with decompensated cirrhosis, though this subgroup remains challenging.

Conclusions:

  • Treatment outcomes for HCV genotype 3 are rapidly improving with newer interferon-free DAA regimens.
  • HCV genotype 3 may soon be considered a treatable subgroup, with advancements offering better SVR rates, particularly in complex patient populations.
  • Further research into optimal DAA strategies for decompensated cirrhosis patients with HCV genotype 3 is warranted.

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