Background: Liver stiffness determined by transient elastography is correlated with hepatic fibrosis stage and has high accuracy for detecting severe fibrosis and cirrhosis in chronic hepatitis C patients. We evaluated the clinical value of baseline FibroScan values for the prediction of safety and efficacy of telaprevir-based therapy in patients with advanced fibrosis and cirrhosis in the telaprevir Early Access Program HEP3002.
Methods: 1,772 patients with HCV-1 and bridging fibrosis or cirrhosis were treated with telaprevir plus pegylated interferon-α and ribavirin (PR) for 12 weeks followed by PR alone, the total treatment duration depending on virological response and previous response type.
Background And Goal: Patients infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV) with elevated low-density lipoprotein (LDL) levels achieve higher sustained virologic response (SVR) rates after peginterferon (PegIFN)/ribavirin treatment versus patients with lower LDL. Our aim was to determine whether SVR rates in patients with low/elevated LDL can be improved by dose intensification.
Study: In PROGRESS, genotype 1 patients with baseline HCV RNA ≥ 400,000 IU/mL and body weight ≥ 85 kg were randomized to 48 weeks of 180 µg/wk PegIFN α-2a (40 kDa) plus ribavirin (A: 1200 mg/d; B: 1400/1600 mg/d) or 12 weeks of 360 µg/wk PegIFN α-2a followed by 36 weeks of 180 µg/wk, plus ribavirin (C: 1200 mg/d; D: 1400/1600 mg/d).
Background & Aims: Patients infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype 1, body weight ≥85 kg, and high baseline viral load respond poorly to standard doses of pegylated interferon (peginterferon) and ribavirin. We evaluated intensified therapy with peginterferon alfa-2a plus ribavirin.
Methods: This double-blind randomized trial included HCV genotype 1-infected outpatients from hepatology clinics with body weight ≥85 kg and HCV RNA titer ≥400,000 IU/mL.