New hope for Chinese hepatitis C patients
( 2003-09-04 15:02) (China Daily)
The introduction of Pegasys
by the Swiss pharmaceutical giant Roche in the Chinese market is bringing hope
for the many chronic hepatitis C patients.
Pegasys, considered the world's most advanced anti-viral therapy, has shown
the highest recorded sustained virological response (SVR) for monotherapy in
hepatitis C. It provides consistent, highly effective seven-day viral
suppression with convenient once-weekly dosing.
"Extensive research and trials have demonstrated that Pegasys is up to four
times more effective than standard interferon even in the most difficult to
treat patients, which are people suffering from liver cirrhosis. What's also
critical to physicians and patients alike, is that Pegasys has fewer side
effects than conventional combination therapy so patients will be better able to
tolerate the medication on their road to recovery. It promises to become the new
standard in pegylated interferon therapy," according to Dr. Reichen, chairman of
the Department of Clinical Pharmacology, University of Berne.
Conventional interferons have several limitations including low efficacy due
to shorter periods of anti-viral activity, three-times-weekly dosing and side
effects, which lead to a diminished quality of life for patients.
Pegasys is much more effective than ordinary interferon for genotype 1 virus,
which affects more than 80 per cent of the hepatitis C patients in China and the
US.
Hepatitis C is a potentially life-threatening viral infection that can lead
to liver inflammation, liver disease, cirrhosis or liver cancer. Transmitted
primarily through infected blood, approximately 3 per cent of the world's
population, or 170 million, is infected with the hepatitis C virus, making
hepatitis C more common than the HIV virus.
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