Study Boasts Taribavirin Advantage Over Ribavirin for HCV Treatment
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Taribavirin offers a safe, effective alternative for chronic hepatitis C
Public release date: 22-Sep-2010
Weight-based taribavirin reduces anemia, increases sustained virologic response
Researchers at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and 50 other centers found that weight-based dosing of taribavirin reduces rates of anemia while increasing sustained virologic response (SVR) in patients with chronic hepatitis C (HCV). Full details of this study are available in the October issue of Hepatology, a journal published by Wiley-Blackwell on behalf of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD).
Chronic HCV is typically treated with ribavirin (RBV). When used in combination with peginterferon alfa (peg-IFN), RBV significantly enhances on-treatment virologic response and reduces relapse. However, RBV, particularly the combination of interferon and RBV, is associated with hemolytic anemia, a significant toxicity resulting from the accumulation of RBV in red blood cells. Taribavirin (TBV), formerly known as viramidine, is a nucleoside analog and oral pro-drug of RBV that is less able to enter red blood cells, and should therefore be associated with significantly less anemia.
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http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2010-09/w-toa092210.php
