| Pegasys vs. PegIntron for Coinfected Patients |
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Sunday, 08 March 2009 11:54
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In a study reported in the January 2009 Hepatology, M. Laguno and colleagues compared the efficacy and safety of the two marketed brands of pegylated interferon. In this prospective open-label trial, 182 interferon-naive coinfected participants (63% genotype 1 or 4; 29% fibrosis stage 3 or higher) were randomly assigned to receive 180 mcg/week pegylated interferon alfa-2a (Pegasys) or 80-150 mcg/week pegylated interferon alfa-2b (PegIntron) plus 800-1200 mg/day weight-adjusted ribavirin, for 48 weeks. Overall early virological response (EVR) rates at week 12 were 80% in the Pegasys arm and 70% in the PegIntron arm—not a statistically significant difference. Individuals receiving Pegasys and PegIntron also had similar SVR rates 24 weeks after finishing treatment (46% vs. 42%, again not statistically significant). For genotype 1 or 4 patients, SVR rates were 32% with Pegasys vs. 28% with PegIntron, while for genotypes 2 or 3 the corresponding rates were 71% vs. 62%. Likelihood of early treatment discontinuation due to side effects was also similar in the Pegasys (13%) and PegIntron (8%) arms. Based on these findings, the researchers concluded that the two types of pegylated interferon "had no significant differences in efficacy and safety." http://www.hcvadvocate.org Add this page to your favourite Social Bookmarking websites;         
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