This article is more than 5 years old. Information may no longer be current.

PEG-IFN a-2b/ribavirin safely, effectively treated patients with HCV

Pegylated interferon alfa 2-b in combination with ribavirin was safe and effective when treating patients with hepatitis C virus, according to recent study data.

One hundred patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV) from 12 clinical centers across India were included in the cohort between March 2010 and March 2013. Patients with genotypes 2 (n=1) and 3 (n=55) received 1.5 mcg/kg pegylated interferon (PEG-INF) alfa-2b weekly plus 800 mg ribavirin daily for 24 weeks. Patients with genotypes 1 (n=27) and 4 (n=17) received the same dose of peginterferon plus weight-based ribavirin for 48 weeks. The mean daily intake of ribavirin was 14.3 ± 1.84 mg/kg in patients with genotypes 1 and 4 and 12.84 ± 2.29 mg/kg in genotype 3 patients. Eighty-two patients completed the study (n=35, genotypes 1 and 4; n=47, genotypes 2 and 3) and 18 discontinued treatment.

Of all patients, 57% achieved sustained virologic response (SVR); 72% achieved end of treatment virologic response; 84% experienced early virologic response; and 57% achieved rapid virologic response. All patients, regardless of genotype, displayed normal alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels between 4 and 12 weeks of treatment. Overall, 328 adverse events (AE) were reported by 91 patients. The majority were mild-to-moderate, however, two patients discontinued treatment because of serious AEs.

“In view of the relatively low incidence of adverse events and improved virologic and biochemical response, the results of the study show that peginterferon alfa-2b, in combination with ribavirin, is a safe and cost-effective drug in the treatment of chronic hepatitis C,” the researchers concluded.

Disclosure: Relevant financial disclosures were not provided by researchers.