Response-Guided Telaprevir Combination Treatment for Hepatitis C Virus Infection

In patients with chronic infection with HCV genotype 1 and undetectable HCV at weeks 4 and 12 of treatment, a 24-week regimen that included telaprevir, peginterferon, and ribavirin was not inferior to a 48-week regimen. Chronic infection with hepatitis C virus (HCV) represents a serious health issue for nearly 200 million infected persons worldwide. 1 Achievement of a sustained virologic response may be associated with improved long-term clinical outcomes, including increased survival. 2 , 3 In patients infected with HCV genotype 1, 48 weeks of treatment with peginterferon alfa and ribavirin results in a rate of sustained virologic response of 40 to 50%. 4 , 5 Telaprevir administered in combination with peginterferon and ribavirin has led to high rates of sustained virologic response in phase 2 and phase 3 trials involving patients with HCV genotype 1 infection, who have not . . .