Advantage of IFN‐β/α2b same‐day administration for ribavirin‐intolerant patients with chronic hepatitis C

Aim:  Although interferon (IFN)/ribavirin is the mainstream combination treatment for chronic hepatitis C in patients with a high viral load, ribavirin is problematic for women of childbearing age and patients with anemia. Therefore we needed to establish a new regimen without ribavirin. Methods:  We devised a new regimen (same‐day β/α2b) to administer IFN‐β and α2b on the same‐day, and compared it with IFN‐α2b alone and IFN‐α2b plus ribavirin. The cases were 36 patients (26.1%) in whom ribavirin could not be used (young women, anemia, etc.) among 138 patients who underwent IFN treatment after ribavirin release. Results:  The percentages of patients withdrawing due to side‐effects were 6.8%, 18.8% and 17.0% in the treatment with same‐day β/α2b, IFN‐α2b alone and IFN‐α2b plus ribavirin groups, respectively. In genotype 1b, the sustained viral response (SVR) was 28.6% (4/14), 13.6% (3/22) and 25.0% (8/32) with a high viral load, and 91.7% (11/12), 27.3% (3/11) and 57.1% (4/7) with a low viral load for the respective groups. According to a study on viral half‐life during the early phase of IFN therapy, there was no difference among the regimens of same‐day IFN‐β/α2b, β alone, α2b alone and twice‐daily treatment with IFN‐β. Same‐day β/α2b treatment showed a significantly higher SVR rate in moving type patients with a genotype 1b/high viral load. Conclusions:  Same‐day β/α2b treatment resulted in few cases where therapy was discontinued and showed a high SVR rate. This regimen is especially appropriate in cases where ribavirin has been deemed unsuitable.