83% SVR achieved with twice-daily regimen of telaprevir dosed with PEGASYS and ribavirin

Results highlight the use of response-guided therapy in managing treatment outcomes

Similar safety and tolerability observed between telaprevir-based regimens dosed either twice daily or three times daily
Nov 10

More Than 80 Percent of HCV Genotype 1 Treatment-Naive Patients Achieved Sustained Virologic Response With Twice-Daily Telaprevir-Based Regimen

Final Phase 1b Results for PEG-Interferon Lambda in Hepatitis C

Drug Telaprevir Effective in Twice Daily Dosage as Well

Nov 2

HCV Treatment: The current treatments for hepatitis C, including outcomes, side effects and treatment of various HCV populations

Oct

If HCV Treatment Relapse Occurs, It Occurs Quickly

Individualized Treatment Duration

Ribavirin Dose Reduction and Relapse

Oct 16 09

Reducing Ribavirin Dose Raises Relapse Risk for Chronic Hepatitis C

Weight, Insulin Resistance, and Fatty Liver

Oct 01 09

Warning: FDA Requires Updated Labeling for Interferon Alpha Products Due to Recently Identified Safety Issues 09-04-09

Factors influencing long-term changes of mental health after interferon-alpha treatment of chronic hepatitis C

Aug-Sept

Insulin resistance predicts rapid virological response in non-diabetic, non-cirrhotic genotype 1 HCV patients treated with peginterferon alpha-2b plus ribavirin

Current Hepatitis C Treatments Work Equally Well

Head-to-Head Trial Finds HCV Regimens Equal

By Crystal Phend, Staff Writer, MedPage Today
Published: July 22, 2009
Reviewed by Dori F. Zaleznik, MD; Associate Clinical Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston and
Dorothy Caputo, MA, RN, BC-ADM, CDE, Nurse Planner

IDEAL Study
The two marketed brands of pegylated interferon alfa

– Pegasys (2a) and PegIntron (2b) –

are similarly effective for treating chronic hepatitis C, according to the IDEAL Study,

reported in the July 22 online edition of the New England Journal of Medicine.

In this trial, sponsored by PegIntron manufacturer Schering-Plough, J.G. McHutchison and colleagues at 118 U.S. sites enrolled 3070 previously untreated patients with HCV genotype 1. Participants were randomly assigned to receive 1.5 (standard dose) or 1.0 (low-dose) mg/kg/week PegIntron plus 800-1400 mg/day weight-adjusted ribavirin, or else 180 mcg/week Pegasys plus 1000-1200 mg/day ribavirin for 48 weeks. Both regimens were administered according to their label direction, which allowed for a larger range of ribavirin doses with PegIntron.

Patients receiving Pegasys had a higher end-of-treatment response rate but were also more likely to relapse, so sustained virological response (SVR) rates 24 weeks after completing treatment were similar: 40.9% with Pegasys, 39.8% with standard-dose PegIntron, and 38.0% with low-dose PegIntron. In all arms, response rates were higher among patients who achieved rapid or early virological response at weeks 4 or 12. The safety profile was similar across all three groups, with about 10% experiencing serious adverse events. The researchers concluded that, "the rates of sustained virologic response and tolerability did not differ significantly between the two available peginterferon-ribavirin regimens or between the two doses of peginterferon alfa-2b."
http://www.hcvadvocate.org/news/newsRev/2009/HJR-6.7.html#1

Preliminary,Top-line Results from Schering Plough's IDEALStudy: PegIntron versus Pegasys

July

Pegasys and PegIntron for Chronic Hepatitis C Perform Similarly in IDEAL Study July 27

IDEAL Study Shows that Greater Hemoglobin Decline during Treatment with Pegylated Interferon plus Ribavirin Is Associated with Better Response

Detectable HCV RNA at Week 8 Is Best Predictor of Relapse in Genotype 1 Hepatitis C Patients Treated with Pegylated Interferon plus Ribavirin

Early EPO Use Increased SVR Rates and Reduced Discontinuation Rate !

EXTENDED TREATMENT DURATION TO 72 Weeks IN CHRONIC HEPATITIS C GENOTYPE 1-INFECTED SLOW RESPONDERS: FINAL RESULTS OF THE SUCCESS STUDY (SUCCESS) -

Vitamin B12 Levels May Help Predict Response to Interferon-based Therapy for Chronic Hepatitis C

HCV Viral Load Decline at Day 2 of Interferon-based Therapy Predicts Sustained Response, Explains Poorer Outcomes in African-Americans

Reduced Dose and Duration of PegIntron plus Ribavirin Is Not as Effective as Standard Therapy for Genotype 2 and 3 Hepatitis C Patients

IDEAL Study Shows that Greater Hemoglobin Decline during Treatment with Pegylated Interferon plus Ribavirin Is Associated with Better Response

June-May

ALT Level Increase Common During HCV Therapy
www.medscape.com

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) May 21 - Elevations in alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels late in the course of antiviral therapy of hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA-negative patients are not unusual and may be associated with virological relapse in some cases, Italian researchers report in the May issue of Hepatology.

However, senior investigator Dr. Antonino Picciotto told Reuters Health: "Elevated ALT in HCV RNA-negative patients during pegylated interferon and ribavirin therapy should not be a reason for treatment discontinuation."

Dr. Picciotto of the University of Genoa and colleagues studied 173 chronic hepatitis C patients who achieved viral clearance during combination therapy.

Overall, 33% of the patients with undetectable HCV RNA had elevated ALT in at least one scheduled visit during a 24-week follow-up period; included were patients with HCV genotype 1 or 4 who alone were followed for 48 weeks.

The distribution of these findings did not differ between sustained responders and those who responded and then relapsed. The researchers found no association with pretreatment demographic features, such as age and gender, or with clinical or viral parameters.

However, at 12 weeks until the end of treatment, elevated ALT was more common in relapsed responders (90%) than in those who maintained a sustained response (9%).

Dr. Picciotto concludes that elevated ALT "during the late phase of therapy may suggest a higher risk of relapse."

Hepatology 2009;49:1442-1448

IDEAL Study Shows that Greater Hemoglobin Decline during Treatment with Pegylated Interferon plus Ribavirin Is Associated with Better Response

FDA Approves Dose Adjustments of PegIntron and Rebetol for Certain Patients with Chronic Hepatitis C

Hepatitis C Treatment Is More Successful before Progression to Advanced Liver Damage

Extended 72-week Treatment with Pegylated Interferon plus Ribavirin Did Not Improve Outcomes among Slow Responder Hepatitis C Patients

EASL: Albuferon vs Pegasys Genotype 1 - (05/06/09)

Early Treatment of Acute Hepatitis C with Pegylated Interferon Monotherapy Produces Better Results than Delayed Combination Therapy

Re-Treatment With Pegasys(R) Provides Hepatitis C Patients With A Second Chance For A Cure, Switzerland, New Study

Summaries For Patients: Re-treating Patients With Chronic Hepatitis C Who Have Not Responded to Peginterferon-2b

Early treatment gives hepatitis C patients the all-clear

Taribavirin vs Ribavirin -