The HCV council 2011 convened 11 leading clinicians and researchers in hepatitis C virus from academic medical centers in the United States to provide a forum for the practical and comprehensive evaluation of current data regarding best practices for integrating new direct-acting antiviral agents into existing treatment paradigms. The council investigated 10 clinical practice statements related to HCV treatment that reflect key topical areas. Faculty members reviewed and discussed the data related to each statement, and voted on the nature of the evidence and their level of support for each statement. In this new era of DAAs, a comprehensive and critical analysis of the literature is needed to equip clinicians with the knowledge necessary to design, monitor, and modify treatment regimens in order to optimize patient outcomes. 1. Introduction The 2011 approval of two HCV protease inhibitors, boceprevir and telaprevir, by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) represents the most important advances in management of chronic HCV in nearly a decade. These protease inhibitors combined with pegylated interferon (PEG-IFN) and ribavirin (RBV) significantly improve the rate of sustained viral response (SVR) for all populations evaluated. Although the FDA has provided clear guidance in the labeling requirements for these agents, and new treatment guidelines have been developed [1], health care professionals will continue to depend on and need guidance from the most experienced specialists in the treatment of HCV in order to apply clinical trial data in the practice setting and maximize HCV outcomes. The HCV Council 2011 convened 11 leading clinicians and researchers in hepatitis C virus (HCV) from academic medical centers in the United States to provide a forum for the practical and comprehensive evaluation of current data regarding best practices for integrating new direct-acting antiviral agents (DAA) into existing treatment paradigms. Ten clinical practice statements were developed (Table 1) that reflect key topical areas identified. Faculty members were responsible for reviewing the literature to support or reject these statements, which relate to current trends in HCV management. After review and discussion of the data, the Summit faculty voted on the nature of the evidence and their level of support for each statement (Table 2). In this new era of DAAs, a comprehensive and critical analysis of the literature is needed to equip clinicians with the knowledge necessary to design, monitor, and modify treatment regimens in order to optimize patient outcomes.
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