Combination of interferon alfa-2a and amantadine does not improve the efficacy of interferon therapy in patients with chronic hepatitis C.
OBJECTIVE
A recent pilot study suggested that 18% of patients with hepatitis C viral infection achieved a sustained response to a 6-month course of 200 mg of oral amantadine alone with disappearance of serum hepatitis C virus ribonucleic acid. We prospectively studied 30 naive patients with chronic hepatitis C viral infection for the possible role of amantadine in improving the efficiency of interferon for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C.


METHODS
Patients were assigned into two groups on a double-blind and randomized controlled basis. Placebo group received 4.5 MU of interferon alfa-2a thrice weekly and oral placebo daily for 24 weeks. Amantadine group received a combination of the interferon and 200 mg of oral amantadine daily for 24 weeks. Patients were observed and tested for blood chemistry every week for the initial 4 weeks and every 2 weeks thereafter during the treatment until 24 weeks. After the end of treatment, patients were followed up at 4-week intervals for an additional 12 months.


RESULTS
At the end of treatment, 5 (33.3%) patients responded to the combination therapy, and 7 (46.7%) patients responded to interferon therapy alone. Twelve months after cessation of the treatment, 3 (21.4%) patients had a sustained complete response to the combination therapy, and 3 (20.0%) patients had a sustained complete response to interferon alone (P = 0.64).


CONCLUSIONS
Amantadine does not increase the efficacy of interferon in the treatment of chronic hepatitis C.
Division of Gastroenterology, Cathay General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan. yangss@tpts1.seed.net.tw
Sien-Sing
SS
Yang
Tien-Chien
TC
Tu
Chi-Hwa
CH
Wu
Ding-Shinn
DS
Chen
D000328:Adult; D000547:Amantadine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000235:genetics; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000998:Antiviral Agents; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D012367:RNA, Viral; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D000547:Amantadine