Treatment with pegylated interferon alpha 2b and ribavirin in patients unresponsive to previous treatments with standard interferon as monotherapy or combined with ribavirin

Current antiviral combination therapy for chronic hepatitis C patients who failed to interferon alfa-based treatment

“…In this non randomized, open‐label study, the overall ETR rate was 51%, and the SVR rate was 41·3%, were similar but somewhat higher than results of other reported studies (29–33, 36, 37, 39–43). Patients previously treated with IFNα monotherapy achieve higher SVR rates than those treated with IFNα plus ribavirin as observed by other authors (24, 34, 40, 43): Shiffman et al.…”

“…Previous experience clearly demonstrated a benefit of combination therapy with IFNa plus ribavirin in those patients who were refractory to prior treatment with IFNa monotherapy (14)(15)(16)(17)(18)(19)(20)(21)(22)(23). At present there are some multicentre clinical trials trying to demonstrate the efficacy of therapies based on PEG-IFN plus ribavirin (25,27,28) and some published clinical data until now are optimistic in these groups of patients (29)(30)(31)(32)(33)(34)(35)(36)(37)(38)(39)(40)(41).…”

The effectiveness of retreatment with peginterferon alfa and ribavirin in patients with chronic viral hepatitis C genotype 2 and 3: a prospective cohort study in Brazil

“…Some effectiveness studies in the literature revealed different percentages described in cirrhotic patients, and international studies with a smaller percentage as observed by Carnicer et al [22] and Sherman et al [30] where 20% and 26%, respectively of the samples were composed of patients with cirrhosis. However, in studies in Brazil are found, generally higher percentages of patients with cirrhosis as shown by the studies of Gonçalves et al [29] and Parise et al 40% and 33% respectively of their samples composed of patients with cirrhosis [23].…”

“…This result is similar to that described by Sherman et al who found an SVR rate of 37% in non-responders retreated with PEG-IFN alpha-2a and RBV [30]. In the study of HALT-C Shiffman et al to assess a sample of 604 patients and all non-responders with advanced fibrosis (METAVIR F3-F4) obtained SVR rate was 18% [21] as well as the study of Carnicer et al to assess a sample of 35 patients non-responders, 17% with fibrosis F3-F4 and 45.8% with HCV RNA > 850.000 UI/mL showed an SVR rate of only 27.3% [22]. However, some multicenter studies, sponsored by pharmaceutical companies as Parise et al with PEG-IFN alpha-2a plus RBV [23] and Krawitt EL et al with PEG-IFN alpha-2b plus RBV [25], has demonstrated higher values in the SVR rates in patients non-responders to prior therapy of 46% and 57%, respectively.…”

Identificación de oportunidades de mejora del tratamiento de la hepatitis C

“…Es el efecto adverso que ha aparecido con más frecuencia (99%), existiendo diferencias estadísticamente significativas con los resultados obtenidos por Carnicer y cols. 22 (81%, p < 0,05) y los datos mencionados en las fichas técnicas de los medicamentos. La fatiga y la fiebre son los síntomas relacionados con este síndrome que se han dado con mayor frecuencia.…”