Study a new tool to facilitate the individualization of treatment in patients with hepatitis C

experts gather in Barcelona at the meeting of researchers on the study HRUBEJ

-healing of the sick rates have increased from 12% to 70%, in just a few years, thanks to standard treatment, pegylated interferon + Ribavirin

– there are new factors prognosis that help predict the chances of cure for patients before starting treatment, thereby facilitating the identification of the

-some of these factors depend on the virus (such as viral load and genotype) and others (the degree of liver disease) patient(: fibrosis and metabolic disorders). If analysed, can determine the chances of cure of the patients, ranging from a 0 – 10% up to 90-100%

-more than 80 hospitals participating in the study HRUBEJ and currently has almost recruited half of the sample. This study seeks to develop a tool to predict the impact of these prognostic factors and identify those patients most likely response

-the study will respond to what the real impact of the IL28B in the treatment of hepatitis C with standard therapy; what subgroup of patients presents more than 80% cure rate andtherefore hardly improved with treatments based on triple therapy; and have a tool to make decisions when new drugs are available in the market

Barcelona, September 2011- hepatitis C is a disease very prevalent that affects millions of people around the world. Despite this, Dr. Ricard Solà, head of the section of hepatology of the Hospital of the sea Barcelona, underscores that, unlike other viruses, hepatitis C can cure ”. ” Moreover adds Dr. Manuel Romero, head of the service of digestive system of the Hospital of Valme in Seville – is a condition that you we have been gaining ground slowly thanks to standard therapy, pegylated interferon + Ribavirin and new antiviral ”.

We live in a scenario where the rates of healing of the sick have increased 12% to 70% in just a few years, and where new factors Outlook help us predict the chances of cure for patients before starting the treatment ”, indicates Dr. Romero.

Many parameters that help make treatments, specialists are known as, for example, according to the kinetics of the virus during treatment, taking into account the first time that the virus becomes negative ”, explains Dr. Solá. Some of these factors depend on the virus (such as viral load and genotype) and others of the patient (the degree of liver disease: fibrosis and metabolic disorders). If analyzed, can determine the chances of cure for patients ranging from 0 – 10% up to 90-100% ”, argues Dr. Romero.

Recently, it has discovered a polymorphism of each person who predicts quite accurately the chances of cure of each individual. El IL28B helps us discover those patients with double therapy can cure almost 90% of potential ”, says Dr. Solá. Therefore, – adds – joins the other indicators which are of vital importance as they help us to explain it to the patient the possibilities of cure, and also to plan the treatment ”.

In this context, arises the need to develop a tool to predict the impact of these prognostic factors and to identify those patients most likely response. With these objectives was born the HRUBEJ study, already underway, and with half of the recruited patients and more than 80 hospitals in all Spain already involved. Our goal is to reach the sample to be able to optimize therapies and, therefore, resources ”, says Dr. Romero.

Yesterday was held in Barcelona the meeting of researchers to analyze the situation of the study, the purposes and project goals or to meet. Believe that with the HRUBEJ study we respond to what the real impact of the IL28B in the treatment of hepatitis C with standard therapy; What subgroup of patients presents more than 80%, and therefore cure rate, hardly improved with treatments based on triple therapy; and have a tool to make decisions when new drugs are available in the market ”, indicates Dr. Romero. Moreover, adds Dr. Solá – the HRUBEJ may also disclose who are patients who have the best genotype and the best chance of cure and not heal; and who are taking a worse genotype, still heal. This will determine the best individualized, based on double or triple therapy treatment, and the time of each ”.

A major suspicions that we have is that in patients who have positive genotype, patients that are easy to cure, heal just with the usual standard therapy, pegylated interferon + Ribavirin, patients receiving triple therapy, supposing, moreover, a significant increase in the cost of treatment and more adverse effects. This is one of the aspects that we want to show in this study, the rate of healing in patients with favourable genotype is so high that it is very difficult to her can overcome a new combination ”, concludes Dr. Romero.