292 IMPACT OF HIGHER DOSES OF PEGINTERFERON ALFA-2A AND RIBAVIRIN ON RVR, CEVR AND SVR IN HCV G1 PATIENTS WITH VIRAL LOADS ≥400,000 IU/ML WEIGHING ≥85 kg

Results: The rates of viral decline with T/PR therapy were comparable across studies and the various patient populations (see Figure). Sequencing analyses detected similar variants with substitutions at the NS3 protease canonical 36, 54, 155 and 156 positions. Conclusions: T/PR produced a profound early anti-viral response in treatment-naive and treatment-experienced HCV patients, which appears to a certain degree to be independent of prior response to PR treatment. No differences in the mutational profile of viral breakthroughs were observed across these patient populations. This suggests that early viral decline is dependent on telaprevir, and that complete early viral suppression can be achieved even in patients with prior null response to PR.