Loading...
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is treated with peginterferon in combination with ribavirin. Two main types of peginterferon-based regimens are currently available: alfa-2a and alfa-2b; which regimen is better is unknown. To address this issue, the IDEAL study team (supported by grants from industry) conducted a multisite, randomized trial comparing two different doses of weight-based alfa-2b (standard, 1.5 μg/kg/week; or low, 1.0 μg/kg/week) and fixed-dose alfa-2a, each in combination with ribavirin, in 3070 adults with HCV genotype 1 monoinfection.
Sustained virologic response (SVR) rates were similar among groups: 40% for standard-dose alfa-2b, 38% for low-dose alfa-2b, and 41% for alfa-2a. (Although the end-of-treatment response rate w…