Albuferon -:- Woman in Mayo trial of hepatitis C treatment

[Guest guest]

Excerpted from:

http://www.azcentral.com/community/chandler/articles/1229sr-HEPC27Z6.html

Recently Sprinzl, 55, became a participant in a new drug study at the Mayo Clinic in sdale that may provide a more user-friendly regimen for hepatitis C patients. The test drug, Albuferon, requires less frequent dosing and may produce fewer side effects. The new drug combines interferon with albumen, a protein found in egg whites. "What is unique about the treatment is that Albuferon can stay in your system for a month," said Dr. Vijay Balan, the liver disease specialist who heads the Mayo study being conducted with eight other U.S. hospitals.Mayo participated earlier in an initial study assessing Albuferon for safety and toxicity. The study is accepting patients who have not responded to earlier treatment. Balan explained that existing treatments fail half of all hepatitis C patients. The most common strain of the disease, genotype 1, the type Sprinzl has, is also the one that is least likely to respond to treatment. So far,

17 patients have qualified for the study at Mayo. Eighty patients will be treated at participating hospitals.In the earlier safety study, patients responded well to two treatments, but the project was short term. The new study will run longer. Patients will be given the drug at either two-week or four-week intervals for 48 weeks.

The level of the virus will be measured, along with liver function, to assess the efficacy of the drug.

Patients will report on their degree of comfort.

Patients who show improvement will be tracked for a half year after the test, "to make sure the sustained vital response is continuing to hold," Balan said.