Sustained Virologic Response Rates of Sofosbuvir and Velpatasvir in Patients with Hepatitis C Genotype 3: A Meta-Analysis

 Patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype 3 are regarded as a difficult-to-cure population in an era of direct-acting antiviral treatment.

This meta-analysis aimed to evaluate sustained virologic response rates resulting from a fixed-dose combination of sofosbuvir (SOF) and velpatasvir (VEL), also known as Epclusa® (Gilead, Forster City, CA) in patients with HCV genotype 3.

In this study, we searched PubMed/MEDLINE, Embase, and the Cochrane Library for relevant studies from inception until May 3rd, 2019. The primary outcome measure used was the rate of the sustained virological response at week-12 (SVR12) post-treatment. The heterogeneity of results was evaluated, and influence analyses were performed using the R software. In addition, publication bias was assessed using the funnel and Egger tests.

Eleven trials (n = 2246 patients) were included in this meta-analysis. The pooled SVR12 rate in patients with HCV-genotype 3 (GT3) was 94.6% with a random effect model by inverse method (95% Cl 92.5% - 96.1%, I2 = 53%, P = 0.02). A subpopulation analysis indicated that the pooled SVR12 rates were 96.3% in GT3 patients with compensated cirrhosis and 94.0% in GT3 patients with prior anti-HCV treatment. Moreover, influence analysis suggested that the most significant source of heterogeneities resulted from one trial, which enrolled most patients with HCV subtype 3b.

Our meta-analysis showed a high SVR12 rate of SOF/VEL in GT3 patients regardless of compensated cirrhosis the status and/or a history of previous interferon-based treatments. These results highlight the need for more trials investigating the effectiveness of the SOF/VEL regimen in patients with HCV subtype 3b.