Document Type
Article
Original Publication Date
1998
Journal/Book/Conference Title
The New England Journal of Medicine
Volume
339
Issue
21
First Page
1485
Last Page
1492
DOI of Original Publication
10.1056/NEJM199811193392101
Date of Submission
January 2015
Abstract
BACKGROUND
Only 15 to 20 percent of patients with chronic hepatitis C have a sustained virologic response to interferon therapy. We compared the efficacy and safety of recombinant interferon alfa-2b alone with those of a combination of interferon alfa-2b and ribavirin for the initial treatment of patients with chronic hepatitis C.
METHODS
We randomly assigned 912 patients with chronic hepatitis C to receive standard-dose interferon alfa-2b alone or in combination with ribavirin (1000 or 1200 mg orally per day, depending on body weight) for 24 or 48 weeks. Efficacy was assessed by measurements of serum hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA and serum aminotransferases and by liver biopsy.
RESULTS
The rate of sustained virologic response (defined as an undetectable serum HCV RNA level 24 weeks after treatment was completed) was higher among patients who received combination therapy for either 24 weeks (70 of 228 patients, 31 percent) or 48 weeks (87 of 228 patients, 38 percent) than among patients who received interferon alone for either 24 weeks (13 of 231 patients, 6 percent) or 48 weeks (29 of 225 patients, 13 percent) (P
CONCLUSIONS
In patients with chronic hepatitis C, initial therapy with interferon and ribavirin was more effective than treatment with interferon alone.
Rights
From The New England Journal of Medicine, McHutchison, J.G., Gordon, S.C., Schiff, E.R., et al., Interferon Alfa-2b Alone or in Combination with Ribavirin as Initial Treatment for Chronic Hepatitis C, Vol. 339, Page 1485, Copyright © 1998 Massachusetts Medical Society. Reprinted with permission.
Is Part Of
VCU Internal Medicine Publications
Comments
Originally published at http://dx.doi.org/10.1056/NEJM199811193392101