Key Question 1: Not Applicable

Key Questions 2 and 3

1. Abergel A, Hezode C, Leroy V, et al. Peginterferon alpha-2b plus ribavirin for treatment of chronic hepatitis C with severe fibrosis: a multicentre randomized controlled trial comparing two doses of peginterferon alpha-2b. Journal of Viral Hepatitis. 2006 Dec;13(12):811–20. [PubMed: 17109680]
2. Andriulli A, Cursaro C, Cozzolongo R, et al. Early discontinuation of ribavirin in HCV-2 and HCV-3 patients responding to Peg-interferon alpha-2a and ribavirin. Journal of Viral Hepatitis. 2009 Jan;16(1):28–35. [PubMed: 18761603]
3. Ascione A, De Luca M, Tartaglione MT, et al. Peginterferon alfa-2a plus ribavirin is more effective than peginterferon alfa-2b plus ribavirin for treating chronic hepatitis C virus infection. Gastroenterology. 2010 Jan;138(1):116–22. [PubMed: 19852964]
4. Berg T, von Wagner M, Nasser S, et al. Extended treatment duration for hepatitis C virus type 1: comparing 48 versus 72 weeks of peginterferon-alfa-2a plus ribavirin. Gastroenterology. 2006 Apr;130(4):1086–97. [PubMed: 16618403]
5. Berg T, Weich V, Teuber G, et al. Individualized treatment strategy according to early viral kinetics in hepatitis C virus type 1-infected patients. Hepatology. 2009 Aug;50(2):369–77. [PubMed: 19575366]
6. Brady DE, Torres DM, An JW, et al. Induction pegylated interferon alfa-2b in combination with ribavirin in patients with genotypes 1 and 4 chronic hepatitis C: a prospective, randomized, multicenter, open-label study. Clinical Gastroenterology & Hepatology. 2010 Jan;8(1):66–71. [PubMed: 19747986]
7. Brandao C, Barone A, Carrilho F, et al. The results of a randomized trial looking at 24 weeks vs 48 weeks of treatment with peginterferon alpha-2a (40 kDa) and ribavirin combination therapy in patients with chronic hepatitis C genotype 1. Journal of Viral Hepatitis. 2006 Aug;13(8):552–9. [PubMed: 16901286]
8. Bronowicki J-P, Ouzan D, Asselah T, et al. Effect of ribavirin in genotype 1 patients with hepatitis C responding to pegylated interferon alfa-2a plus ribavirin. Gastroenterology. 2006 Oct;131(4):1040–8. [PubMed: 17030174]
9. Bruno R, Sacchi P, Ciappina V, et al. Viral dynamics and pharmacokinetics of peginterferon alpha-2a and peginterferon alpha-2b in naive patients with chronic hepatitis c: a randomized, controlled study. Antiviral Therapy. 2004;9(4):491–7. [PubMed: 15456079]
10. Buti M, Lurie Y, Zakharova NG, et al. Randomized trial of peginterferon alfa-2b and ribavirin for 48 or 72 weeks in patients with hepatitis C virus genotype 1 and slow virologic response. Hepatology. 2010 Oct;52(4):1201–7. [PubMed: 20683847]
11. Dalgard O, Bjoro K, Ring-Larsen H, et al. Pegylated interferon alfa and ribavirin for 14 versus 24 weeks in patients with hepatitis C virus genotype 2 or 3 and rapid virological response. Hepatology. 2008 Jan;47(1):35–42. [PubMed: 17975791]
12. Di Bisceglie AM, Ghalib RH, Hamzeh FM, et al. Early virologic response after peginterferon alpha-2a plus ribavirin or peginterferon alpha-2b plus ribavirin treatment in patients with chronic hepatitis C. Journal of Viral Hepatitis. 2007 Oct;14(10):721–9. [PubMed: 17875007]
13. Escudero A, Rodriguez F, Serra MA, et al. Pegylated alpha-interferon-2a plus ribavirin compared with pegylated alpha-interferon-2b plus ribavirin for initial treatment of chronic hepatitis C virus: prospective, non-randomized study. Journal of Gastroenterology & Hepatology. 2008 Jun;23(6):861–6. [PubMed: 18422960]
14. Ferenci P, Laferl H, Scherzer T-M, et al. Peginterferon alfa-2a/ribavirin for 48 or 72 weeks in hepatitis C genotypes 1 and 4 patients with slow virologic response. Gastroenterology. 2010 Feb;138(2):503–12. [Reprint in Korean J Hepatol. 2010 Jun;16(2):201–5; PMID: 20606507] [PubMed: 19909752]
15. Ferenci P, Brunner H, Laferl H, et al. A randomized, prospective trial of ribavirin 400 mg/day versus 800 mg/day in combination with peginterferon alfa-2a in hepatitis C virus genotypes 2 and 3. Hepatology. 2008 Jun;47(6):1816–23. [PubMed: 18454510]
16. Fried MW, Jensen DM, Rodriguez-Torres M, et al. Improved outcomes in patients with hepatitis C with difficult-to-treat characteristics: randomized study of higher doses of peginterferon alpha-2a and ribavirin. Hepatology. 2008 Oct;48(4):1033–43. [PubMed: 18697207]
