title: The number of patients with chronic hepatitis C in times of new therapy options: a retrospective observational study on German health insurance funds data.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Chronic hepatitis C (CHC) virus infection is a leading cause of liver-related morbidity and mortality. In Germany, as in many other countries, there is a lack of comprehensive epidemiological data. Routine data from sickness funds can support the estimation of the true prevalence and incidence of CHC.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this article, the results of annual and quarterly analyses of prevalence and incidence for the years 2007-2013 are presented using data of several German sickness funds.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Overall, the prevalence rate remained relatively stable at 0.2%, which is lower than the general assumption for Germany of 0.3%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We found that despite the introduction of the breakthrough designated triple therapies with telaprevir or boceprevir in 2011, there was no increase of prevalence or incidence between 2010 and 2011.
authors.affiliation: aTeam Gesundheit GmbH, EssenbAbbVie Deutschland GmbH & Co. KG, Wiesbaden, Germany.
authors.forename: Stefanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Thönnes
authors.forename: Heiko
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Friedel
authors.forename: Heike
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Fröhlich
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007348:Insurance, Health / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009842:Oligopeptides / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015995:Prevalence; D011392:Proline / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012189:Retrospective Studies
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D009842:Oligopeptides; C486464:telaprevir; C512204:N-(3-amino-1-(cyclobutylmethyl)-2,3-dioxopropyl)-3-(2-((((1,1-dimethylethyl)amino)carbonyl)amino)-3,3-dimethyl-1-oxobutyl)-6,6-dimethyl-3-azabicyclo(3.1.0)hexan-2-carboxamide; D011392:Proline