The Canadian Drug Expert Committee (CDEC) has recommended that simeprevir, in combination with peginterferon alfa and ribavirin be listed for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C genotype 1 infection in adults with compensated liver disease, if the following clinical criteria and conditions are met: 

Clinical criteria: 

• Detectable levels of hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA in the last six months 

• A fibrosis stage of F2, F3, or F4 

• Patients with the NS3 Q80K polymorphism should not be treated with simeprevir

Conditions: 

• Patients should have their HCV strain tested for NS3 Q80K polymorphism 

• Patients have not received a prior full therapeutic course of boceprevir or telaprevir 

• Reduced price — the drug plan cost for a course of therapy with simeprevir should not exceed the drug plan cost of other currently available direct-acting antiviral drugs

For more details, go to: http://www.cadth.ca/media/cdr/complete/SR0347_complete_Galexos-Jun-20-14.pdf