Standard therapy for chronic hepatitis C calls for 24 weeks of pegylated interferon plus ribavirin for patients with genotype 2 or 3 HCV, and 48 weeks for those with harder-to-treat genotype 1. In an effort to reduce the side effects and cost of treatment, however, researchers have explored whether certain patients might do well with shorter courses of therapy. Several studies have shown that rapid virological response at four weeks predicts long-term sustained response after the completion of therapy.

In a previous randomized, multinational trial, approximately one-quarter of genotype 1 patients achieved sustained virological response (SVR) with 24 weeks of treatment with pegylated interferon alpha-2a (Pegasys) plus ribavirin.

In a study reported in the May 2006 issue of Hepatology, D.M. Jensen and colleagues sought to identify which factors were associated with rapid virological response (RVR) at week 4 (HCV RNA < 50 IU/mL) and SVR 24 weeks after the completion of therapy.

FDA-approved Monotherapies for HCV

Intron A Roferon Infergen Pegasys PEG-Intron

FDA-approved Combination Therapies for HCV

Pegasys + Copegus PEG-Intron + Rebetol Intron A + Rebetol Roferon A + Ribavirin