Source

From the Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, The Ottawa Hospital, University of Ottawa, 501 Smyth Road, Ottawa, ON, Canada K1H 8L6, Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, 655 West 12th Avenue, Vancouver, BC, Canada V5Z 4R4, Department of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, ON, Canada L8S 4K1, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Ottawa, 35 University Private, Ottawa, ON, Canada K1N 7K4 and Merck & Co., One Merck Drive, Whitehouse Station, NJ 08889, USA.

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

New direct-acting antiviral agents for hepatitis C genotype 1 infection, boceprevir and telaprevir, offer enhanced sustained virologic response (SVR) among both treatment-naïve and treatment-experienced patients.

AIM:

To determine the relative efficacy of the new direct-acting antiviral agents by applying a multiple treatment comparison meta-analysis.

DESIGN:

We included published Phase II and III randomized controlled trials evaluating head-to-head comparisons between boceprevir, telaprevir, peg-interferon alpha-2a with ribavirin and peg-interferon alpha-2b with ribavirin in hepatitis C genotype 1 patients. We applied Bayesian multiple treatment comparison meta-analysis.

RESULTS:

We included data from four boceprevir, three telaprevir and six peg-interferon alpha-2a plus ribavirin vs. peg-interferon alpha-2b plus ribavirin randomized controlled trials. Both boceprevir and telaprevir offer statistically superior outcomes for SVR, relapse and discontinuation due to adverse events than either peg-interferons among both treatment-naïve and treatment-experienced patients. Among treatment-naïve patients, clinical outcomes were similar for boceprevir and telaprevir, for SVR [odds ratio (OR) 0.90, 95% credible interval (95% CrI) 0.41-1.91] and for relapse (OR 1.09, 95% CrI 0.19-4.84). Similarly, among treatment-experienced patients, clinical outcomes were similar for boceprevir and telaprevir and for SVR (OR 1.45, 95% CrI 0.70-3.08) and for relapse (OR 0.35, 95% CrI 0.13-1.02). For treatment-naïve patients receiving standard-duration therapy, telaprevir yielded lower rates of anemia and neutropenia, but higher rates of rash and pruritus. For treatment-experience patients, all adverse event rates were higher with telaprevir.

DISCUSSION:

Boceprevir and telaprevir exhibit similar effects among hepatitis C genotype 1 treatment-naïve and treatment-experienced patients.