title: Boceprevir plus peginterferon/ribavirin for treatment of chronic hepatitis C in Russia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate addition of boceprevir to peginterferon/ribavirin (PR) in Russian patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV).
  
  
  METHODS
  Treatment-naive (TN) and treatment-experienced (TE) patients (who had failed prior treatment with PR for ≥ 12 wk) with chronic HCV genotype 1 infection were enrolled in this placebo-controlled, double-blind study. All patients initially received PR for 4 wk. Patients randomized to control treatment then received PR for an additional 44 wk. TN patients randomized to triple therapy received boceprevir (800 mg three times daily) plus PR for 24 wk and then further therapy according to treatment week 8 (TW8) HCV RNA levels. TE patients received boceprevir plus PR for 32 wk and then further therapy according to TW8 HCV RNA levels. Treatment was discontinued for TN patients with detectable HCV RNA at TW24 and TE patients with detectable HCV RNA at TW12 because of futility. The primary efficacy end point was sustained virologic response (SVR) defined as undetectable HCV RNA 24 wk after completing all study therapy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  SVR was 74.8% in the boceprevir plus PR arm compared with 46.2% in the control arm, with a stratification-adjusted treatment difference of 29.2% (95%CI: 16.4-41.5; P < 0.0001). Rates of SVR were higher in the boceprevir arm in both TN and TE patient groups (TN 78.4% vs 56.3%; TE 69.4% vs 30.0%). Within TE patients, the rates of SVR were higher with boceprevir plus PR compared with PR, regardless of treatment failure type (null responder, partial responder, and relapser). Most patients receiving boceprevir plus PR in both TN (86%) and TE (71%) populations were eligible for reduced treatment duration. Anemia was increased in patients receiving boceprevir plus PR vs PR alone (47.2% vs 24.4%); there was a corresponding increase in ribavirin dose reduction and erythropoietin use. Among patients receiving boceprevir plus PR, SVR rates were similar in patients with anemia (< 10 g/dL) and those without anemia (71.2% vs 77.4%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Regulatory approval has been obtained for boceprevir plus PR in Russian patients with HCV genotype 1 infection based on the results of this study.
authors.affiliation: Vasily Isakov, Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Institute of Nutrition, Moscow 115446, Russia.
authors.forename: Vasily
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Isakov
authors.affiliation: Vasily Isakov, Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Institute of Nutrition, Moscow 115446, Russia.
authors.forename: Igor
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Nikitin
authors.affiliation: Vasily Isakov, Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Institute of Nutrition, Moscow 115446, Russia.
authors.forename: Vladimir
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Chulanov
authors.affiliation: Vasily Isakov, Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Institute of Nutrition, Moscow 115446, Russia.
authors.forename: Pavel
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ogurtsov
authors.affiliation: Vasily Isakov, Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Institute of Nutrition, Moscow 115446, Russia.
authors.forename: Ekaterina
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lukyanova
authors.affiliation: Vasily Isakov, Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Institute of Nutrition, Moscow 115446, Russia.
authors.forename: Jianmin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Long
authors.affiliation: Vasily Isakov, Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Institute of Nutrition, Moscow 115446, Russia.
authors.forename: Janice
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wahl
authors.affiliation: Vasily Isakov, Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Institute of Nutrition, Moscow 115446, Russia.
authors.forename: Frans A
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Helmond
keywords: Boceprevir; Clinical trial; Hepatitis C virus; Peginterferon; Randomized; Ribavirin; Sustained virologic response