Gastroenterology
Volume 135, Issue 2 , Pages 451-458 , August 2008

Peginterferon Alfa-2a and Ribavirin for 24 Weeks in Hepatitis C Type 1 and 4 Patients With Rapid Virological Response

  • Peter Ferenci

      Affiliations

    • Department of Internal Medicine III, Medical University, Vienna, Austria
    • Corresponding Author InformationAddress requests for reprints to: Peter Ferenci, Professor of Medicine, Univ Klinik für Innere Medizin III, AKH Wien, Waehringer Guertel 18–20, A 1090 Wien/Austria. fax: (43) 1 40400 4735.
    • ,
  • Hermann Laferl

      Affiliations

    • Department of Internal Medicine, Kaiser-Franz-Josef-Spital, Vienna, Austria
    • ,
  • Thomas–Matthias Scherzer

      Affiliations

    • Department of Internal Medicine III, Medical University, Vienna, Austria
    • ,
  • Michael Gschwantler

      Affiliations

    • Department of Internal Medicine IV, Wilhelminenspital, Vienna, Austria
    • ,
  • Andreas Maieron

      Affiliations

    • Department of Internal Medicine, Elisabethinen Hospital, Linz, Austria
    • ,
  • Harald Brunner

      Affiliations

    • Department of Internal Medicine I, Hospital Hietzing, Wien, Austria
    • ,
  • Rudolf Stauber

      Affiliations

    • Department of Internal Medicine, Medical University, Graz, Austria
    • ,
  • Martin Bischof

      Affiliations

    • Department of Internal Medicine IV, Rudolfshospital, Vienna, Austria
    • ,
  • Bernhard Bauer

      Affiliations

    • LKH Hörgas-Enzenbach, Gratwein, Austria
    • ,
  • Christian Datz

      Affiliations

    • Krankenhaus, Oberndorf, Austria
    • ,
  • Karin Löschenberger

      Affiliations

    • Roche Austria, Vienna, Austria
    • ,
  • Elisabeth Formann

      Affiliations

    • Department of Internal Medicine IV, Wilhelminenspital, Vienna, Austria
    • ,
  • Katharina Staufer

      Affiliations

    • Department of Internal Medicine III, Medical University, Vienna, Austria
    • ,
  • Petra Steindl–Munda

      Affiliations

    • Department of Internal Medicine III, Medical University, Vienna, Austria
    • ,
  • Austrian Hepatitis Study Group

Received 29 November 2007 ,Accepted 10 April 2008.

