Comparative efficacy of sofosbuvir-ribavirin versus sofosbuvir-daclatasvir for treatment of chronic hepatitis C in an area with limited NS5A inhibitor availability.

INTRODUCTION: Sofosbuvir (SOF) and daclatasvir (DCV) regimens are recommended for all genotypes of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. However, DCV accessibility is still low in several low- and middle-income countries. Ribavirin (RBV) is more affordable and has been known for chronic HCV treatment along with SOF or interferon. The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy of SOF + RBV and SOF + DCV regimens for treatment of chronic HCV in Indonesia.

METHODS: We conducted a retrospective study among patients with chronic HCV who were treated with SOF. Data on SOV + RBV were collected from 2015 to 2016, while those on SOF + DCV were collected from 2016 to 2017. The baseline characteristics were recorded from the medical record unit in Cipto Mangunkusumo General Hospital, Jakarta, Indonesia. The primary outcome was the achievement of sustained virological response at 12 weeks (SVR12).

RESULTS: Of 309 patients, 64.4% (199/309) had genotype 1 infections, 29.8% (92/309) had cirrhosis, and 4.9% (15/309) had co-infection with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). At the end of treatment (EOT), 99.3% (136/137) patients in the SOF + RBV group and 99.4% (164/165) in SOF + DCV group had no detectable viral load. The criterion for SVR12 was met in 90.8% (109/120) patients in SOF + RBV regimen and 98.2% (108/110) in SOF + DCV regimen. Among patients with cirrhosis, 84.4% (38/45) patients and 100% (27/27) achieved SVR12 in the SOF + RBV and SOF + DCV groups, respectively.

CONCLUSION: SOF + DCV regimen had higher SVR rates compared to SOF + RBV regimen (p = 0.034). However, both the regimens showed an impressive outcome, with overall SVR12 rates above 90%, irrespective of presence of cirrhosis and HCV genotype. In non-structural protein 5A inhibitor limited setting, SOF + RBV regimen still can be used as treatment for HCV infection, particularly in non-cirrhotic patients.