Once-weekly epoetin alfa improves anemia and facilitates maintenance of ribavirin dosing in hepatitis C virus-infected patients receiving ribavirin plus interferon alfa.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to determine the efficacy of epoetin alfa in alleviating anemia and minimizing ribavirin (RBV) dose reductions in patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection receiving combination RBV/interferon alfa (IFN) therapy.


METHODS
HCV-infected patients who had Hb levels of 12 g/dl or less during the first 24 wk of combination RBV/IFN therapy (n=64) were randomized to treatment with epoetin alfa (40,000 units) s.c. q.w. or to standard of care (SOC) for anemia management (RBV dose reduction or discontinuation, transfusions). Primary and secondary efficacy endpoints were changes in Hb level and RBV dosage, respectively, from baseline to week 16 of epoetin alfa therapy. Based on intent-to-treat analysis, the mean changes from baseline Hb levels at week 16 were +2.8 g/dl for epoetin alfa versus +0.4 g/dl for SOC (p<0.0001), and the mean changes in RBV dosage were -34 mg/day for epoetin alfa versus -146 mg/day (p=0.060) for SOC. The mean Hb level at week 16 in the epoetin alfa group (13.8 g/dl) was significantly (p<0.0001) higher than that of the SOC group (11.4 g/dl). At week 4 and subsequently, significantly more patients in the epoetin alfa group did not have RBV dosage reductions (p<0.011). At study end, 83% of epoetin alfa-treated patients maintained RBV dosages of at least 800 mg/day, compared with 54% of patients receiving SOC (p=0.022). Epoetin alfa was well tolerated.


CONCLUSIONS
In anemic HCV-infected patients treated with RBV/IFN, epoetin alfa increases Hb levels and maintains RBV dosing. Based on these results, epoetin alfa seems to be promising in the treatment of HCV treatment-related anemia. Further research is warranted to determine the potential impact on outcomes, including quality of life and sustained viral response rate.
Dieterich
Douglas T
DT
Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, New York 10029-6574, USA.
Wasserman
Ronald
R
Bräu
Norbert
N
Hassanein
Tarek I
TI
Bini
Edmund J
EJ
Bowers
Peter J
PJ
Sulkowski
Mark S
MS
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000740:Anemia / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D004357:Drug Synergism; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D000068817:Epoetin Alfa; D004921:Erythropoietin / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000187:drug effects*; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011336:Probability; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D012016:Reference Values; D012254:Ribavirin / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D016898:Interferon-alpha; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D004921:Erythropoietin; D012254:Ribavirin; D000068817:Epoetin Alfa