Background Some authors have described that among Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) genotype 1-infected patients treated with dual therapy, anaemia has been associated with higher rates of Sustained Virological Response (SVR) as well as the use of erythropoiesis-stimulating agents.

Purpose To investigate the relationships between treatment outcomes, anaemia, and their management with ribavirin dose reduction and/or darbepoetin in patients treated with boceprevir (BOC) or telaprevir (TLV) in a tertiary hospital.

Material and methods Observational study. Data was collected from pharmacotherapeutic records of patients who initiated therapy with TLV or BOC between December’12 and May’13. Anaemia was defined as haemoglobin (Hb) <10.5 mg/dL. Darbepoetin was permitted for anaemic patients after ribavirin dose reduction. The variables were: age, sex, reduction of ribavirin dose and use of darbepoetin.

Results 36 patients were studied (26 men and 10 women). 23 (63.8%) patients were treated with TLV and 13 (36.2%) with BOC.

25 (69.5%) patients reached SVR (16 (69.5%) for TLV and 9 (69.2%) for BOC). 12 of these patients experienced anaemia (48%) (7 (43.8%) for TLV and 5 (55.6%) for BOC). The total number of patients who experienced anaemia was 17 (47.2%) (9 (39.1%) for TLV and 8 (61.5%) for BOC), 16 patients (44.4%) had a reduction in their ribavirin dose (8 (34.8%) for TLV and 8 (61.5%) for BOC) and 12 patients (33.3%) used darbepoetin (6 (26.1%) for TLV and 6 (46.1%) for BOC); 8 of these 12 (66.6%) patients showed SVR, 1 relapsed and 3 abandoned treatment due to adverse events (4 (66.6%) for TLV and 4 (66.6%) for BOC).

Conclusion

1. Among our genotype 1-infected patients treated with BOC or TLV anaemia was not associated with higher rates of SVR.

2. Patients with darbepoetin did not have higher rates of SVR.

3. Percentages of SVR were similar between TLV and BOC.

References and/or acknowledgements No conflict of interest.