title: Treatment options for nonresponders and relapsers to initial therapy for hepatitis C.
abstract: As treatment for chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection has advanced over the past decade, efforts have evolved to retreat patients who did not achieve a sustained virologic response to previous antiviral regimens. Retreating nonresponders to interferon alfa monotherapy with a combination of interferon and ribavirin yields a sustained virologic response in 9% to 32% of patients, whereas retreatment with peginterferon alfa plus ribavirin yields a sustained virologic response in up to 30% to 40% of patients. Sustained virologic response is more likely in retreated patients with HCV genotype 2 or 3, low serum HCV RNA levels, and lack of response to prior interferon monotherapy. Retreatment of nonresponders to interferon-ribavirin combination therapy is associated with lower response rates (< or = 20%). Despite treatment advances, the efficacy of current antiviral regimens for nonresponders remains inadequate. The next few years will see more-targeted antiviral regimens for these patients and therapies focused on slowing the progression of liver disease rather than viral eradication.
authors.affiliation: Center for Liver Diseases, Inova Fairfax Hospital, Falls Church, VA 22042, USA.
authors.forename: Marten
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Duncan
authors.forename: Zobair
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Younossi
mesh_terms: D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000517:prevention & control; D018450:Disease Progression; D024882:Drug Resistance, Viral; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005838:Genotype; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007372:Interferons / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000517:prevention & control; D012008:Recurrence; D019233:Retreatment; D012254:Ribavirin / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D012254:Ribavirin; D007372:Interferons