VanOpdorp JR, et al. - Considering the inconsistency regarding the need for laboratory testing through the end of treatment with ribavirin-free direct-acting antiviral (DAA) medications for hepatitis C (HCV), researchers undertook a retrospective review of patients with HCV seen in an academic medical center hepatology clinic, who were treated with ribavirin-free DAA regimens. They included 208 patients in this study; the majority were HCV genotype 1 (84.7%), treatment naïve (77.4%) and non-cirrhotic (58.2%). They noted an overall sustained virological response (SVR) of 97.6%. Patients who had detectable vs undetectable serum HCV RNA at week 4 did not differ regarding SVR rates (96.5% vs 97.5%). Findings thereby suggest that no significant new information is gained by performing laboratory testing at end-treatment with ribavirin-free DAA HCV regimens, with respect to safety or efficacy, and that elimination of end of treatment testing would result in reduction of resource utilization with resultant cost savings.