Canadian programs underscore evidence of PEGETRON's positive outcomes in treating HCV infection

Results from two significant Canadian studies underscore the growing scientific evidence of PEGETRON's positive outcomes in the treatment of chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. Canadian investigators across the country collaborated to generate and analyze clinical data from the Canadian PEGETRON POWeR (Prospective Optimal Weight-based Dosing Response) and REDIPEN programs, which were presented at the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD) Annual Meeting in Boston on November 1, 2009.

The first abstract, Determinants of Virologic Relapse Following Hepatitis C antiviral Therapy: Analysis of the Canadian POWeR Program reports Genotype 1 (G1)-infected patients treated with peginterferon alfa-2b plus weight-based ribavirin (PEGETRON) across 138 Canadian centres, achieved a sustained virologic response (SVR) rate of 39 per cent, consistent with the 40 per cent SVR attained with approved peginterferon alfa-2B/ribavirin (PEGETRON) therapy in the recent United States-based IDEAL Study. In addition, the relapse rate of G1-infected subjects in POWeR was 25 per cent, similar to the 24 per cent reported in the IDEAL Study.

In the second abstract, Outcomes of a Large, Inclusive Population-Based Hepatitis C Treatment Program are similar to Randomized Controlled Trials: Interim Results of the Canadian REDIPEN Program, a heterogeneous, but representative, population of Canadian G1 patients treated with peginterferon alfa 2b plus weight-based ribavirin (PEGETRON) achieved results similar to those treated in randomized, controlled clinical trials. The G1 SVR rate was 39 per cent, consistent with both the above-mentioned Canadian POWeR Program and controlled trials, such as the IDEAL Study. Similar G1 relapse rates were also reported.

"The results from both the Canadian POWeR and REDIPEN programs support previous findings from randomized controlled trials of PEGETRON," said Dr. Curtis Cooper, M.D., Associate Professor of Medicine at the University of Ottawa, Division of Infectious Diseases and first author of both POWeR and REDIPEN presentations. "The encouraging response rates and low relapse rates seen with PEGETRON therapy are consistent across multiple large Canadian and U.S. studies and shed important light on hepatitis C treatment outcomes in real-life clinical practice settings."

These results reinforce the notion that outcomes achieved with PEGETRON across a large number of clinical trials are consistent and could be generalized to real-life clinical practice.