Efficacy of combined pegylated interferon and ribavirin therapy in Jewish patients of Israel suffering from chronic hepatitis C

Abstract

Combined pegylated interferon and ribavirin therapy was of similar or even higher efficacy in the Israeli population as compared to that reported by international trials in Caucasian, Hispanic, and African American populations.

Epidemiology of hepatitis C virus infection in a large Israeli health maintenance organization

“…The results of this large real‐world epidemiological study suggest that the reported incidence of HCV infection declined to 15 per 100,000 population, while the prevalence was estimated at five per thousand population in 2012. The prevalence rate and genotype distribution are similar to those reported in previous studies [Shemer‐Avni et al, ; Cornberg et al, ; Delgado et al, ; Messina et al, ], with genotypes 1 and 3 being the most prevalent genotypes, and similar trends of declining incidence have been reported in other countries [Cornberg et al, ; Williams et al, ; Bruggmann et al, ; Saraswat et al, ]. Despite this trend, morbidity and mortality are expected to increase among cohorts infected decades ago [Razavi et al, ].…”

“…In Israel, anti‐HCV seroprevalence has previously been estimated at 2%, with substantially higher rates among immigrants from the former Soviet Union (FSU) and injecting drug users (IDU) [Cornberg et al, ]. Genotype (GT) 1 accounts for approximately 65–70% of HCV infections in Israel, followed by GT3 (∼20%), GT2, and GT4 [Cornberg et al, ; Delgado et al, ]. Similar to other countries, the standard of care through 2013 was combination therapy with pegylated interferon and ribavirin (24 weeks of treatment for GT2/3; 48 weeks for GT1/4) and in 2012–2013 genotype one patients were recommended the addition of NS3‐NS4 HCV protease inhibitors [Zuckerman et al, ; World Health Organization, ].…”

Treatment adherence and virological response rates in hepatitis C virus infected persons treated with sofosbuvir‐based regimens: results from ERCHIVES

“…With older interferon based treatment regimens, adherence to treatment was strongly linked to treatment success in HCV infected persons. The 80/80/80 rule, indicating >80% of the cumulative dose of pegylated interferon (PEG) alfa and >80% of the cumulative dose of ribavirin (RBV) taken for >80% of the duration of a prescribed course, was associated with higher SVR in those treated with older PEG plus RBV regimens as well as those treated with these plus either boceprevir or telaprevir . Non‐completion of a full course of prescribed treatment, whether because of non‐adherence, treatment futility or other reasons, is also associated with significantly lower SVR in HCV infected persons .…”