1998: The future begins… Ribavirin and interferon
- More patients treated with IFN + ribavirin for 24 weeks had virological SR than those treated with IFN alone.
- This benefit was greatest in the subset of patients with higher pre-treatment viral RNA levels.
- ETRs were not different, suggesting ribavirin may affect rates of relapse after treatment is stopped.
- Combination therapy was associated with more treatment drop-outs and adverse effects.
- “The question of whether a SR predicts an improved long-term prognosis has not been answered.”