New HCV Option Effective, Safe, Well-Tolerated — and Use Will Likely Be Driven by Payers

On December 19, the FDA approved a new treatment for chronic hepatitis C virus infection — a regimen of ombitasvir, paritaprevir, and ritonavir tablets copackaged with dasabuvir tablets. Serious adverse events associated with the treatment are rare, and the cure rates have been 90% or higher, but, says Dr. Paul Sax in HIV and ID Observations, there are some disadvantages — in particular, the need for ribavirin in many patients.