Conditions: Hepatitis C, Chronic
Allocation: RANDOMIZED | Intervention model: PARALLEL
Enrollment: 68
Healthy volunteers: no

Brief summary:
This study examined the influence of ribavirin on the initial virological response in treatment-naïve participants with chronic hepatitis C, genotype 1. Participants were randomized to 1 of 3 treatment groups to receive placebo, ribavirin monotherapy 1000 milligrams (mg) to 1200 mg orally daily depending on body weight or pegylated interferon (PEG-IFN) alfa-2a (Pegasys®) 180 micrograms (mcg) subcutaneously (SC) weekly, for 6 weeks. Following the initial 6 weeks, all participants received combination therapy with PEG-IFN alfa-2a plus ribavirin (Copegus®) for 12 weeks. If there was an initial virological response after 12 weeks of combination therapy, treatment could be continued for a further 36 weeks outside of the study.

Detailed description:

Arms:
arm 1: Participants with chronic hepatitis C, genotype 1, received pegylated interferon (PEG-IFN) alfa-2a monotherapy for 6 weeks. Thereafter, all participants received combination therapy with PEG-IFN alfa-2a plus ribavirin for 12 weeks. arm 2: Participants with chronic hepatitis C, genotype 1, received ribavirin matching placebo for 6 weeks. Thereafter, all participants received combination therapy with PEG-IFN alfa-2a plus ribavirin for 12 weeks. arm 3: Participants with chronic hepatitis C, genotype 1, received ribavirin monotherapy for 6 weeks. Thereafter, all participants received combination therapy with PEG-IFN alfa-2a plus ribavirin for 12 weeks.

Interventions: intervention 1: Pegylated Interferon (PEG-IFN) alfa-2a intervention 2: Placebo intervention 3: Ribavirin
Intervention descriptions: intervention 1: Pegylated interferon (PEG-IFN) alfa-2a (40 kilodalton \[KD\]) 180 microgram (mcg) subcutaneously (SC) weekly, for 6 weeks during monotherapy and/or 12 weeks during combination therapy. intervention 2: Ribavirin matching placebo orally (PO) twice daily for 6 weeks. intervention 3: Ribavirin, 1000 mg orally (PO) (400 mg in the morning \[=2 tablets\] and 600 mg in the evening \[=3 tablets\]) in participants with a body weight less than 75 kilogram (kg) or 1200 mg PO (600 mg at each time =3 tablets, in the morning and evening, respectively) in participants with a body weight greater than or equal to 75 kg, PO daily for 6 weeks during monotherapy and/or 12 weeks during combination therapy.

Protocol document: