Purpose / DescriptionThis randomized controlled trial is one of the largest to examine peginterferon alfa-2b; it compared two different doses of peginterferon alfa-2b plus ribavirin (1.5 mcg/kg per week plus 800 mg ribavirin versus 1.5 mcg/kg per week for 4 weeks followed by 0.5 mcg/kg per week of peginterferon alfa-2b plus weight-based ribavirin of 1000-1200 mg/day for 48 weeks). These arms were also compared with standard interferon-2b with ribavirin among 1,530 patients with previously untreated chronic hepatitis C (HCV). The sustained virologic response rate was highest among the patients in the higher 1.5 mcg/kg dosing of peginterferon alfa-2b (54%) compared with lower-dose peginterferon alfa-2b (47%, p=0.01) or standard interferon (47%, p=0.01). Most of the benefit in this regimen was observed in those with genotype 1 HCV infection.