Chronic hepatitis C is a common infection that is a major cause of chronic liver disease, liver failure, and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and it is the leading indication for liver transplantation in the Western world. Prior to 2011, the combination of pegylated interferon and ribavirin was the gold standard of therapy for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C. Since 2014, several therapies have been approved to treat hepatitis C offering patients new options for treating the chronic illness.
The key findings of the review and the votes of the CTAF Panel were that the evidence was adequate to demonstrate that the new drugs are clinically superior to existing therapies, yet they represent a “low value” to the health care system due to the high potential cost of treating such a large number of patients with very expensive medication.
Date of review: March 2014
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Interventions of interest:
Sofosbuvir (Sovaldi®, Gilead Sciences, Inc.)
Simeprevir (Olysio®, Janssen Products, LP)
Final Documents
Below you will find the final documents from the assessment review process:
”The CTAF process of conducting a systematic review of the evidence, analyzing the economic impact of different treatment options, and convening independent thinkers to deliberate on the findings, is the bedrock of producing actionable, trustworthy information for health care stakeholders. CTAF’s judgment of the low comparative value of these new drugs compared to existing treatments highlights the importance of ongoing discussions concerning the high costs of medical treatments and the trade-offs inherent in our health care system. Provider groups, state Medicaid agencies, pharmacy benefit managers, and patients alike are all joining the conversation to create a more efficient and effective health care system; we hope this report and these Action Guides help stakeholders make the best use of available resources based on the current state of the evidence.”
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