Nonetheless, the New York Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (NYDOCCS) systematically approached the challenge of using these agents, and their experience serves as a lesson that prison medical services can overcome substantial barriers to care.
In 2011, NYDOCCS piloted a hepatitis C treatment program for HCV genotypes 1a and 1b, comprised of telaprevir, pegylated interferon, and ribavirin.
Despite the substantial side effects of the first direct acting agents, the NYDOCCS health care personnel observed and reported a sustained viral response in a select group of patients which exceeded that seen in the drug registration trials (6).