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Ribavirin and interferon alfa-2b in chronic hepatitis C: assessment of possible pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic interactions

Ribavirin and interferon alfa-2b in chronic hepatitis C: assessment of possible pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic interactions
Ribavirin and interferon alfa-2b in chronic hepatitis C: assessment of possible pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic interactions

AIMS: The primary objective of this study was to determine whether pharmacokinetic interactions occurred between interferon alpha-2b (IFN) and ribavirin in patients with chronic hepatitis C infections. Additionally this study assessed the single and multiple-dose pharmacokinetics of ribavirin and IFN, and compared the safety, tolerability and antiviral pharmacodynamics of IFN plus ribavirin compared with either drug alone.

METHODS: In this open label parallel group study, patients with chronic hepatitis C were randomized to receive IFN 3 million IU thrice weekly s.c. alone, ribavirin 600 mg twice daily p.o. alone or both drugs in combination over 6 weeks. Single and multiple dose pharmacokinetics and indices of antiviral pharmacodynamics were assessed during weeks 1 and 6, along with safety assessments during the study.

RESULTS: The range of mean ribavirin terminal phase half-lives after single doses was 44-49 h. Comparison of week 1 and week 6 AUC(0,12h) values showed accumulation in plasma of approximately 6-fold. The range of mean washout half-lives after week 6 was 274-298 h, reflecting release of ribavirin from deep compartment stores. The range of single and multiple dose IFN terminal phase half-lives was 5-7 h. IFN demonstrated an increase in bioavailability (approximately 2-fold) upon multiple dose administration. Ribavirin and IFN pharmacokinetic parameters for combined ribavirin and IFN were similar to those during monotherapy with either compound, although the power of this study to detect differences was low. Serum HCV-RNA titers and ALT concentrations were reduced by IFN alone, ribavirin alone reduced ALT concentrations only, and combined IFN plus ribavirin produced numerically greater falls in both measurements than either treatment alone. Serum concentrations of neopterin and activity of 2',5'-oligoadenylate synthetase (2'5'-OAS) were increased by IFN alone and in combination with ribavirin, whereas serum 2'5'-OAS activity was decreased and neopterin concentrations unaltered by ribavirin monotherapy. IFN and ribavirin monotherapy produced characteristic changes in safety laboratory tests (IFN--reductions in white cells, neutrophils and platelets; ribavirin--reduced haemoglobin) and characteristic adverse event profiles (IFN--headache, flu-like symptoms, fatigue, anorexia, nausea, myalgia, and insomnia; ribavirin--headache, fatigue, myalgia, and pruritus). There was no additive effect of combination therapy on safety laboratory tests or reported adverse events. All changes were fully reversible upon treatment cessation.

CONCLUSIONS: There was no evidence of pharmacokinetic interactions between IFN and ribavirin in this study. There were numerical trends indicating that the combination of IFN and ribavirin reduced titers of HCV-RNA to a greater extent than did either treatment alone, and the safety profile of combination therapy was similar to those of both monotherapy treatments.

interferon alfa-2b, ribavirin, hepatitis C, HCV RNA, neopterin, 2?5?-oligoadenylate synthetase, pharmacokinetics, drug interaction, pharmacodynamics
0306-5251
563-570
Khakoo, Salim I.
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Glue, P.
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Grellier, L.
2ab8fa06-3915-461c-aa84-fd428e291cf4
Wells, B.
97ec2f49-524c-4b51-8dab-10651fe198f8
Bell, A.
086f9e6b-db7e-429b-8244-596d2ae7e07c
Dash, C.
755adf2a-43c5-4880-ad3b-e9707944331f
Murray-Lyon, I.
b42b8e46-db3d-4120-9f3d-e8f4a85b82c6
Lypnyj, D.
efd798fd-f189-4a41-8a64-b2f3d07c09c1
Flannery, B.
bc33c14d-7182-48ce-b337-f2421a3042f9
Walters, K.
ae867b96-6600-45ae-b92d-1aae03fe66b2
Dusheiko, G.M.
d38496da-e082-430c-b719-4230a4addc6c
Khakoo, Salim I.
6c16d2f5-ae80-4d9b-9100-6bfb34ad0273
Glue, P.
97320f6a-ea84-47cd-89e0-8b03f511985c
Grellier, L.
2ab8fa06-3915-461c-aa84-fd428e291cf4
Wells, B.
97ec2f49-524c-4b51-8dab-10651fe198f8
Bell, A.
086f9e6b-db7e-429b-8244-596d2ae7e07c
Dash, C.
755adf2a-43c5-4880-ad3b-e9707944331f
Murray-Lyon, I.
b42b8e46-db3d-4120-9f3d-e8f4a85b82c6
Lypnyj, D.
efd798fd-f189-4a41-8a64-b2f3d07c09c1
Flannery, B.
bc33c14d-7182-48ce-b337-f2421a3042f9
Walters, K.
ae867b96-6600-45ae-b92d-1aae03fe66b2
Dusheiko, G.M.
d38496da-e082-430c-b719-4230a4addc6c

Khakoo, Salim I., Glue, P., Grellier, L., Wells, B., Bell, A., Dash, C., Murray-Lyon, I., Lypnyj, D., Flannery, B., Walters, K. and Dusheiko, G.M. (1998) Ribavirin and interferon alfa-2b in chronic hepatitis C: assessment of possible pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic interactions. British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, 46 (6), 563-570. (doi:10.1046/j.1365-2125.1998.00836.x). (PMID:9862245)

Record type: Article

Abstract


AIMS: The primary objective of this study was to determine whether pharmacokinetic interactions occurred between interferon alpha-2b (IFN) and ribavirin in patients with chronic hepatitis C infections. Additionally this study assessed the single and multiple-dose pharmacokinetics of ribavirin and IFN, and compared the safety, tolerability and antiviral pharmacodynamics of IFN plus ribavirin compared with either drug alone.

METHODS: In this open label parallel group study, patients with chronic hepatitis C were randomized to receive IFN 3 million IU thrice weekly s.c. alone, ribavirin 600 mg twice daily p.o. alone or both drugs in combination over 6 weeks. Single and multiple dose pharmacokinetics and indices of antiviral pharmacodynamics were assessed during weeks 1 and 6, along with safety assessments during the study.

RESULTS: The range of mean ribavirin terminal phase half-lives after single doses was 44-49 h. Comparison of week 1 and week 6 AUC(0,12h) values showed accumulation in plasma of approximately 6-fold. The range of mean washout half-lives after week 6 was 274-298 h, reflecting release of ribavirin from deep compartment stores. The range of single and multiple dose IFN terminal phase half-lives was 5-7 h. IFN demonstrated an increase in bioavailability (approximately 2-fold) upon multiple dose administration. Ribavirin and IFN pharmacokinetic parameters for combined ribavirin and IFN were similar to those during monotherapy with either compound, although the power of this study to detect differences was low. Serum HCV-RNA titers and ALT concentrations were reduced by IFN alone, ribavirin alone reduced ALT concentrations only, and combined IFN plus ribavirin produced numerically greater falls in both measurements than either treatment alone. Serum concentrations of neopterin and activity of 2',5'-oligoadenylate synthetase (2'5'-OAS) were increased by IFN alone and in combination with ribavirin, whereas serum 2'5'-OAS activity was decreased and neopterin concentrations unaltered by ribavirin monotherapy. IFN and ribavirin monotherapy produced characteristic changes in safety laboratory tests (IFN--reductions in white cells, neutrophils and platelets; ribavirin--reduced haemoglobin) and characteristic adverse event profiles (IFN--headache, flu-like symptoms, fatigue, anorexia, nausea, myalgia, and insomnia; ribavirin--headache, fatigue, myalgia, and pruritus). There was no additive effect of combination therapy on safety laboratory tests or reported adverse events. All changes were fully reversible upon treatment cessation.

CONCLUSIONS: There was no evidence of pharmacokinetic interactions between IFN and ribavirin in this study. There were numerical trends indicating that the combination of IFN and ribavirin reduced titers of HCV-RNA to a greater extent than did either treatment alone, and the safety profile of combination therapy was similar to those of both monotherapy treatments.

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More information

Published date: December 1998
Keywords: interferon alfa-2b, ribavirin, hepatitis C, HCV RNA, neopterin, 2?5?-oligoadenylate synthetase, pharmacokinetics, drug interaction, pharmacodynamics
Organisations: Clinical & Experimental Sciences

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 337561
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/337561
ISSN: 0306-5251
PURE UUID: c145cc9a-4029-4bcb-95f2-fb97715591f6
ORCID for Salim I. Khakoo: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-4057-9091

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Date deposited: 30 Apr 2012 10:57
Last modified: 15 Mar 2024 03:12

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Contributors

Author: Salim I. Khakoo ORCID iD
Author: P. Glue
Author: L. Grellier
Author: B. Wells
Author: A. Bell
Author: C. Dash
Author: I. Murray-Lyon
Author: D. Lypnyj
Author: B. Flannery
Author: K. Walters
Author: G.M. Dusheiko

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