Under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan Bin Mohammed Al Qassimi, Ruler of Sharjah and Member of the Supreme Council, the 5th International Congress of the African – Middle East Association of Gastroenterology (AMAGE), concluded yesterday at the Cultural Palace in Sharjah, UAE.
The Congress covered a variety of topics spanning from transplantation procedures to Hepatitis C disease. With speakers flying in from various countries in the GCC, Middle East and Europe, the congress also included several discussions where doctors presented results of clinical trials including those on difficult to treat patients with Hepetitis C, such as those who had not responded to previous therapies and those with genotype 1.
Dr. Graham Foster, Professor of Hepatology, Royal Hospital, London UK, disclosed positive preliminary results of the ongoing international REPEAT study which evaluates re-treatment strategies for Hepatitis C patients who were non-responsive to previous pegylated interferon treatments. The results showed that 47 % of these patients treated with the standard combination of 180 mcg Pegasys plus Ribavirin have undetectable amounts of the virus at the important 12-week assessment, with an even higher number of 64 % showing significant viral reduction after receiving an increased induction dose (360 mcg) of Pegasys with Ribavirin.
“The 12 week assessment is an excellent indication of the patient’s response to the treatment. Patients who demonstrate such a significant reduction in viral load at the 12-week assessment are highly likely to show positive results at the end of the treatment duration. This means that hope may be at hand for the large and growing group of difficult to treat Hepatitis C patients who could not initially be cured,” explained Dr Asa’d Dajani, Internist and Gastroenterologist, Dr. Asa’d Dajani Clinic, Sharjah.
Dr. Alaa Sharara, Associate professor of Medicine, Head of Gastroenterology, American Hospital of Beirut, Lebanon, also spoke about overcoming challenges in Hepatitis C. He revealed the results of a study on the efficacy and tolerability of Pegasys with or without Ribavirin in Thalassaemia Major patients with chronic Hepatitis C. The study suggests that combination peginterferon alpha-2a (Pegasys) and Ribavirin is safely tolerated and effective at achieving eradication of Hepatitis C in patients with Thalassaemia.
“Such patients are particularly difficult to treat and these results provide them with more hope for a cure and a better chance of living a normal life,” added Dr Dajani.
For more information on Hepatitis C and PEGASYS®, please log on towww.roche-arabia.com or call the PEGASSISTTM Patient Support program toll free 800 726
About Hepatitis C
Hepatitis C is a serious blood-borne viral infection that attacks the liver, and if left untreated, the patient can develop liver scarring, cirrhosis, liver cancer or total liver failure. Due to the “silent onset” of the condition, many people with hepatitis C are often not diagnosed until their condition has become advanced and has serious medical implications. Only identified in 1989, the hepatitis C virus has infected more than 170 million people world-wide, making it more common than the (human immunodeficiency virus) HIV virus. Through a simple blood test, individuals are able to determine if they are infected with the virus.
About PEGASYS®
PEGASYS, (pegylated interferon alfa-2a), is the most frequently prescribed pegylated interferon for patients with hepatitis C. An extensive clinical study programme has demonstrated its efficacy and tolerability in the broadest range of patients infected with HCV of all genotypes including those with difficult to treat diseases. The benefits of PEGASYS are derived from its unique 40-kilodalton branched-chain polyethylene glycol (PEG) molecule, which allows for constant viral suppression for patients throughout the once-weekly dosing interval.
PEGASYS is the only pegylated interferon available as prefilled syringes. Each weekly subcutaneous injection contains 180mcg of pegylated interferon alfa-2a, which is the approved dose regardless of body weight.
PEGASYS has also been approved in over 40 countries around the world for the treatment of chronic hepatitis B and is the only pegylated interferon with this indication.
About Roche
Roche is a leading healthcare company based in Switzerland with a history of more than 100 years in the discovery, development, production and marketing of cost-effective prescription drugs of high quality. Many of them represent true breakthroughs in combating human diseases. Innovative medicines have always been the base for best possible therapy.
Roche is committed to the viral hepatitis disease area, having first introduced Roferon-A for hepatitis B and then C, followed by PEGASYS in hepatitis C and hepatitis B. Roche manufactures and sells the Amplicor HCV Test (v2.0) and the Amplicor HCV Monitor Test (v2.0) - two tests used to detect the presence of HCV RNA in a person’s blood.
For more information on Hepatitis C and PEGASYS®, please log on towww.roche-arabia.com or call the PEGASSISTTM Patient Support program toll free 800 726
