Gastroenterology
Volume 138, Issue 2 , Pages 503-512.e1 , February 2010

Peginterferon Alfa-2a/Ribavirin for 48 or 72 Weeks in Hepatitis C Genotypes 1 and 4 Patients With Slow Virologic Response

  • Peter Ferenci

      Affiliations

    • Department of Internal Medicine III, Medical University, Vienna, Austria
    • Universitätsklinik für Innere Medizin III, AKH Wien, Vienna, Austria
    • Corresponding Author InformationReprint requests Address requests for reprints to: Professor Dr Peter Ferenci, Universitätsklinik 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
    • ,
  • Andreas Maieron

      Affiliations

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

      Affiliations

    • Department of Internal Medicine III, Medical University, Vienna, Austria
    • ,
  • Rudolf Stauber

      Affiliations

    • Department of Internal Medicine, Medical University, Graz, Austria
    • ,
  • Michael Gschwantler

      Affiliations

    • Department of Internal Medicine IV, Wilhelminenspital, Vienna, Austria
    • ,
  • Harald Brunner

      Affiliations

    • Department of Internal Medicine I, Hospital Hietzing, Wien, Austria
    • ,
  • Christoph Wenisch

      Affiliations

    • Department of Internal Medicine, Kaiser-Franz-Josef-Spital, Vienna, Austria
    • ,
  • Martin Bischof

      Affiliations

    • Department of Internal Medicine IV, Rudolfshospital, Vienna, Austria
    • ,
  • Michael Strasser

      Affiliations

    • Department of Internal Medicine I, Paracelsus Private University, Salzburg, Austria
    • ,
  • Christian Datz

      Affiliations

    • Krankenhaus, Oberndorf, Austria
    • ,
  • Wolfgang Vogel

      Affiliations

    • Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Medical University, Innsbruck, Austria
    • ,
  • Karin Löschenberger

      Affiliations

    • Roche Austria, Vienna, Austria
    • ,
  • Petra Steindl–Munda

      Affiliations

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

Received 9 August 2009 ,Accepted 21 October 2009.

References 

  1. Ghany MG, Strader DB, Thomas DL, et al. Diagnosis, management, and treatment of hepatitis C: an update. Hepatology. 2009;49:1335–1374
  2. 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
  3. 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
  4. 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
  5. 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
  6. Ferenci P, Laferl H, Scherzer TM, et al. Peginterferon alfa-2a and ribavirin for 24 weeks in hepatitis C type 1 and 4 patients with rapid virological response. Gastroenterology. 2008;135:451–458
  7. Berg T, von Wagner M, Nasser S, 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
  8. 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
  9. Pearlman BL, Ehleben C, Saifee S. Treatment extension to 72 weeks of peginterferon and ribavirin in hepatitis C genotype 1-infected slow responders. Hepatology. 2007;46:1688–1694
  10. Ide T, Hino T, Ogata K, et al. A randomized study of extended treatment with peginterferon alpha-2b plus ribavirin based on time to HCV RNA negative-status in patients with genotype 1b chronic hepatitis C. Am J Gastroenterol. 2009;104:70–75
  11. Scherzer TM, Kerschner H, Beinhardt S, et al. Week 8 HCV RNA is the optimal predictor of relapse in HCV genotype 1/4 patients without a rapid virological response randomised to 48 or 72 weeks of peginterferon alfa-2a plus ribavirin. (abstr) J Hepatol. 2009;50(Suppl 1):S225
  12. Mangia A, Minerva N, Bacca D, et al. Individualized treatment duration for hepatitis C genotype 1 patients: a randomized controlled trial. Hepatology. 2008;47:43–50
  13. Jensen DM, Marcellin P, Freilich B, et al. Re-treatment of patients with chronic hepatitis C who do not respond to peginterferon-alpha2b: a randomized trial. Ann Intern Med. 2009;150:528–540
  14. Pockros PJ, Carithers R, Desmond P, et al. Efficacy and safety of two-dose regimens of peginterferon alpha-2a compared with interferon alpha-2a in chronic hepatitis C: a multicenter, randomized controlled trial. Am J Gastroenterol. 2004;99:1298–1305
  15. 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
  16. Di Martino V, Richou C, Thevenot T, et al. Modulations of peg-interferon plus ribavirin duration according to HCV-genotype and virologic response at W4 and W12: meta-analyses of RCTs with individual data. (abstr) Hepatology. 2008;48:404A–405A
  17. Lee SS, Ferenci P. Optimizing outcomes in patients with hepatitis C virus genotype 1 or 4. Antivir Ther. 2008;13(Suppl 1):9–16
  18. Nakamura J, Toyabe SI, Aoyagi Y, et al. Economic impact of extended treatment with peginterferon alpha-2a and ribavirin for slow hepatitis C virologic responders. J Viral Hepat. 2008;15:293–299

 Conflicts of interest These authors disclose the following: Peter Ferenci serves on advisory boards, is a speaker and investigator for, and also has received research grants from F. Hoffmann-La Roche; Michael Gschwantler, Wolfgang Vogel, Petra Steindl-Munda, and Rudolf Stauber serve as a speaker for F. Hoffmann-La Roche; and Karin Löschenberger is an employee of F. Hoffmann-La Roche. The remaining authors disclose no conflicts.

 Funding This study was made possible 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.

PII: S0016-5085(09)01961-1

doi: 10.1053/j.gastro.2009.10.058

Gastroenterology
Volume 138, Issue 2 , Pages 503-512.e1 , February 2010

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