Recent i.v.-drug users with chronic hepatitis C can be efficiently treated with daily high dose induction therapy...

To investigate the use of high dose consensus-interferon in combination with ribavirin in former iv drug users infected with hepatitis C.

We started, before pegylated (PEG)-interferons were available, an open-label study to investigate the efficacy and tolerability of high dose induction therapy with consensus interferon (CIFN) and ribavirin in treatment of naiive patients with chronic hepatitis C. Fifty-eight patients who were former iv drug users, were enrolled receiving 18 microg of CIFN daily for 8 wk, followed by 9 mug daily for up to wk 24 or 48 and 800 mg of ribavirin daily. End point of the study was tolerability and eradication of the virus at wk 48 and sustained virological response at wk 72.

More than 62% of patients responded to the treatment with CIFN at wk 24 or 48, respectively, showing a negative qualitative PCR [genotype 1 fourteen patients (56%), genotype 2 five (50%), genotype 3 thirteen (87%), genotype 4 four (50%)]. Forty-eight percent of genotype 1 patients showed sustained virological response (SVR) six months after the treatment.

CIFN on a daily basis is well tolerated and side effects like leuko- and thrombocytopenia are moderate. End of therapy (EOT) rates are slightly lower than the newer standard therapy with pegylated interferons. CIFN on a daily basis might be a favourable therapy regimen for patients with GT1 and high viral load or for non-responders after failure of standard therapy.