New Drug May Boost Hepatitis C Treatment
Wednesday, April 6, 2011 at 1:06PM When added to current treatment, boceprevir significantly improves response rates, researchers say.
Adding the new drug boceprevir to the current two-drug treatment for hepatitis C appears significantly more effective than the standard therapy, according to two new studies.
The drugs now used to treat hepatitis C, a chronic liver disease, are the antivirals peginterferon and ribavirin (Copegus), Rebetol, Ribatab and Ribasphere). Combining them with the not-yet approved drug boceprevir increased the response rate, researchers say.
Merck, the manufacturer of boceprevir, funded both studies, which are published in the March 31 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
'Boceprevir, a protese inhibitor, along with peginterferon and ribarvirin increases response rates in previously untreated patients,' said Dr Raj Reddy, co-researcher of one of the studies and director of hepatology and medical director of liver transplantation at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia.
'Also, with this new strategy you have the potential of reducing the duration of therapy, from 48 weeks to 28 weeks,' he added.
To read full article CLICK HERE
Reader Comments (2)
contented mind is the greatest blessing a man can enjoy in this world.-ladies scarves
That was my thought,too. idtflw idtflw - Belstaff Jacken Shop.