April 11, 2011
At the annual European liver conference EASL in April 2011, results were reported from an early study in people with previously treated but not cured hepatitis C (HCV) who showed undetectable HCV viral loads after taking a four-drug regimen. Nine out of 10 in one group who took standard treatment (peg-interferon + ribavirin) with two new HCV drugs (BMS-650032, a protease inhibitor + BMS-790052, an NS5A inhibitor) had undetectable HCV by week 24 of treatment. The tenth person was undetectable 35 days later.
The study enrolled a total of 21 people. All had taken standard treatment at an earlier time in their lives but did not clear their HCV infection. Of these null responders, 19 also had the IL28B genotype — a specific gene that makes it harder for a person to be cured of HCV. As stated above, the first group of 10 took four drugs while a second group of 11 people took only the two new drugs.
The results from the first group contrast with data from recent studies of the new HCV protease inhibitor, telaprevir, which was able to clear hepatitis C in only about one-third of null responders when taken with standard therapy, for a total of three drugs. Telaprevir will likely be approved by summer of 2011.
Research in HCV treatments is booming and has shown remarkable results recently. More than four dozen new drugs hold a great deal of promise for many more people to cure their HCV infection. This study shows that new combination regimens may cure HCV in even the most difficult cases. Other study is also showing that treating hepatitis C may be possible without having to use peg-interferon, and perhaps even ribavirin.