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PEG-IFN/ribavirin therapy works equally well at 24 or 48 weeks for HCV genotype 6

In southern China, peginterferon alfa-2a and ribavirin combination therapy worked as well for 24 weeks as it did for 48 weeks in patients with HCV genotype 6a.

“In this investigator-initiated open-label randomized controlled trial that evaluated the role of [rapid virological response] for determining the treatment duration for HCV-6 patients, the intention-to-treat and per-protocol analyses demonstrated that 24 weeks of [peginterferon] and [ribavirin] combination therapy is noninferior to 48 weeks of therapy when a [rapid virological response] is achieved,” Qingxian Cai, PhD, of Sun Yat-Sen University of Guangdon, China, and colleagues wrote.

In a randomized open-label multicenter phase 3 trial, Cai and colleagues measured sustained virologic response in 210 treatment-naïve adult patients with chronic hepatitis C aged between 18 and 70 years who were enrolled at four liver centers in Southern China between Jan. 2011 and June 2014. The researchers administered a combination therapy of PEG-IFN a-2a (180 µg injected subcutaneously once per week) and weight-based ribavirin for 4 weeks. Then, in patients who achieved rapid virological response (RVR; 152 patients), they administered the same therapy for an additional 20 or 44 weeks, with 76 patients each in the 24- and 48-week groups.

In the intention-to-treat analysis, the researchers found SVR in 90.8% of patients treated for 24 weeks and in 88.2% of patients treated for 48 weeks. In the per-protocol analysis, the researchers found SVR in 95.7% of patients treated for 24 weeks (67/70) and in 97% of patients treated for 48 weeks (64/66).

“Generally, the present study adds to our knowledge of patients with hepatitis C and genotype 6, which is the most common genotype in Southeast Asia where disease burden is very high, but has been a relatively neglected area in the literature,” Cai and colleagues wrote. “Currently, PEG-IFN/[ribavirin] combination therapy is still the standard of care in most Asian countries, including China. The findings in the present study will greatly help to optimize the treatment regimen for HCV-6a patients in Asian countries where non–PEG-IFN direct-acting antiviral agents are not expected to be widely available in the near future.” – by Will Offit

Disclosures: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.