A randomized, controlled trial of triple antiviral therapy as initial treatment of chronic hepatitis C in HIV-infected patients

Background/Aims Interferon and ribavirin combination therapy for chronic hepatitis C induces a low response rate in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infected patients. To assess the impact of intensification of interferon administration and of the addition of amantadine on the efficacy and safety of standard anti-hepatitis C virus (HCV) treatment in HIV-infected patients. Methods Multicentre, prospective, open-label, randomized, phase III clinical trial. Eighty co-infected patients were randomized to receive ribavirin 800–1000 mg/day in combination with, group A: interferon alpha2a 3 MIU thrice weekly; group B: IFNα2a 3 MIU daily, plus amantadine 200 mg/day; treatment duration was 24–48 weeks according to HCV genotype. Results Forty-one patients were randomized in group A and 39 in group B. Intention-to-treat analysis showed a sustained virological response, defined as HCV-RNA negativization, 6 months after stopping treatment in 22% of patients from group A and 13% from group B (P>0.05). The lack of a 2-log drop in HCV-RNA levels after 12 weeks of treatment showed a 100% predictive value of lack of sustained response. Conclusions Amantadine addition and interferon intensification do not improve the low efficacy of combination of interferon alfa plus ribavirin in HIV/HCV co-infected patients. Patients with no early virologic response did not have any probability of sustained response.