Rapid response to therapy and low baseline HCV RNA levels predicted successful 24-week treatment.
Recent data from hepatitis C virus (HCV)–positive patients suggest that rapid virologic response (RVR; defined as undetectable viral count 4 weeks after therapy begins) is associated with sustained virologic response (SVR; defined as undetectable counts beyond 48 weeks). In patients with genotype 2 or 3 infections, RVR usually predicts SVR with only 12 to 16 weeks of therapy, instead of the standard 24 weeks. In this industry-sponsored retrospective study of 740 patients with genotype 1 infections (who usually receive 48 weeks of therapy), investigators examined the factors associated with achieving SVR. These patients received 24 or 48 weeks of therapy (weekly pegylated interferon α-2a [180 μg] plus fixed or weight-based doses of ribavirin…