Peginterferon alfa-2a plus ribavirin for chronic hepatitis C virus infection.

Authors

Michael W. Fried , M.D., University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Mitchell L. Shiffman , M.D., Virginia Commonwealth University
K. Rajender Reddy , M.D., University of Miami
Coleman Smith , M.D., Minnesota Clinical Research Center
George Marinos , M.D., Prince of Wales Hospital
Fernando L. Gonçales , Jr., M.D., Cidade Universitária Zeferino Vaz
Dieter Häussinger , M.D., Heinrich-Heine-Universität
Moises Diago , M.D., General Universitario
Giampiero Carosi , M.D., Università degli Studi Brescia
Daniel Dhumeaux , M.D., Hôpital Henri Mondor
Antonio Craxi , M.D., University of Palermo
Amy Lin , M.S., Hoffmann–LaRoche
Joseph Hoffman , M.D., Hoffmann-LaRoche
Jian Yu , M.D., Ph.D., Hoffmann-LaRoche

Document Type

Article

Original Publication Date

2002

Journal/Book/Conference Title

The New England Journal of Medicine

Volume

347

Issue

13

First Page

975

Last Page

982

DOI of Original Publication

10.1056/NEJMoa020047

Comments

Originally published at http://dx.doi.org/10.1056/NEJMoa020047

Date of Submission

January 2015

Abstract

BACKGROUND

Treatment with peginterferon alfa-2a alone produces significantly higher sustained virologic responses than treatment with interferon alfa-2a alone in patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. We compared the efficacy and safety of peginterferon alfa-2a plus ribavirin, interferon alfa-2b plus ribavirin, and peginterferon alfa-2a alone in the initial treatment of chronic hepatitis C.

METHODS

A total of 1121 patients were randomly assigned to treatment and received at least one dose of study medication, consisting of 180 μg of peginterferon alfa-2a once weekly plus daily ribavirin (1000 or 1200 mg, depending on body weight), weekly peginterferon alfa-2a plus daily placebo, or 3 million units of interferon alfa-2b thrice weekly plus daily ribavirin for 48 weeks.

RESULTS

A significantly higher proportion of patients who received peginterferon alfa-2a plus ribavirin had a sustained virologic response (defined as the absence of detectable HCV RNA 24 weeks after cessation of therapy) than of patients who received interferon alfa-2b plus ribavirin (56 percent vs. 44 percent, P

CONCLUSIONS

In patients with chronic hepatitis C, once-weekly peginterferon alfa-2a plus ribavirin was tolerated as well as interferon alfa-2b plus ribavirin and produced significant improvements in the rate of sustained virologic response, as compared with interferon alfa-2b plus ribavirin or peginterferon alfa-2a alone.

Rights

From The New England Journal of Medicine, Fried, M.W., Shiffman, M.L., Reddy, K.R., et al., Peginterferon alfa-2a plus ribavirin for chronic hepatitis C virus infection, Vol. 347, Page 975, Copyright © 2002 Massachusetts Medical Society. Reprinted with permission.

Is Part Of

VCU Internal Medicine Publications