At the Digestive Disease Weekly conference in Washington on Monday, researchers reported on a drug combination that completely kills hepatitis C virus (HCV), and keeps it from returning, in some of the patients studied. However, the scientists are still unsure why the cocktail of pegylated interferon and ribavirin worked so completely in those patients and failed in others.
The study, conducted in six countries and headed in the United States by Virginia Commonwealth University, proves the drug combination is the most effective HCV treatment. A total of 997 patients who had cleared HCV while taking the cocktail were followed for almost a year. Of those, 99 percent remained virus-free an average of four years after completing the treatment and up to seven years later.
But the combination only clears the virus in about 40 percent of patients infected with the most common hepatitis C strain, or about two-thirds of cases. African-Americans and patients with severe liver cirrhosis are less likely to respond to the treatment. The cocktail succeeds around 80 percent of the time against other HCV strains.
In addition, the drugs' side effects can be serious. While most patients report little more than flu-like symptoms, small numbers report depression, moodiness, hair loss, sharp anemia, and in rare instances, heart and kidney failure, suicidal thoughts, and even death.
About 4 million Americans are infected with hepatitis C, a blood-borne virus. Most cases are the result of blood transfusions conducted before 1992 or IV drug use, though HCV can be transmitted through sex.
South Florida Sun-Sentinel (05.21.07):: Bob Lamendola
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