The Los Angeles Times 
(1/19, Roan) "Booster Shots" blog reports "that combining two
antiviral medications was effective in stopping the infection in some
patients who were not helped by the traditional treatment," according to
a study
published in the New England Journal of Medicine. The phase-2 trial
included 21 people who "were randomly assigned to
receive the two antiviral drugs daclatasvir and asunaprevir or those two
antivirals with interferon and ribavirin (another drug used to treat
hepatitis C infection)."
(1/19, Roan) "Booster Shots" blog reports "that combining two
antiviral medications was effective in stopping the infection in some
patients who were not helped by the traditional treatment," according to
a study
published in the New England Journal of Medicine. The phase-2 trial
included 21 people who "were randomly assigned to
receive the two antiviral drugs daclatasvir and asunaprevir or those two
antivirals with interferon and ribavirin (another drug used to treat
hepatitis C infection)."
According to study lead author Anna Lok, "the study released today is
the first to suggest that difficult hepatitis C cases may be cured
without using the injected drug interferon," Bloomberg News
(1/19, Armstrong, Langreth) reports. Raymond Chung, a
gastroenterologist at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, wrote,
"We are on the threshold of a treatment revolution that will greatly
improve the effectiveness of HCV therapy." Chung "called it 'a
watershed moment in the annals of HCV therapy.'"
(1/19, Armstrong, Langreth) reports. Raymond Chung, a
gastroenterologist at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, wrote,
"We are on the threshold of a treatment revolution that will greatly
improve the effectiveness of HCV therapy." Chung "called it 'a
watershed moment in the annals of HCV therapy.'"
MedPage Today
(1/19, Smith) explains, "In an 'exploratory' phase II study, four of 11
patients treated with the two agents daclatasvir and asunaprevir had
undetectable levels of the virus 12 and 24 weeks after the end of
treatment," Lok reported. "On the other hand, results were even better
in the second arm of the study, in which 10 patients were given all four
drugs: all had a sustained virologic response 12 weeks after stopping
treatment and nine still had undetectable levels of hepatitis C RNA
after 24 weeks." For both groups, "the
most common adverse event...was diarrhea, and six patients had transient
elevations of alanine aminotransferase levels to more than three times
the upper limit of the normal range."
(1/19, Smith) explains, "In an 'exploratory' phase II study, four of 11
patients treated with the two agents daclatasvir and asunaprevir had
undetectable levels of the virus 12 and 24 weeks after the end of
treatment," Lok reported. "On the other hand, results were even better
in the second arm of the study, in which 10 patients were given all four
drugs: all had a sustained virologic response 12 weeks after stopping
treatment and nine still had undetectable levels of hepatitis C RNA
after 24 weeks." For both groups, "the
most common adverse event...was diarrhea, and six patients had transient
elevations of alanine aminotransferase levels to more than three times
the upper limit of the normal range."
HealthDay
(1/19, Marcus) reports, "All of the patients were infected with
genotype 1, the most common type of hepatitis C virus in the United
States, and had not responded to previous treatment with interferon and
ribavirin," Lok explains. "She said even though only four patients in
the two-drug group reached a sustained response, this is the first study
to show it can be achieved without interferon or ribavirin." Chung
said, "The new drugs are not FDA-approved yet, but a number of trials
are under way."
(1/19, Marcus) reports, "All of the patients were infected with
genotype 1, the most common type of hepatitis C virus in the United
States, and had not responded to previous treatment with interferon and
ribavirin," Lok explains. "She said even though only four patients in
the two-drug group reached a sustained response, this is the first study
to show it can be achieved without interferon or ribavirin." Chung
said, "The new drugs are not FDA-approved yet, but a number of trials
are under way."
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