Roche Study Shows Hepatitis C Patients Need Six Months of Treatment
Posted on: Wednesday, 3 May 2006, 09:01 CDT
Roche has posted results from a new trial showing that 24 weeks of therapy with Pegasys combined with ribavirin is more effective than 16 weeks for patients infected with hepatitis C genotypes 2 and 3.
The additional eight weeks gave patients a greater chance of being successfully treated for chronic hepatitis C and also lowered the relapse rate after treatment.
A total of 1,469 patients from eight countries took part in the trial. Patients were randomized to receive Pegasys (peginterferon alfa-2a) 180mcg once weekly plus Copegys (ribavirin) 800mg daily for either 16 or 24 weeks, followed by 24 weeks of treatment-free follow-up.
The key findings of the trial included that more patients achieved a sustained virological response (SVR) after 24 weeks of therapy compared with 16 weeks of therapy (76% vs 65%). In addition, 90% of rapid viral responders achieved a SVR after 24 weeks of therapy.
The incidence of adverse events was similar in the two groups. However, more patients in the 24-week group had their dose of Pegasys and ribavirin modified or discontinued.
"There has been a trend toward treating patients for shorter durations, but this study shows that genotypes 2 and 3 patients really do need 24 weeks of treatment for optimal results," said Dr Mitchell Shiffman, professor of medicine, chief of the hepatology section and medical director of the Liver Transplant Program at the Medical College of Virginia, Commonwealth University and MCV Hospitals and lead investigator of the study. "With these results, doctors can be confident that they are treating their patients for the correct period of time to give them the best chance for success."
Source: Datamonitor
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