Importantly, the shorter 24-week regimen was also associated with a low rate of relapse – only 6% in genotype 2 patients and 10% in genotype 3 patients, which was consistent with a finding of 5% and 12%, respectively, in the longer 48-week regimen.
The results are from a genotype 2/3 sub-study within the larger WIN-R trial, a community-based access trial and the largest clinical study in hepatitis C ever conducted in the US. The findings were presented at the 41st annual meeting of the European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL).
“These findings are important because they confirm the effectiveness of a shorter course of peginterferon alfa-2b and ribavirin combination therapy for genotype 2 and 3 patients in a real-world community setting and reinforce current treatment practice,” said Dr Robert Brown Jr., lead investigator of the WIN-R genotype 2/3 sub-study, and chief of clinical hepatology and medical director of the Center of Liver Disease and Transplantation at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center.
Lessening treatment duration can benefit patients in a number of ways, including by limiting side effects, which can be significant with hepatitis C therapy. However, the risk of relapse is a concern when shortening treatment of the hepatitis C virus.