Peginterferon and Ribavirin, With or Without Telaprevir, for Genotype 1 Hepatitis C and IL28B CC Polymorphism

NCT01415141 · Status: WITHDRAWN · Phase: PHASE4 · Type: INTERVENTIONAL

Last updated 2017-05-09

No results posted yet for this study

Summary

Chronic hepatitis C is a major cause of liver disease and is thus an important public health problem. Although some strains (genotypes) of the hepatitis C virus are highly responsive to treatment with a combination of peginterferon and ribavirin, the most common form of the virus (genotype 1) is relatively resistant to this treatment. Recently, telaprevir has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration to be given in combination with peginterferon and ribavirin. This 3-drug combination boosts the remission rate for genotype 1 hepatitis C to that seen with other more responsive hepatitis C genotypes treated with only peginterferon and ribavirin. However, telaprevir has additional side affects such as rash and anemia that may limit its usefulness. Intriguingly, about one third of patients infected with genotype 1 hepatitis C, who have a specific variation (polymorphism) in the DNA sequence (CC) near an immune response gene (IL28B), in fact are highly responsive to 2-drug treatment with peginterferon and ribavirin. This raises the possibility that individuals who have the IL28B CC polymorphism may not need to be treated with the addition of telaprevir and could therefore be spared unnecessary side effects. Thus, the purpose of this study is to determine among genotype 1 hepatitis C patients with the IL28B CC polymorphism the success rate and side effects of 3-drug treatment compared with 2-drug treatment.

In this study, patients with genotype 1 chronic hepatitis C who have the IL28B CC polymorphism will be randomly assigned to be treated with telaprevir, peginterferon, and ribavirin or with only peginterferon with ribavirin. These medications and the procedures involved, including patient history, physical examination, and obtaining small volume blood specimens (less than 4 teaspoons) for laboratory testing, are within the scope of standard management of hepatitis C treatment. All patients will be monitored during treatment with periodic blood testing (weeks 2, 4, and every 4 weeks thereafter while on treatment, and 24 weeks after stopping treatment) and office visits (weeks 5, 12, 25, 49 while on treatment and 25 weeks after stopping treatment). The success of treatment will be judged by the presence or absence of detectable virus in blood, as measured by a sensitive diagnostic test (PCR). The data to be generated will include measurement by PCR of hepatitis C viral loads before, during, and after treatment, as well as reporting of adverse drug effects.

Conditions

  • Hepatitis C

Interventions

DRUG

Peginterferon alfa-2a

180ug subcutaneously, weekly

DRUG

Ribavirin

Administered orally twice a day as follows: weight \< 75kg - 1000mg weight ≥ 75kg - 1200mg

DRUG

telaprevir

750mg every 8 hours, orally

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • University of Vermont

    lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

  • Steven Lidofsky, MD · University of Vermont & Fletcher Allen Health Care

Study Design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Model
PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age
18 Years
Sex
ALL
Healthy Volunteers
No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2011-07-31
Primary Completion
2011-07-31
Completion
2011-07-31

Countries

  • United States

Study Locations

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Read the full study record

This page highlights key information. For complete eligibility criteria, study locations, investigator contacts, and the full protocol, visit the original record on ClinicalTrials.gov.

View NCT01415141 on ClinicalTrials.gov