Journal of Hepatology
Volume 49, Issue 2 , Pages 163-169 , August 2008

Antiviral effects and safety of telaprevir, peginterferon alfa-2a, and ribavirin for 28 days in hepatitis C patients

  • Eric Lawitz

      Affiliations

    • Alamo Medical Research, 621 Camden Suite 202, San Antonio, TX 78215, USA
    • Corresponding Author InformationCorresponding author. Tel.: +1 210 253 3426; fax: +1 210 227 6951.
    • Contributed equally to the study.
    • ,
  • Maribel Rodriguez-Torres

      Affiliations

    • Fundacion de Investigacion de Diego San Juan, Puerto Rico, NC, USA
    • Contributed equally to the study.
    • ,
  • Andrew J. Muir

      Affiliations

    • Duke Clinical Research Institute, Division of Gastroenterology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
    • ,
  • Tara L. Kieffer

      Affiliations

    • Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated, Cambridge, MA, USA
    • ,
  • Lindsay McNair

      Affiliations

    • Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated, Cambridge, MA, USA
    • ,
  • Ariya Khunvichai

      Affiliations

    • Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated, Cambridge, MA, USA
    • ,
  • John G. McHutchison

      Affiliations

    • Duke Clinical Research Institute, Division of Gastroenterology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA

Received 25 August 2007 ,Revised 23 February 2008 ,Accepted 13 March 2008.

References 

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  4. Fried MW, Shiffman ML, Reddy KR, Smith C, Marinos G, Gonçales FL, et al. Peginterferon alfa-2a plus ribavirin for chronic hepatitis C virus infection. N Engl J Med. 2002;347:975–982
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  8. Forestier N, Reesink HW, Weegink CJ, McNair L, Kieffer TL, Chu HM, et al. Antiviral activity of telaprevir (VX-950) and peginterferon alfa-2a in patients with hepatitis C. Hepatology. 2007;46:640–648
  9. Jensen DM, Morgan TR, Marcellin P, Pockros PJ, Reddy KR, Hadziyannis SJ, et al. Early identification of HCV genotype 1 patients responding to 24 weeks peginterferon alpha-2a (40kDa)/ribavirin therapy. Hepatology. 2006;43:954–960
  10. Ferenci P, Fried MW, Shiffman ML, Smith CI, Marinos G, Gonçales FL, et al. Predicting sustained virological responses in chronic hepatitis C patients treated with peginterferon alfa-2a (40kDa)/ribavirin. J Hepatol. 2005;43:425–433
  11. Kieffer TL, Sarrazin C, Miller JS, Welker MW, Forestier N, Reesink HW, et al. Telaprevir and pegylated interferon-alpha-2a inhibit wild-type and resistant genotype 1 hepatitis C virus replication in patients. Hepatology. 2007;46:631–639
  12. Zhou Y, et al. Phenotypic characterization of telaprevir (VX-950) protease variants in a HCV replicon system. in: 13th International Meeting on Hepatitis C Virus and Related Viruses Australia: Cairns; 2006.
  13. Hadziyannis SJ, Sette H, Morgan TR, Balan V, Diago M, Marcellin P, et al. Peginterferon-alpha2a and ribavirin combination therapy in chronic hepatitis C: a randomized study of treatment duration and ribavirin dose. Ann Intern Med. 2004;140:346–355
  14. Foster GR, Fried MW, Hadziyannis SJ, Messinger D, Freivogel K, Weiland O. Prediction of sustained virological response in chronic hepatitis C patients treated with peginterferon alfa-2a (40kDa) and ribavirin. Scand J Gastroenterol. 2007;42:247–255
  15. Bressler BL, Guindi M, Tomlinson G, Heathcote J. High body mass index is an independent risk factor for nonresponse to antiviral treatment in chronic hepatitis C. Hepatology. 2003;38:639–644
  16. Cheung RC, Currie S, Shen H, Ho SB, Bini EJ, Anand BS, et al. Chronic hepatitis C in Latinos: natural history, treatment eligibility, acceptance, and outcomes. Am J Gastroenterol. 2005;100:2186–2193
  17. Gaglio PJ, Rodriguez-Torres M, Herring R, Anand B, Box T, Rabinovitz M, et al. Racial differences in response rates to consensus interferon in HCV infected patients naı¨ve to previous therapy. J Clin Gastroenterol. 2004;38:599–604
  18. Hepburn MJ, Hepburn LM, Cantu NS, Lapeer MG, Lawitz EJ. Differences in treatment outcome for hepatitis C among ethnic groups. Am J Med. 2004;117:163–168
  19. Rodriguez-Torres M, Ankoma-Sey V, Sheikh MY, Rossaro L, Hamzeh FM, Jeffers LJ. Rapid and early virologic responses to peginterferon alfa-2a plus ribavirin in treatment-naı¨ve Latino VS non-Latino caucasians infected with HCV genotype 1: the Latino study. Hepatology. 2006;44:700A
  20. Kieffer T, Sarrazin C, Bartels D, Hanzelka B, Muh U, Welker M, et al. Genetic heterogeneity in the Hcv Ns3 protease of untreated genotype 1 patients has little effect on the sensitivity to Vx-950. Hepatology. 2005;42:537A
  21. Hezode C, Ferenci P, Dusheiko GM, Pol S, Goeser T, Bronowicki J-P, et al. PROVE2: phase II study of VX950 (Telaprevir) in combination with peginterferon alfa2a with or without ribavirin in subjects with chronic hepatitis C, first interim analysis. Hepatology. 2007;46:268A
  22. Jacobson IM, Everson GT, Gordon SC, Kaufmann R, McNair L, Muir A, et al. Interim analysis results from a phase 2 study of telaprevir with peginterferon alfa-2a and ribavirin in treatment-naı¨ve subjects with hepatitis C. Hepatology. 2007;46:315A

☆ This study was supported by Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated. The authors who have taken part in the research of this paper declared that they have a relationship with the manufacturers of the drugs involved either in the past or present and that they received funding from the manufacturers to carry out their research. Drs. Kieffer, McNair and Khunvichai are employees of Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated, Cambridge, MA, USA.

PII: S0168-8278(08)00281-X

doi: 10.1016/j.jhep.2008.03.027

Journal of Hepatology
Volume 49, Issue 2 , Pages 163-169 , August 2008

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