Consensus IFN monotherapy with high-dose induction shows high efficacy and cost-effectiveness in chronic hepatitis C patients with genotype 2 infection. Thus, it may be a reliable alternative in aged patients and for those excluded from standard combination therapy.

It has been reported that elderly patients with chronic hepatitis C infection cannot tolerate standard combination therapy. In this randomized, controlled trial, the efficacy and safety of peginterferon alpha-2b plus a low and escalating dose of ribavirin in chronic hepatitis C patients with high viral load genotype 1 were investigated. Sixty-two patients were randomized into combination therapy with standard ribavirin dosing (group 1) or low and escalating ribavirin dosing (group 2). Patients were evaluated for safety and efficacy of treatment. There was no significant difference in the prevalence of virological response between the groups throughout the treatment as well as 24 weeks after treatment. However, the response in patients ≥60 years of age was higher in group 1 than in group 2 at early treatment phase (P = 0.015). The prevalence of completion of therapy in patients ≥60 years of age tended to be higher in group 2 than in group 1 (50% vs. 0%, P = 0.055). There was no significant difference in dose modification of peginterferon alpha-2b between the groups. However, dose modification of ribavirin was significantly more frequent in group 1 than in group 2 (60% vs. 24%, P = 0.005). These data suggest that combination therapy with low and escalating dosing of ribavirin may be safer in elderly patients than that with standard dosing of ribavirin without impairing the treatment response.

Elderly patients with chronic hepatitis C cannot tolerate standard combination therapy of peginterferon and ribavirin, which remains the backbone of therapy in many countries, including Japan. The efficacy and safety of low-dose peginterferon α-2b in combination with low and escalating doses of ribavirin in older patients with high viral load genotype 1 were investigated in this randomized controlled trial. Thirty-two patients (age ≥ 60 years) were randomized into standard (group 1) or low (group 2) doses of peginterferon α-2b in combination with low and escalating doses of ribavirin. Patients were evaluated for safety and efficacy of treatment. There was a higher virological response rate in group 1 than in group 2. However, the response in men was higher than in women in the early treatment phase and 24 weeks after treatment (P = 0.008). There was no significant difference between the two groups in the virological response rate in men and women. Completion of therapy was higher in group 2 than in group 1 (31% vs. 13%, P = 0.200). Dose modification of ribavirin was less frequent in group 2 than in group 1 (69% vs. 88%, P = 0.200). These data suggest that combination therapy with low-dose peginterferon plus low and escalating doses of ribavirin may be safer in older patients than that with standard dose peginterferon, without impairing the treatment response.