Health Dictionary
Reliable, easy-to-read patient information on common medical conditions — written in plain language, free of jargon, and grounded in current evidence. Browse the most frequent diagnoses, understand what they mean for everyday life, and learn which steps and questions help you have a focused conversation with your doctor.
Ribavirin indications and usage
Introduction
Indications And Usage
Indications And Usage
Chronic Hepatitis C (CHC)
REBETOL® (ribavirin) in combination with interferon alfa-2b (pegylated and nonpegylated) is indicated for the treatment of Chronic Hepatitis C (CHC) in patients 3 years of age and older with compensated liver disease [see Warnings and Precautions (5.9, 5.10), and Use in Specific Populations (8.4)].
The following points should be considered when initiating REBETOL combination therapy with PegIntron® or INTRON A®:
- These indications are based on achieving undetectable HCV-RNA after treatment for 24 or 48 weeks and maintaining a Sustained Virologic Response (SVR) 24 weeks after the last dose.
- Combination therapy with REBETOL/PegIntron is preferred over REBETOL/INTRON A as this combination provides substantially better response rates [see Clinical Studies (14)].
- Patients with the following characteristics are less likely to benefit from re-treatment after failing a course of therapy: previous nonresponse, previous pegylated interferon treatment, significant bridging fibrosis or cirrhosis, and genotype 1 infection [see Clinical Studies (14)]. ==
- No safety and efficacy data are available for treatment of longer than one year.[1]
References
References
- ↑ “REBETOL (RIBAVIRIN) CAPSULE REBETOL (RIBAVIRIN) LIQUID [MERCK SHARP & DOHME CORP.]”. Retrieved 6 January 2014.
Adapted from the FDA Package Insert.
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]