About three-quarters of primary care physicians (PCPs) are unfamiliar with the new generation of hepatitis C virus (HCV) drugs, according to a survey conducted by Decision Resources Group. The private organization surveyed 100 primary care physicians, 44 gastroenterologists and seven hepatologists for a report on how new hep C medications will “impact the role of PCPs in treating HCV patients.”



About 75 percent of the polled PCPs did not know that Janssen’s Olysio (simeprevir) and Gilead Sciences’ Sovaldi (sofosbuvir) received U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval in 2013. Less than one in three of the physicians were even familiar with the first-generation hep C protease inhibitors, Incivek (telaprevir) and Victrelis (boceprevir), despite the fact that they have been on the market for almost three years.



More than half of the specialists polled said they were comfortable with the notion of having PCPs prescribe all-oral, interferon-free hep C drug regimens to patients with a minimal amount of liver damage. However, about one-third of the PCPs polled said they anticipated always referring such patients to a specialist.



To read the press release, click here.