Hepatitis Community

Adherence to pegylated interferon (PIFN) plus ribavirin (RBV), especially in the first 12 weeks, affects sustained virologic response (SVR) in patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV). RibaPak? (RBP) requires fewer tablets than RBV.
Aim: To determine if simplifying the dosing regimen of RBV impacts outcomes.
Methods: Ninety-two patients on RBP >12 weeks were categorized as follows: Group A
(n = 22): treatment experienced with IFN/PIFN and RBV, Group B (n = 49): treatment
na?ve switched to RBP after >12 weeks RBV, Group C (n = 21): treatment na?ve on
RBP. Outcomes were compared between RBP and RBV in Groups A and B. Group C
was compared to Group D—a matched control group of RBV-treated patients.
Results: Patients preferred RBP. RBP was associated with improved patient compliance,
less side effects, improved quality of life and a trend toward improved SVR.
Conclusions: RibaPak offers an attractive alternative to RBV.RibaPak blister packs offer an attractive alternative to traditional RBV bottled pills.
Patients prefer RibaPak compared to RBV due to
decreased number of pills, convenience of the blister
pack administration, diminished side effects (primarily
GI) and improved quality of life. RibaPak is associated with
improved patient compliance compared to RBV. This
has the potential to avoid wasted drug costs and reduce
future comorbidity that is associated with significant
health care expense. As the future of HCV treatment
will likely involve the addition of a third drug (such as
a polymerase or protease inhibitor), simplification of
the treatment regimen by a reduction in the number of
pills may be crucial to treatment success.