Sustained Virological Response in Special Populations with Chronic Hepatitis C Using Interferon-Free Treatments: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Observational Cohort Studies.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Hepatitis C treatment has changed considerably in recent years, and many interferon (IFN)-free therapies are now available. Considering the high rates of sustained virological response (SVR) presented by clinical trials for these treatments, high rates of effectiveness are also expected in real-world clinical practice. Hence, this study aimed to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational cohort studies to evaluate the clinical effectiveness and safety of IFN-free therapies for hepatitis C.

METHODS: The search was performed in four electronic databases and included cohort studies that evaluated IFN-free schemes and provided data on SVR at 12 weeks after the end of treatment (SVR12) as the primary outcome. Overall and subgroup meta-analyses of patients' clinical conditions (e.g. co-infection with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), cirrhosis, liver transplant, specific genotypes, and other conditions) were performed.

RESULTS: Sixty-eight studies encompassing a total of 24,151 patients were included for quantitative and qualitative analyses, evaluating six treatments: sofosbuvir with ledipasvir, daclatasvir, or simeprevir; daclatasvir with asunaprevir; paritaprevir/ritonavir in combination with ombitasvir and dasabuvir; and sofosbuvir with ribavirin. The overall analysis showed SVR rates of 88-96% for all treatments except sofosbuvir combined with ribavirin, which had SVR rates of approximately 80%. The results of subgroup analyses showed that the genotype 3 virus appears to be the most difficult to treat.

CONCLUSION: In order to choose the best treatment option, it is necessary to consider the patients' conditions and characteristics. In conclusion, the use of IFN-free therapies meets the high expectations created by clinical trials, including patients in special clinical conditions.