DAUPHINE: a randomized phase II study of danoprevir/ritonavir plus peginterferon alpha-2a/ribavirin in HCV genotypes 1 or 4

Background & AimsDanoprevir is a hepatitis C virus (HCV) protease inhibitor with activity against genotypes (G)1/G4, which is maintained at lower doses by ritonavir-boosting. We report results of a large, randomized, active-controlled phase IIb study of ritonavir-boosted danoprevir (danoprevir/r) plus peginterferon alpha-2a/ribavirin (P/R) in treatment-naive patients with HCV G1/4 infection. MethodsTreatment-naive patients with HCV G1/4 infection were randomized to twice-daily danoprevir/r 200/100mg (A, n=92); 100/100mg (B, n=93); or 50/100mg (C, n=94) plus P/R for 24weeks; twice-daily danoprevir/r 100/100mg (D, n=94) plus P/R for 12 or 24weeks; or P/R alone (E, n=44) for 48weeks. Patients in the response-guided therapy arm (D) with an extended rapid virological response (eRVR2: HCV RNA <15IU/ml during Weeks 2-10) stopped all therapy at Week 12; non-eRVR2 patients continued all treatment to Week 24. The primary efficacy endpoint was sustained the virological response (SVR24: HCV RNA <15IU/ml after 24weeks of untreated follow-up). ResultsSVR24 rates in Arms A, B, C, D and E were 89.1%, 78.5%, 66.0%, 69.1% and 36.4%, respectively, in the overall population; 83.6%, 69.6%, 60.3%, 59.2% and 38.5% in G1a-infected patients, 96.6%, 93.1%, 73.1%, 78.4% and 28.6% in G1b-infected patients and 100%, 87.5%, 100%, 100% and 66.7% in G4-infected patients. Danoprevir/r plus P/R was generally well tolerated compared with P/R alone. There was a higher incidence of serious adverse events in danoprevir-treatment arms, but most were associated with P/R. ConclusionsThe combination of danoprevir/r plus P/R is efficacious in treatment-naive patients with HCV genotype 1 or 4 infection.