17. Hadziyannis SJ, Sette H Jr, Morgan TR, et al. Peginterferon-alpha2a and ribavirin combination therapy in chronic hepatitis C: a randomized study of treatment duration and ribavirin dose. Annals of Internal Medicine. 2004 Mar 2;140(5):346–55. [PubMed: 14996676]
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19. Hezode C, Forestier N, Dusheiko G, et al. Telaprevir and peginterferon with or without ribavirin for chronic HCV infection. New England Journal of Medicine. 2009 Apr 30;360(18):1839–50. [PubMed: 19403903]
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21. Jacobson IM, Brown RS Jr, Freilich B, et al. Peginterferon alfa-2b and weight-based or flat-dose ribavirin in chronic hepatitis C patients: a randomized trial. Hepatology. 2007 Oct;46(4):971–81. [PubMed: 17894303]
22. Jacobson IM, Brown RS Jr, McCone J, et al. Impact of weight-based ribavirin with peginterferon alfa-2b in African Americans with hepatitis C virus genotype 1. Hepatology. 2007 Oct;46(4):982–90. [PubMed: 17894323]
23. Jacobson IM, McHutchison JG, Dusheiko G, et al. Telaprevir for Previously Untreated Chronic Hepatitis C Virus Infection. New England Journal of Medicine. 2011;364(25):2405–16. [PubMed: 21696307]
24. Kamal SM, Ahmed A, Mahmoud S, et al. Enhanced efficacy of pegylated interferon alpha-2a over pegylated interferon and ribavirin in chronic hepatitis C genotype 4A randomized trial and quality of life analysis. Liver Int. 2011;31(3):401–11. [PubMed: 21281434]
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26. Kawaoka T, Kawakami Y, Tsuji K, et al. Dose comparison study of pegylated interferon-alpha-2b plus ribavirin in naive Japanese patients with hepatitis C virus genotype 2: a randomized clinical trial. Journal of Gastroenterology & Hepatology. 2009 Mar;24(3):366–71. [PubMed: 19032459]
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28. Krawitt EL, Gordon SR, Grace ND, et al. A study of low dose peginterferon alpha-2b with ribavirin for the initial treatment of chronic hepatitis C. American Journal of Gastroenterology. 2006 Jun;101(6):1268–73. [PubMed: 16771948]
29. Kumada H, Toyota J, Okanoue T, et al. Telaprevir with peginterferon and ribavirin for treatment-naive patients chronically infected with HCV of genotype 1 in Japan. Journal of Hepatology. 2012;56(1):78–84. [PubMed: 21827730]
30. Kwo PY, Lawitz EJ, McCone J, et al. Efficacy of boceprevir, an NS3 protease inhibitor, in combination with peginterferon alfa-2b and ribavirin in treatment-naive patients with genotype 1 hepatitis C infection (SPRINT-1): an open-label, randomised, multicentre phase 2 trial. Lancet. 2010 Aug 28;376(9742):705–16. [Erratum appears in Lancet. 2010 Oct 9;376(9748):1224 Note: SPRINT-1 investigators [added]; multiple investigator names added] [PubMed: 20692693]
31. Lagging M, Langeland N, Pedersen C, et al. Randomized comparison of 12 or 24 weeks of peginterferon alpha-2a and ribavirin in chronic hepatitis C virus genotype 2/3 infection. Hepatology. 2008 Jun;47(6):1837–45. [PubMed: 18454508]
32. Lam KD, Trinh HN, Do ST, et al. Randomized controlled trial of pegylated interferon-alfa 2a and ribavirin in treatment-naive chronic hepatitis C genotype 6. Hepatology. 2010 Nov;52(5):1573–80. [PubMed: 21038410]
33. Liu C-H, Liu C-J, Lin C-L, et al. Pegylated interferon-alpha-2a plus ribavirin for treatment-naive Asian patients with hepatitis C virus genotype 1 infection: a multicenter, randomized controlled trial. Clinical Infectious Diseases. 2008 Nov 15;47(10):1260–9. [PubMed: 18834319]
34. Mach TH, Ciesla A, Warunek W, et al. Efficacy of pegylated interferon alfa-2a or alfa-2b in combination with ribavirin in the treatment of chronic hepatitis caused by hepatitis C virus genotype 1b. Polskie Archiwum Medycyny Wewnetrznej. 2011:434–40. [PubMed: 22157768]
35. Magni CNF, Argenteri B, Giorgi R, et al. Abstract #883: Antiviral activity and tolerability between pegylated interferon alpha 2a and alpha 2b in naive patients with chronic hepatitis C: Results of a prospective monocentric randomized trial. Hepatology. 2009;50(S4):720A.
