Page 104 - The Flying Publisher Guide to Hepatitis C Treatment

104 | Hepatitis C Treatment

Side effects: fatigue, fever, rigors, body pain, headache,
abdominal pain, nausea, granulocytopenia, arthralgia, myalgia,
back pain, neutropenia, and influenza-like illness.
Reference
Ho SB, Aqel B, Dieperink E, et al. U.S. multicenter pilot study of daily consensus
interferon (CIFN) plus ribavirin for "difficult-to-treat" HCV genotype 1
patients. Dig Dis Sci 2011;56:880-8.
Internet links
Infergen: www.infergen.com
FDA, Prescribing Information (PDF, 39 pages): goo.gl/kvChY
Three Rivers Pharmaceuticals:
http://www.3riverspharma.com/products.htm

Ribavirin
Manufacturers: Roche (Copegus™, 200 mg film-coated tablets),
Merck/Schering-Plough (Rebetol™, 200 mg hard capsules or
solution: 40 mg/ml).
Generics Trade Names: RibaPak™, Ribasphere™, RibaTab™,
Ribavirin, Virazole™, Virazid™, Viramid™.
Drug class: Virostatic.
Indication: Ribavirin is a nucleoside analog indicated in
combination with IFN alfa-2a and 2b (pegylated and non-
pegylated) for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C infection in
patients 3 years of age or older with compensated liver disease.
RBV monotherapy is not effective for the treatment of CHC.
Dose: 800-1200 mg administered daily, orally in two divided
doses. The dose should be individualized, depending on body
weight and baseline disease characteristics, response to therapy
and tolerability of the regimen.
Side effects: The most important side effect is reversible
hemolytic anemia. The anemia associated with ribavirin therapy
may result in worsening of cardiac disease and lead to
myocardial infarctions. Dose reduction (600-800 mg/day) may be
necessary in cases of severe anemia (hemoglobin <10 g/dl).
However, always consider erythropoietin before dose reduction,