VX-950-C211 - A Dosing Regimen Study (Twice Daily Versus Every 8 Hours) of Telaprevir in Treatment-naïve Participants With Genotype 1 Chronic Hepatitis C Virus Infection

This is a randomized (study drug assigned by chance), open-label (all persons know the study drug assignment) multicenter study to evaluate the effectiveness of telaprevir administered orally as 1125 milligram (mg) twice daily versus 750mg every 8 hours in combination with Peg-IFN-alfa-2a, administered via intramuscular injection once a week, and ribavirin, administered as an oral tablet twice a day, in treatment-naïve study participants with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype 1 infection.

Telaprevir will be given orally (by mouth) from Day 1 through Week 12 as 3 tablets (1125mg) twice daily or 2 tablets (750mg) every 8 hours. Peg-IFN-alfa-2a will be administered once a week as an injection under the skin (180 microgram/week) from Day 1 through Week 24 or 48 (based on the patient's treatment response on week 4). Ribavirin is administered orally (by mouth) twice daily from Day 1 through Week 24 or 48 (based on the participant's treatment response on week 4) as 1,000-1,200 mg per day. After the end of treatment (Week 24, Week 48, or at early discontinuation of all study drugs), participants with undetectable HCV RNA at end of treatment will be required to attend follow-up visits until Week 72 safety/tolerability assessments will be performed throughout the treatment period and during the follow-up period.

Inclusion criteria

• Patient has chronic HCV infection genotype 1 with HCV RNA level > 1,000 IU/mL
• Patients should not have had any previous treatment for hepatitis C
• Patient must have documentation of a liver biopsy within 2 years before the screening visit or the patient must agree to have a biopsy performed within the screening period
• Patients with cirrhosis should have serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) <= 50 ng/mL. If AFP > 50 ng/mL, absence of a mass must be demonstrated by ultrasound within the screening period
• A female patient of childbearing potential and a nonvasectomized male patient who has a female partner of childbearing potential must agree to the use of 2 effective methods of birth control from screening until 6 months (female patient) or 7 months (male patient) after the last dose of RBV.

Exclusion criteria

• Patient is infected or co-infected with HCV of another genotype than genotype 1 and/or patient is infected with more than one genotype subtype
• Patient has a pre-existing psychiatric condition
• Patient has history of decompensated liver disease or shows evidence of significant liver disease in addition to hepatitis C
• Patient has human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) or hepatitis B virus (HBV) co-infection
• Patient has active malignant disease or history of malignant disease within the past 5 years (with the exception of treated basal cell carcinoma).