INTRODUCTION Balapiravir (R1626, RG1626) is the prodrug of a nucleoside analogue inhibitor of the hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (R1479, RG1479). This phase 2, double-blind international trial evaluated the optimal treatment regimen of balapiravir plus peginterferon alfa-2a (40KD)/ribavirin. MATERIAL AND METHODS Treatment-naive genotype 1 patients (N = 516) were randomiz...

BACKGROUND AND AIM The treatment efficacy of peginterferon plus ribavirin for patients with HCV genotype 1 is inferior to that in patients with HCV genotype 2, but the efficacy among patients with mixed HCV genotype 1 + 2 is less clear. We compared the treatment outcome of peginterferon alpha-2b plus ribavirin among naïve chronic hepatitis C patients in Taiwan with HCV genotype 1 and 2, and mix...

BACKGROUND The current treatment recommendation for chronic hepatitis C virus infection is the combination of peginterferon and ribavirin for 24 or 48 weeks, depending on the viral genotype. The aim of the therapy is to obtain a sustained virological response. AIM To report our experience in the treatment of chronic hepatitis C. MATERIAL AND METHODS Analysis of 52 patients treated between S...

BACKGROUND/AIMS Genotype C is the principal type of hepatitis B virus (HBV) in Koreans and is associated with poor prognosis for peginterferon α-2a therapy. The efficacy of and compliance to peginterferon α-2a therapy were investigated in Koreans with hepatitis B in a real clinical setting. METHODS Hepatitis B patients treated with peginterferon α-2a from 2008 to 2011 at four university hospi...

BACKGROUND Subcutaneous peginterferon beta-1a every 2 weeks significantly affects clinical outcomes in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS). OBJECTIVES To explore relationships between relapses and worsening of disability in patients with RRMS, and assess the treatment effect of peginterferon beta-1a on relapse recovery. METHODS Post-hoc analysis of the 2-year, random...

Peginterferon-alfa 2a or alfa 2b plus ribavirin is the treatment of choice in chronic hepatitis C. Severe adverse effects may compromise efficacy of this regiment. There are few reports of warm autoimmune hemolytic anemia following interferon-alfa or peginterferon-alfa2b plus ribavirin treatment. This present report discusses autoimmune hemolytic anemia which developed during peginterferon alfa...

BACKGROUND AND AIMS Rapid viral response (RVR) during antiviral treatment for hepatitis C virus (HCV) predicts sustained viral response (SVR). Recently, vitamin D levels have been associated with SVR. As sunlight is the most important source of vitamin D and shows seasonal variation, we evaluated the effect of season on viral kinetics during peginterferon/ribavirin-based therapy for HCV. METH...

OBJECTIVES The efficacy of current hepatitis C virus (HCV) triple therapy, including a protease inhibitor, is limited in HIV/HCV-coinfected patients with advanced liver fibrosis and nonresponse to previous peginterferon-ribavirin. These patients have a low chance (only 30%) of achieving a sustained virological response (SVR) during triple therapy and cannot wait for next-generation anti-HCV dru...

BACKGROUND Direct-acting antiviral agents against HCV with or without peginterferon plus ribavirin result in higher eradication rates of HCV and shorter treatment duration. We examined which is better for predicting persistent virologic response, the assessment of serum HCV RNA at 12 or 24 weeks after the end of treatment for predicting sustained virologic response (SVR12 or SVR24, respectively...

AIM To determine which baseline factors of chronic hepatitis B patients are predictive of virological response to Peginterferon alpha-2b therapy. METHODS A total of 21 HBeAg-positive chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients treated with Peginterferon alpha-2b were recruited. They were treated with Peginterferon alpha-2b (0.5-1.0 microg/kg per week) for 24 wk and followed up for 24 wk. Clinical and ...