Authors' objectives:

To assess the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of ribavirin and interferon alfa in the treatment of chronic hepatitis C.

Authors' recommendations: The most effective regime with interferon alfa is 3MU three times a week for 12 months. Higher doses (6MU) and longer duration do increase the sustained response but this must be offset against increased side-effects. There is insufficient evidence as yet to clarify optimum dose. Patients who do not respond to interferon alfa within three months should stop treatment. Ribavirin should not be used on its own in the treatment of chronic hepatitis C. Combination therapy - interferon alfa plus ribavirin - improves sustained response in patients who have not previously been treated with interferon. There is insufficient published evidence for the use of combination therapy in those who have relapsed after treatment with interferon, outwith randomised controlled trials, until the most recent evidence is available. There are still many uncertainties in the treatment of hepatitis C and there is insufficient evidence at present to recommend that combination therapy replaces interferon monotherapy as first line treatment for all patients with chronic hepatitis C. This will be obviously be modified as new evidence emerges, especially from the pivotal Phase III trials used to support the applications for licenses in the UK and the USA.

Authors' methods: Review

Project Status: Completed

URL for project: http://www.nhsconfed.net/shpic/doc11.htm

Year Published: 2002

English language abstract: An English language summary is available

Publication Type: Not Assigned

Country: Scotland, United Kingdom

Organisation Name: Scottish Health Purchasing Information Centre

Copyright: <p>Scottish Health Purchasing Information Centre</p>