Conditions: Chronic Hepatitis C
Keywords: Phase 2b Dose-Ranging Study
Allocation: RANDOMIZED | Intervention model: PARALLEL
Enrollment: 278
Healthy volunteers: no

Brief summary:
The objective of the study is to select an optimal dose of taribavirin by comparing the efficacy and safety of 3 taribavirin dose levels, 20, 25, and 30 mg/kg/day, versus ribavirin 800 to 1400 mg/day based on body weight, both administered in combination with peginterferon alfa-2b to therapy-naive patients with chronic Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) genotype 1 infection.

Detailed description:
The objective of the study is to select an optimal dose of taribavirin by comparing the efficacy and safety of 3 taribavirin dose levels, 20, 25, and 30 mg/kg/day, versus ribavirin 800 mg/day to 1400 mg/day based on subject body weight, with both drugs administered in combination with peginterferon alfa-2b to therapy-naive patients with chronic Hepatitis C Virus genotype 1 infection.

Arms:
arm 1: Oral taribavirin tablet 20 mg/kg/day (Actual doses were 20-24 mg/kg/day) BID plus weekly subcutaneous injections of peginterferon alfa-2b (1.5 ug/kg/wk) arm 2: Oral taribavirin tablet 25 mg/kg/day (Actual doses were 25-29 mg/kg/day) BID plus weekly subcutaneous injections of peginterferon alfa-2b (1.5 ug/kg/wk) arm 3: Oral taribavirin 30 mg/kg/day (Actual doses were 30-34 mg/kg/day) BID plus weekly subcutaneous injections of peginterferon alfa-2b (1.5 ug/kg/wk) arm 4: Oral ribavirin 800 mg/day (body weight \<65 kg), 1000 mg/day (body weight 65-84 kg), 1200 mg/day (body weight 85-104 kg) or 1400 mg/day (body weight greater than or equal to 105 kg) BID plus weekly subcutaneous injections of peginterferon alfa-2b (1.5 ug/kg/wk)

Interventions: intervention 1: Taribavirin intervention 2: Taribavirin intervention 3: Taribavirin intervention 4: Ribavirin
Intervention descriptions: intervention 1: Oral (200 mg) Tablet: 20mg/kg/day BID, patients will be treated for a total of 48 weeks. in addition, all patients will receive peginterferon alfa-2b (PEG-Intron) by weekly subcutaneous injection. Patients who complete treatment with study drug or discontinue treatment prematurely will enter a 24-week follow-up period. intervention 2: Oral (200 mg) Tablet: 25mg/kg/day BID, patients will be treated for a total of 48 weeks. in addition, all patients will receive peginterferon alfa-2b (PEG-Intron) by weekly subcutaneous injection. Patients who complete treatment with study drug or discontinue treatment prematurely will enter a 24-week follow-up period. intervention 3: Oral (200mg)Tablet: 30mg/kg/day BID, patients will be treated for a total of 48 weeks. in addition, all patients will receive peginterferon alfa-2b (PEG-Intron) by weekly subcutaneous injection. Patients who complete treatment with study drug or discontinue treatment prematurely will enter a 24-week follow-up period. intervention 4: Oral (200mg)Tablet: 800 mg/day, 1000 mg/day, 1200 mg/day, or 1400 mg/day BID, patients will be treated for a total of 48 weeks. in addition, all patients will receive peginterferon alfa-2b (PEG-Intron) by weekly subcutaneous injection. Patients who complete treatment with study drug or discontinue treatment prematurely will enter a 24-week follow-up period.

Protocol document: