Purpose / DescriptionIn this open label, phase 3 trial, investigators randomized 531 hepatitis C treatment-naïve patients with chronic hepatitis C to recieve a 48-week treatment course with peginterferon alfa-2a or standard interferon alfa-2a. Approximately 62% of the patients enrolled in the trial had genotype 1 HCV.  Compared with patients in the standard interferon alfa-2a arm, patients in the peginterferon alfa-2a arm had a higher end-of-treatment response (69% versus 28%, p=0.001) and higher sustained virologic response rates (39% versus 19%, p=0.001). The frequency and severity of adverse effects were similar between treatment groups, aside from a trend toward lower incidence of depression among patients who received peginterferon alfa-2a (16% versus 23% in the standard interferon arm). This trial clearly demonstrated the superiority of peginterferon alfa-2a over standard interferon alfa-2a.