[Costs of a guideline-based treatment of patients with chronic hepatitis C in Germany].

The costs of a guideline-based treatment in chronic hepatitis C infected people are unknown. The goal of HCV therapy is to achieve a sustained viral response and thereby to reduce morbidity and mortality due to complications of liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. This study analyses the costs of a guideline-based treatment based on the German guideline on the management of HCV infection. In addition, costs of newly introduced protease inhibitors were calculated. Costs for baseline diagnostics, monitoring and medical treatment were calculated according to the stage of the disease, the HCV genotype and viral response. Costs for baseline diagnostics account for € 302.75 and monitoring accounts for € 596 to € 1173. Dual therapy with pegylated interferon and ribavirin results in average costs of € 7709 to € 34 692. Total costs of a guideline-based treatment range between € 8,608 and € 36 167 depending on HCV genotype and length of therapy. With the introduction of protease inhibitors for HCV genotype 1 patients, costs of pharmaceuticals have increased further. Triple-therapy with telaprevir accounts for € 43 280 respectively € 54 844. Costs for Boceprevir treatment range from € 34 143 to € 60 990. Due to increasing costs, health-economic evaluations gain significant relevance and should be considered when implementing new treatment strategies. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.