References 

  1. Dienstag JL, McHutchison JG. American Gastroenterological Association medical position statement on the management of hepatitis C. Gastroenterology. 2006;130:225–230
  2. Strader DB, Wright T, Thomas DL, Seeff LB. Diagnosis, management, and treatment of hepatitis C. Hepatology. 2004;39:1147–1171
  3. Hadziyannis SJ, Sette H, Morgan TR, et al. Peginterferon-alpha2a and ribavirin combination therapy in chronic hepatitis C: a randomized study of treatment duration and ribavirin dose. Ann Intern Med. 2004;140:346–355
  4. Manns MP, McHutchison JG, Gordon SC, et al. Peginterferon alfa-2b plus ribavirin compared with interferon alfa-2b plus ribavirin for initial treatment of chronic hepatitis C: a randomised trial. Lancet. 2001;358:958–965
  5. Fried MW, Shiffman ML, Reddy KR, et al. Peginterferon alfa-2a plus ribavirin for chronic hepatitis C virus infection. N Engl J Med. 2002;347:975–982
  6. Jacobson IM, Brown RS, Freilich B, et al. Peginterferon alfa-2b and weight-based or flat-dose ribavirin in chronic hepatitis C patients: a randomized trial. Hepatology. 2007;46:971–981
  7. Jensen DM, Morgan TR, Marcellin P, et al. Early identification of HCV genotype 1 patients responding to 24 weeks peginterferon alpha-2a (40 kd)/ribavirin therapy. Hepatology. 2006;43:954–960
  8. Kamal SM, El Kamary SS, Shardell MD, et al. Pegylated interferon alpha-2b plus ribavirin in patients with genotype 4 chronic hepatitis C: the role of rapid and early virologic response. Hepatology. 2007;46:1732–1740
  9. Ferenci P, Fried MW, Shiffman ML, et al. Predicting sustained virological responses in chronic hepatitis C patients treated with peginterferon alfa-2a (40 KD)/ribavirin. J Hepatol. 2005;43:425–433
  10. Berg T, von WM, Nasser S, Sarrazin C, et al. Extended treatment duration for hepatitis C virus type 1: comparing 48 versus 72 weeks of peginterferon-alfa-2a plus ribavirin. Gastroenterology. 2006;130:1086–1097
  11. Sanchez-Tapias JM, Diago M, Escartin P, et al. Peginterferon-alfa2a plus ribavirin for 48 versus 72 weeks in patients with detectable hepatitis C virus RNA at week 4 of treatment. Gastroenterology. 2006;131:451–460
  12. Zeuzem S, Buti M, Ferenci P, et al. Efficacy of 24 weeks treatment with peginterferon alfa-2b plus ribavirin in patients with chronic hepatitis C infected with genotype 1 and low pretreatment viremia. J Hepatol. 2006;44:97–103
  13. Poordad F, Reddy KR, Martin P. Rapid virologic response: a new milestone in the management of chronic hepatitis C. Clin Infect Dis. 2008;46:78–84
  14. Dalgard O, Bjoro K, Hellum KB, et al. Treatment with pegylated interferon and ribavarin in HCV infection with genotype 2 or 3 for 14 weeks: a pilot study. Hepatology. 2004;40:1260–1265
  15. Mangia A, Santoro R, Minerva N, et al. Peginterferon alfa-2b and ribavirin for 12 vs. 24 weeks in HCV genotype 2 or 3. N Engl J Med. 2005;352:2609–2617
  16. von Wagner M, Huber M, Berg T, et al. Peginterferon-alpha-2a (40KD) and ribavirin for 16 or 24 weeks in patients with genotype 2 or 3 chronic hepatitis C. Gastroenterology. 2005;129:522–527
  17. Shiffman ML, Suter F, Bacon BR, et al. Peginterferon alfa-2a and ribavirin for 16 or 24 weeks in HCV genotype 2 or 3. N Engl J Med. 2007;357:124–134
  18. Dalgard O, Bjoro K, Ring-Larsen H, et al. Pegylated interferon alfa and ribavirin for 14 versus 24 weeks in patients with hepatitis C virus genotype 2 or 3 and rapid virological response. Hepatology. 2008;47:35–42
  19. Kamal SM, El Tawil AA, Nakano T, et al. Peginterferon {alpha}-2b and ribavirin therapy in chronic hepatitis C genotype 4: impact of treatment duration and viral kinetics on sustained virological response. Gut. 2005;54:858–866

 Supported by an unrestricted grant by Roche Austria. Roche Austria had no role in the study design; in the collection, analysis, and interpretation of data; and in the decision to submit the report for publication. The Main Association (Hauptverband) of the Austrian Health Insurers paid for the study medication.

 P.F. serves on advisory boards and as a speaker and investigator for and has also received research grants from F. Hoffmann-La Roche. M.G., H.B., and P.S.-M. each serve as a speaker for F. Hoffmann-La Roche. K.L. is an employee of F. Hoffmann-La Roche. H.L., T.-M.S., A.M., R.S., M.B., B.B., C.D., E.F., and K.S. have no conflicts of interest to disclose.

 Members of the Austrian Hepatitis Study Group—Graz: Bernhard Bauer, Nicole Hueter, Günther J. Krejs, Csilla Putz-Bankuti, Rudolf Stauber, Barbara Sutter, and Gernot Zollner; Innsbruck: Wolfgang Jessner, Karin Nachbaur, Bernhard Nilica, and Wolfgang Vogel; Krems: Hartwig Bognar; Linz: Franz Hackl, Rainer Hubmann, Andreas Maieron, Susanne Mild, Andreas Raml, and Sabine Metz; Ried: Björn Jagdt and Fritz Renner; Oberpullendorf: Felix Stockenhuber; Salzburg: Christian Datz, Hildegard Doppelmayr, and Michael Strasser; Vienna: Susanne Bach, Martin Bischof, Harald Brunner, Barbara Bognar, Ulrike Bergholz, Daniela Ferenci-Foerster, Peter Ferenci, Elisabeth Formann, Alfred Gangl, Michael Gschwantler, Calin Gurguta, Gerold Hartmann, Brigitte Hellmich, Harald Hofer, Hermann Laferl, Karin Mittischek, Christian Müller, Parnaz Ordubadi, Ali Reza Pourbyiabani, Markus Peck-Radosavljevic, Marianne Rosenbeiger, Kurt Schütze, Thomas-Matthias Scherzer, Katharina Staufer, Petra Steindl-Munda, Anika Stückler, and Christoph Wenisch; Villach: Rudolf Foditsch; Wels: Peter Knoflach and Bernhard Stadl.

PII: S0016-5085(08)00656-2

doi: 10.1053/j.gastro.2008.04.015

Gastroenterology
Volume 135, Issue 2 , Pages 451-458 , August 2008

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