OBJECTIVES: To indirectly compare the efficacy of telaprevir and boceprevir  combined with peginterferon/ribavirin in achieving sustained viral response (SVR) in treatment-naïve and treatment-experienced patients with genotype 1 chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV). METHODS: A systematic review of literature was conducted in MEDLINE (January 2000-December 2010) to identify randomized controlled trials and comparative open-label studies on the efficacy of pegylated interferon (α-2a and α-2b)-ribavirin (PR)-based treatment in genotype 1 chronic HCV patients. A Bayesian mixed treatment comparison (MTC), enabling indirect comparisons of interventions while respecting randomization, was performed on the endpoint of SVR (HCV RNA undetectable at 24 weeks after end of treatment), assuming fixed study effects. For treatment-experienced patients, only previous relapsers and partial responders were included, as no clinical results in prior null-responders were available for boceprevir. RESULTS: Twelve publications were identified and included in the systematic review and MTC. In treatment-naïve patients, the odds ratio (OR) (posterior mean [95% credible interval]) for telaprevir (12 weeks + Response Guided Treatment (RGT) 24/48 weeks PR) and boceprevir (24 weeks + RGT 28/48 weeks PR) versus PR was respectively 3.76 [2.78-5.22] and 2.96 [2.23-4.01]. The OR for the indirect comparison of telaprevir versus boceprevir was 1.46 [0.89-2.25] (probability(OR>1)=0.931). In treatment-experienced patients, the OR of telaprevir (12 weeks + 48 weeks PR) and boceprevir (32 weeks + RGT 36/48 weeks PR) versus PR was respectively 12.56 [7.30-24.43] and 5.12 [2.90-10.30]. The OR for the indirect comparison of telaprevir versus boceprevir was 2.70 [1.02-5.80] (probability(OR>1)=0.978) for all patients, and 3.63 [1.12-8.97] and 1.39 [0.08-6.05] for prior relapsers and partial responders respectively. CONCLUSIONS: In the absence of direct comparative head-to-head studies between telaprevir versus boceprevir for the treatment of chronic HCV genotype 1 patients, MTC-based indirect comparison suggests better efficacy for telaprevir in both treatment-naïve and treatment-experienced patients compared to RGT boceprevir.