The hepatitis C virus (HCV) is the most common chronic blood-borne infection in the United States, with about 2.7 million people being infected, according to an editorial in the New England Journal of Medicine. In addition, most of those infected go undiagnosed, since it usually produces no symptoms.

Now, two new studies have shown that a new, modified form of interferon, the currently preferred therapy of mainstream medicine for hepatitis C, is more effective than ordinary interferon.

Standard interferon is usually given in combination with the drug ribavirin, but the treatment provides long-lasting benefits to fewer than 20% of patients who receive it and can cause serious side effects.

Since regular interferon does not remain in the body for long, it is usually taken three times a week. But a process called pegylation produces peginterferon alfa-2a, which stays in the body longer so patients only have to take it once a week.

Pegylation is a process by which a molecule of the polymer polyethyleneglycol (PEG) is joined to the drug. The purpose is to alter the metabolism and excretion of the active agent in order to reduce the frequency of doses.

"In patients with chronic hepatitis C, a regimen of peginterferon alfa-2a given once weekly is more effective than a regimen of interferon alfa-2a given three times weekly" researchers conclude.

In the second study, researchers report that peginterferon alfa-2a is more effective than ordinary interferon in patients with HCV who have already developed cirrhosis or some scarring of the liver. Normally, anti-HCV treatment can cause extremely serious side effects in people who have already developed liver scarring.

Both studies were funded by F. Hoffmann-LaRoche, the Swiss company that makes peginterferon alfa-2a, which is not currently approved for use in the US.

In an accompanying editorial, Drs. Daniel F. Schafer and Michael F. Sorrell, of the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha, note that peginterferon alfa-2a may be a promising treatment for HCV. However, they note that a higher percentage of Americans than in the studies are infected with a strain of HCV that is more resistant to treatment. Whereas 75% of infected persons in the US carry a variant of HCV that is more resistant to interferon alfa therapy, only 62% and 56% percent of the patients in the two just-published trials had this strain of the virus.

The NEJM editorialist notes:

Combination therapy with interferon alfa and ribavirin is now considered the treatment of choice for chronic hepatitis C. Even this therapy is none too good, however: more than half the patients who receive treatment will continue to have viremia once treatment is stopped ... . The complex and shifting balance between host and virus has driven hepatologists to adopt the language of oncologists. Instead of "cure," we have "response" (loss of measurable levels of virus in the blood during therapy) and "sustained response" (loss of measurable levels of virus 24 weeks after the completion of therapy). Clinical trials focus on a variety of end points, including biochemical, virologic, and histologic responses. This cautious terminology is necessary for a disease with a variable natural history and a rate of progression that is measured in decades.

The New England Journal of Medicine December 7, 2000; 343: 1666-1680, 1723-1724

Dr. Mercola's Comments:

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is the most common chronic blood-borne infection in the United States. Although interferon is a naturally produced substance (cytokine), do not be fooled into thinking that this is a "natural" and safe therapy. These "natural" substances can be every bit as deadly when forced on the body in a way and at levels that it was not designed to function with. Although these natural chemicals are in fact are a part of the healing process, the proper way to resolve the illness is to optimize the body through nutritional, structural, emotional and spiritual work so it can make these chemicals in the perfect amount and timing to resolve the illness. In addition, the standard treatment of Hepatitis C entails the use of Ribaviron, an antiviral drug with many side effects and is also capable of causing birth defects and miscarriages. Even men taking Ribavirin may father children with birth defects or induce fetal loss, since the drug has been detected in semen. This is why doctors recommend using 2 forms of birth control while taking the drug and for 6 months following discontinuance, due to the long time that the drug stays in the system. It is likely that Roche (drug company) will use this report and others yet to be published to convince physicians to prescribe their expensive new drug for the over two million Americans who are currently infected with hepatitis C. However, there are natural therapies for hepatitis C that can be tried before these toxic drug regimens. Lipoic acid at 200 mg three times a day and selenium 200-600 mcg per day seem to be the nearly magic duo. One can also use silymarin or other herbal products that seem to help the liver. I first became aware of this regimen by Dr. Burt Berkson. He is an internist and during his training was given several patients who were expected to die from hepatitis. His job was to merely babysit them in the ICU and watch them die. He did not do that, but rather called his associate at the National Institutes of Health and used the lipoic acid and these two patients with hepatic failure due to ingestion of amanita (poisonous mushrooms) and they were not expected to live more than a few weeks. Yet they completely recovered with these supplements. Dr. Berkson has been lecturing all over the world on this topic since that time. He published a study on this last year. Related Articles: Non-Drug Approaches to Hepatitis C Ignored by "Awareness" Campaign Hepatitis C Reconsidered Hepatitis C Virus Infects At Least 2.7Million Americans