Efficacy of ribavirin monotherapy following combination therapy with interferon alfa-2b and ribavirin for patients with chronic hepatitis C.

Reappearance of HCV-RNA followed by exacerbation of biochemical parameters after combination therapy consisting of interferon and ribavirin is an obstacle to achieve sustained response and improve long-term prognosis. We hypothesed that ribavirin monotherapy after 6 months of combination therapy may improve sustained viral and biochemical responses, and conducted a prospective, randomized and controlled study. Thirty-eight patients with chronic hepatitis C treated with combination therapy for 6 months and had no detectable serum HCV-RNA were enrolled, and allocated into two arms.

Efficacy of Stronger Neo-Minophagen C compared between two doses administered three times a week on patients with chronic viral hepatitis.

Background: A daily injection of glycyrrhizin (Stronger Neo-Minophagen C (SNMC) containing 40 mg glycyrrhizin in a 20 mL ampoule) lowers alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels in patients with chronic viral hepatitis.

Methods: The therapeutic effects of intermittent administration of SNMC three times a week for 12 weeks were evaluated and compared between two doses (40 and 100 mL) in a randomized clinical trial.

Results: Overall, the therapeutic response was better in the 53 patients allocated 100 mL than the 59 who were allocated to have 40 mL SNMC (P = 0.