36. Mangia A, Santoro R, Minerva N, et al. Peginterferon alfa-2b and ribavirin for 12 vs. 24 weeks in HCV genotype 2 or 3. New England Journal of Medicine. 2005 Jun 23;352(25):2609–17. [PubMed: 15972867]
37. Manns MP, McHutchison JG, Gordon SC, et al. Peginterferon alfa-2b plus ribavirin compared with interferon alfa-2b plus ribavirin for initial treatment of chronic hepatitis C: a randomised trial. Lancet. 2001;358(9286):958–65. [PubMed: 11583749]
38. Manns M, Zeuzem S, Sood A, et al. Reduced dose and duration of peginterferon alfa-2b and weight-based ribavirin in patients with genotype 2 and 3 chronic hepatitis C. Journal of Hepatology. 2011;55(3):554–63. [PubMed: 21237227]
39. Marcellin P, Forns X, Goeser T, et al. Telaprevir is effective given every 8 or 12 hours with ribavirin and peginterferon alfa-2a or -2b to patients with chronic hepatitis C. Gastroenterology. 2011 Feb;140(2):459–68. [PubMed: 21034744]
40. McHutchison JG, Everson GT, Gordon SC, et al. Telaprevir with peginterferon and ribavirin for chronic HCV genotype 1 infection. New England Journal of Medicine. 2009 Apr 30;360(18):1827–38. [Erratum appears in N Engl J Med. 2009 Oct 8;361(15):1516] [PubMed: 19403902]
41. McHutchison JG, Lawitz EJ, Shiffman ML, et al. Peginterferon alfa-2b or alfa-2a with ribavirin for treatment of hepatitis C infection. New England Journal of Medicine. 2009 Aug 6;361(6):580–93. [Erratum appears in N Engl J Med. 2009 Sep 3;361(10):1027] [PubMed: 19625712]
42. Mecenate F, Pellicelli AM, Barbaro G, et al. Short versus standard treatment with pegylated interferon alfa-2A plus ribavirin in patients with hepatitis C virus genotype 2 or 3: the cleo trial. BMC Gastroenterology. 2010;10:21. [PMC free article: PMC2837223] [PubMed: 20170514]
43. Meyer-Wyss B, Rich P, Egger H, et al. Comparison of two PEG-interferon alpha-2b doses (1.0 or 1.5 microg/kg) combined with ribavirin in interferon-naive patients with chronic hepatitis C and up to moderate fibrosis. Journal of Viral Hepatitis. 2006 Jul;13(7):457–65. [PubMed: 16792539]
44. Mimidis K, Papadopoulos VP, Elefsiniotis I, et al. Hepatitis C virus survival curve analysis in naive patients treated with peginterferon alpha-2b plus ribavirin. A randomized controlled trial for induction with high doses of peginterferon and predictability of sustained viral response from early virologic data. Journal of Gastrointestinal & Liver Diseases. 2006 Sep;15(3):213–9. [PubMed: 17013444]
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48. Reddy KR, Shiffman ML, Rodriguez-Torres M, et al. Induction pegylated interferon alfa-2a and high dose ribavirin do not increase SVR in heavy patients with HCV genotype 1 and high viral loads. Gastroenterology. 2010 Dec;139(6):1972–83. [PubMed: 20816836]
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61. Zeuzem S, Diago M, Gane E, et al. Peginterferon alfa-2a (40 kilodaltons) and ribavirin in patients with chronic hepatitis C and normal aminotransferase levels. Gastroenterology. 2004 Dec;127(6):1724–32. [PubMed: 15578510]

Key Question 4

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7. Bruno S, Stroffolini T, Colombo M, et al. Sustained virological response to interferon-alpha is associated with improved outcome in HCV-related cirrhosis: a retrospective study. Hepatology. 2007 Mar;45(3):579–87. [PubMed: 17326216]
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29. Yu M-L, Lin S-M, Chuang W-L, et al. A sustained virological response to interferon or interferon/ribavirin reduces hepatocellular carcinoma and improves survival in chronic hepatitis C: a nationwide, multicentre study in Taiwan. Antiviral Therapy. 2006;11(8):985–94. [PubMed: 17302368]