A Study of Sustained Virological Response in Relation to IL28-b Expression in Treatment-Naïve Patients With Chronic Hepatitis C Genotype 1 on Combination Treatment With Pegasys (Peginterferon Alfa-2a) and Copegus (Ribavirin)

Participants with sustained virological response (SVR) rate in relation to interleukin 28B expression were reported. SVR rate is defined as the percentage of participants with undetectable HCV Ribonucleic acid (RNA), measured at least 24 weeks after the end of treatment (48 weeks) in terms of the expression profile of Interleukin 28B (IL-28B) (CC, CT or TT) in participants with genotype 1 hepatitis C virus (HCV) chronic infection. Participants with detectable HCV RNA or without measurement at the end of the follow-up period were considered as non-responders.

Anemia is a condition marked by a deficiency of red blood cells (RBCs) or of hemoglobin (Hb) in the blood, resulting in pallor and weariness anemia (Hb < 11 gram per decilitre (g/dL) for women and Hb < 12 g/dL for men). Incidence of anemia was calculated by dividing the number of participants who experienced the event by the number of participants in the safety population.

Viral Response rate (rapid/early/end of treatment) in relation to IL28-B expression (measured by the rate of non-detection of HCV RNA at treatment Weeks 4, 12, 24 and after the End of Treatment (EOT, i.e. Week 48) based on the expression profile of IL-28B (CC, CT or TT) were reported. Rapid virologic response (RVR) was defined as undetectable HCV RNA at treatment Week 4. Partial early virological response (pEVR) was defined as positive HCV viral load, but with a >= 2 log10 international units (IU) per millilitre (mL) reduction at treatment Week 12 from Baseline (Week 0); Complete early virologic response (cEVR) was defined as undetectable HCV RNA at treatment Week 12; Virologic response at treatment Week 24 (VR 24) was defined as undetectable HCV RNA at treatment Week 24; Virologic response at end of treatment (EOT) was defined as undetectable HCV RNA at treatment Week 48; SVR at 24 weeks after end of treatment was defined as undetectable HCV RNA at 24 weeks after EOT.

Participants with sustained virological response (SVR) and development of anemia during the first month and after the first month of treatment according to the different expression profiles of IL-28B were reported.

Viral load reduction at Week 4 and Week 12 relative to the Baseline (Week 0) in terms of the expression profile of IL-28b was reported. The reduction was measured according to the following ranges: < 1.0 log IU/ml; >= 1.0 and < 2.0 log IU/ml; >= 2.0 and < 3.0 log IU/ml; >= 3.0 and <4.0 log IU/ml; >= 4.0 log IU/ml. Changes in viral load are usually reported as a log change (in powers of 10). For example, a two log decrease in viral load (2 Log10) is a decrease of 10^2 or 100 times to the previously reported levels. N = number of participants, for Week 0 to Week 4 (n = 34, 68, 17) and Week 0 to Week 12 (n = 35, 69, 18) for CC, CT and TT genotypes respectively.