BACKGROUND: The response to pegylated interferon (peg-IFN) plus ribavirin therapy remains less than ideal with 40-50% of treated subjects failing to clear the virus. Moreover, retreatment is only minimally effective. Consensus interferon (c-IFN) has been shown to be efficacious in HCV genotype 1 patients who have failed therapy with peg-IFN. AIM: To evaluated the response to re-treatment of peg-IFN plus ribavirin partial-responders with c-IFN plus ribavirin. METHODS: Forty-two subjects who had previously failed to clear virus after treatment with peg-IFN plus ribavirin were treated with c-IFN (15 μg/day) plus ribavirin (800-1,200 mg/day) until 12 months of therapy or a total of six consecutive months of PCR negativity was achieved. RESULTS: The study population consisted predominantly of males (71%), Caucasians (76%), with African Americans comprising the remaining 24%, subjects with HCV genotype 1 infection (81%) and 21% had cirrhosis by liver biopsy. The overall SVR rate was 29%. The only pretreatment variable that distinguished responders from partial-responders was the serum triglyceride level. CONCLUSIONS: The use of c-IFN plus ribavirin in the retreatment of prior peg-IFN plus ribavirin partial responders is essentially twice that achieved in prior re-treatment regimens consisting of a second course of peg-IFN plus ribavirin. These results will need to be evaluated against the use of triple therapy consisting of a peg-IFN plus ribavirin and a protease inhibitor. More studies utilizing c-IFN plus ribavirin with either a protease inhibitor or polymerase inhibitor need to be performed as well.
BACKGROUND: The response to pegylated interferon (peg-IFN) plus ribavirin therapy remains less than ideal with 40-50% of treated subjects failing to clear the virus. Moreover, retreatment is only minimally effective. Consensus interferon (c-IFN) has been shown to be efficacious in HCV genotype 1 patients who have failed therapy with peg-IFN. AIM: To evaluated the response to re-treatment of peg-IFN plus ribavirin partial-responders with c-IFN plus ribavirin. METHODS: Forty-two subjects who had previously failed to clear virus after treatment with peg-IFN plus ribavirin were treated with c-IFN (15 μg/day) plus ribavirin (800-1,200 mg/day) until 12 months of therapy or a total of six consecutive months of PCR negativity was achieved. RESULTS: The study population consisted predominantly of males (71%), Caucasians (76%), with African Americans comprising the remaining 24%, subjects with HCV genotype 1 infection (81%) and 21% had cirrhosis by liver biopsy. The overall SVR rate was 29%. The only pretreatment variable that distinguished responders from partial-responders was the serum triglyceride level. CONCLUSIONS: The use of c-IFN plus ribavirin in the retreatment of prior peg-IFN plus ribavirin partial responders is essentially twice that achieved in prior re-treatment regimens consisting of a second course of peg-IFN plus ribavirin. These results will need to be evaluated against the use of triple therapy consisting of a peg-IFN plus ribavirin and a protease inhibitor. More studies utilizing c-IFN plus ribavirin with either a protease inhibitor or polymerase inhibitor need to be performed as well.
Authors: Edward L Krawitt; Takamaru Ashikaga; Stuart R Gordon; Nicholas Ferrentino; Mary Ann Ray; Steven D Lidofsky Journal: J Hepatol Date: 2005-08 Impact factor: 25.083
Authors: G L Davis; L A Balart; E R Schiff; K Lindsay; H C Bodenheimer; R P Perrillo; W Carey; I M Jacobson; J Payne; J L Dienstag Journal: N Engl J Med Date: 1989-11-30 Impact factor: 91.245
Authors: Giuseppe Alaimo; Vito Di Marco; Donatella Ferraro; Rosa Di Stefano; Salvatore Porrovecchio; Francesca D'Angelo; Vincenza Calvaruso; Antonio Craxì; Piero Luigi Almasio Journal: World J Gastroenterol Date: 2006-11-14 Impact factor: 5.742
Authors: M P Manns; J G McHutchison; S C Gordon; V K Rustgi; M Shiffman; R Reindollar; Z D Goodman; K Koury; M Ling; J K Albrecht Journal: Lancet Date: 2001-09-22 Impact factor: 79.321
Authors: John G McHutchison; Gregory T Everson; Stuart C Gordon; Ira M Jacobson; Mark Sulkowski; Robert Kauffman; Lindsay McNair; John Alam; Andrew J Muir Journal: N Engl J Med Date: 2009-04-30 Impact factor: 91.245
Authors: J G McHutchison; S C Gordon; E R Schiff; M L Shiffman; W M Lee; V K Rustgi; Z D Goodman; M H Ling; S Cort; J K Albrecht Journal: N Engl J Med Date: 1998-11-19 Impact factor: 91.245