Combination therapy with peginterferon alfa (2a or 2b) and ribavirin is recommended as a treatment option for adults with chronic hepatitis C:
who have been treated previously with peginterferon alfa (2a or 2b) and ribavirin in combination, or with peginterferon alfa monotherapy, and whose condition either did not respond to treatment or responded initially to treatment but subsequently relapsed or
who are co-infected with HIV.
Shortened courses of combination therapy with peginterferon alfa (2a or 2b) and ribavirin are recommended for the treatment of adults with chronic hepatitis C who:
have a rapid virological response to treatment at week 4 that is identified by a highly sensitive test and
are considered suitable for a shortened course of treatment.
When deciding on the duration of combination therapy, clinicians should take into account the licensed indication of the chosen drug (peginterferon alfa-2a or peginterferon alfa-2b), the genotype of the hepatitis C virus, the viral load at the start of treatment and the response to treatment (as indicated by the viral load).