In clinical trials, PEGASYS—alone or in combination with COPEGUS® (Ribavirin, USP)—consistently provided significant sustained virologic response vs. interferon alfa-2b + ribavirin. In these trials, sustained virologic response was defined as an undetectable level of the hepatitis C virus 6 months after the end of treatment.
The length of treatment and how well it works depends on many different factors for each individual. One of the main divisions of hepatitis C treatment is by genotype of the virus you have. The most common type is genotype 1. Studies have found that hepatitis C patients who are treated before liver damage occurs may respond better to treatment.
Two large clinical trials have been conducted to show the effectiveness of PEGASYS + COPEGUS combination therapy in patients with hepatitis C. These studies found that:
- 53% of the 453 patients in one trial and 61% of the 436 patients in another who received PEGASYS 180 mcg once weekly with ribavirin 1000 mg or 1200 mg daily (depending on body weight) achieved a sustained virologic response after 48 weeks of treatment.
- Among patients with genotype 1 hepatitis C, 44% of the 298 patients in one trial and 51% of the 271 patients in another who received PEGASYS 180 mcg once weekly with ribavirin 1000 mg or 1200 mg daily (depending on body weight) achieved a sustained virologic response after 48 weeks of treatment.
- Among patients with genotype 2 or 3 hepatitis C, 82% of the 96 patients who received PEGASYS 180 mcg once weekly with ribavirin 800 mg achieved a sustained virologic response after 24 weeks of treatment.
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