title: Triple combination of thymalfasin, peginterferon alfa-2a and ribavirin in patients with chronic hepatitis C who have failed prior interferon and ribavirin treatment: 24-week interim results of a pilot study.
abstract: Despite steady progress in antiviral treatment for patients with chronic hepatitis C virus(HCV), many patients still have detectable serum HCV RNA levels by the end of interferon-based treatment and are known as virological non-responders. Re-treatment of these patients not responding to previous therapy remains challenging. Studies of the dynamics of the HCV population show a marked decline in new cases since 1996; however, the relative proportion of non-responders is expected to increase over time and, similarly, the number of patients eligible for first-line treatment is expected to decrease. The current standard of care for treatment involves the use of pegylated interferons in combination with ribavirin. However, many difficult-to-treat groups still have low response rates. Newer combinations are being investigated to optimize chances of attaining a sustained response in these groups: one such triple therapy regimen is peginterferon alfa-2a, ribavirin and thymalfasin, which was given to 23 previously non-responder patients. Viral response was 60.8% at week 12 and 47.8% at week 24. These preliminary results encourage further evaluation of this promising combination.
authors.affiliation: Centro de Investigacion Farmacológica y Biotecnológica, Medica Sur Hospital and Clinical Foundation, México City, Mexico. jpoo@medicasur.org.mx
authors.forename: Jorge Luis
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Poo
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Sánchez-Avila
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kershenobich
authors.forename: X
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: García-Samper
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gongora
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Uribe
mesh_terms: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D007372:Interferons / Q000008:administration & dosage; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D012254:Ribavirin / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D000077596:Thymalfasin; D013947:Thymosin / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*; D013997:Time Factors; D017211:Treatment Failure
chemical_list: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic; D000998:Antiviral Agents; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols; D012254:Ribavirin; D013947:Thymosin; D007372:Interferons; C100416:peginterferon alfa-2a; D000077596:Thymalfasin