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Combination Therapy with Interferon-alpha and Ribavirin for Hepatitis C: Practical Treatment Issues

Collier J ; Chapman R

BioDrugs : clinical immunotherapeutics, biopharmaceuticals, and gene therapy, 2001-04-01, Vol.15 (4), p.225-238 [Peer Reviewed Journal]

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Title:
Combination Therapy with Interferon-alpha and Ribavirin for Hepatitis C: Practical Treatment Issues
Author: Collier J ; Chapman R
Subjects: Hepatitis C, treatment ; PEG interferon alpha 2a, therapeutic use ; Antivirals, therapeutic use ; Ribavirin, therapeutic use ; PEG interferon alpha 2b, therapeutic use ; Interferon alpha, therapeutic use ; Research and development ; Antibodies ; Pharmacotherapy ; Cancer Research ; Molecular Medicine ; Biomedicine ; Liver Cirrhosis - drug therapy ; Hepatitis C, Chronic - pathology ; Antiviral Agents - therapeutic use ; Humans ; Ribavirin - therapeutic use ; Interferon-alpha - therapeutic use ; Genotype ; Male ; Drug Monitoring - methods ; Recombinant Proteins ; Hepatitis C, Chronic - drug therapy ; Hepatitis C, Chronic - blood ; Polyethylene Glycols - therapeutic use ; Liver Cirrhosis - pathology ; Female ; Drug Therapy, Combination ; RNA - blood ; Index Medicus
Is Part Of: BioDrugs : clinical immunotherapeutics, biopharmaceuticals, and gene therapy, 2001-04-01, Vol.15 (4), p.225-238
Description: Combination therapy with ribavirin and interferon (IFN)- for 6 to 12 months is currently the treatment of choice for chronic hepatitis C infection. The overall sustained response rate to treatment, defined as loss of hepatitis C virus (HCV) from serum 6 months after completion of treatment, is 40%. The indications for treatment are serum HCV RNA positivity, abnormal serum transaminases and the presence of portal fibrosis and/or moderate/severe inflammation.Response rates are lower in genotype 1 than in genotype 2 or 3 and in the presence of a high viral load. Anaemia is the most common adverse event and is due to ribavirin; neuropsychiatric adverse effects due to IFN lead to premature cessation of therapy in 10 to 20% of patients.The current recommended dose of interferon is 3MU given subcutaneously 3 times a week. However, it is likely that longer-acting pegylated interferons, which may be more effective and can be administered once weekly, will in the future replace currently used IFN.
Publisher: Cham: Adis International
Language: English
Identifier: ISSN: 1173-8804
EISSN: 1179-190X
DOI: 10.2165/00063030-200115040-00003
PMID: 11437688

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Combination Therapy with Interferon-alpha and Ribavirin for Hepatitis C: Practical Treatment Issues

Collier J ; Chapman R

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