Reviewer's report
Title:Treatment of chronic HCV genotype 1 infection with telaprevir: A Bayesian
mixed treatment comparison of fixed-length and response-guided treatment
regimens in treatment-naive and -experienced patients
Version: 1Date:4 August 2013
Reviewer: Johannes Wiegand
Reviewer's report:
Amanzada et al. performed a mathematical model to evaluate the efficacy of
different telaprevir based triple therapy regimens in chronically infected HCV
genotype 1 patients. The model is based on seven randomized controlled trials
including > 3.000 patients. The authors conclude that a short 24-weeks
fixed-length-treatment is not inferior to other (longer) therapeutical regimens and
should be further evaluated to reduce side effects and costs of therapy.
Minor Essential Revisions
1) Methods, page 7, please include the definition of the terms relapse, null- and
partial nonresponder
2) Results, page 13, efficacy in naïve patients: Treatment regimen E (12 weeks
triple Tx only) did not achieve significantly higher SVR rates compared to a
standard dual therapy for 48 weeks. Although SVR rates may not be statistically
different, it should be acknowledged that the 12 weeks triple regimen is much
shorter than the 48 weeks standard therapy and may therefore offer reduction of
side effects at equal efficacy. It will be crucial to correctly identify patients
suitable for this 12 weeks regimen. Thus, the authors should also include the role
of IL28B and low baseline viral load in their discussion. They should even
mention that these ideal naïve patients probably will not need triple therapy but
can be effectively treated with a conventional PEG-IFN/RBV standard therapy.
Level of interest: An article of importance in its field
Quality of written English: Acceptable
Statistical review: No, the manuscript does not need to be seen by a
statistician.
Declaration of competing interests:
I declare that I have no competing interests
Reviewer's report
Title:Treatment of chronic HCV genotype 1 infection with telaprevir: A Bayesian
mixed treatment comparison of fixed-length and response-guided treatment
regimens in treatment-naive and -experienced patients
Version: 1Date:4 August 2013
Reviewer: Johannes Wiegand
Reviewer's report:
Amanzada et al. performed a mathematical model to evaluate the efficacy of
different telaprevir based triple therapy regimens in chronically infected HCV
genotype 1 patients. The model is based on seven randomized controlled trials
including > 3.000 patients. The authors conclude that a short 24-weeks
fixed-length-treatment is not inferior to other (longer) therapeutical regimens and
should be further evaluated to reduce side effects and costs of therapy.
Minor Essential Revisions
1) Methods, page 7, please include the definition of the terms relapse, null- and
partial nonresponder
2) Results, page 13, efficacy in naïve patients: Treatment regimen E (12 weeks
triple Tx only) did not achieve significantly higher SVR rates compared to a
standard dual therapy for 48 weeks. Although SVR rates may not be statistically
different, it should be acknowledged that the 12 weeks triple regimen is much
shorter than the 48 weeks standard therapy and may therefore offer reduction of
side effects at equal efficacy. It will be crucial to correctly identify patients
suitable for this 12 weeks regimen. Thus, the authors should also include the role
of IL28B and low baseline viral load in their discussion. They should even
mention that these ideal naïve patients probably will not need triple therapy but
can be effectively treated with a conventional PEG-IFN/RBV standard therapy.
Level of interest: An article of importance in its field
Quality of written English: Acceptable
Statistical review: No, the manuscript does not need to be seen by a
statistician.
Declaration of competing interests:
I declare that I have no competing interests
Please review this paper.
user
Reviewer's report
Title:Treatment of chronic HCV genotype 1 infection with telaprevir: A Bayesian
mixed treatment comparison of fixed-length and response-guided treatment
regimens in treatment-naive and -experienced patients
Version: 1Date:4 August 2013
Reviewer: Johannes Wiegand
Reviewer's report:
Amanzada et al. performed a mathematical model to evaluate the efficacy of
different telaprevir based triple therapy regimens in chronically infected HCV
genotype 1 patients. The model is based on seven randomized controlled trials
including > 3.000 patients. The authors conclude that a short 24-weeks
fixed-length-treatment is not inferior to other (longer) therapeutical regimens and
should be further evaluated to reduce side effects and costs of therapy.
Minor Essential Revisions
1) Methods, page 7, please include the definition of the terms relapse, null- and
partial nonresponder
2) Results, page 13, efficacy in naïve patients: Treatment regimen E (12 weeks
triple Tx only) did not achieve significantly higher SVR rates compared to a
standard dual therapy for 48 weeks. Although SVR rates may not be statistically
different, it should be acknowledged that the 12 weeks triple regimen is much
shorter than the 48 weeks standard therapy and may therefore offer reduction of
side effects at equal efficacy. It will be crucial to correctly identify patients
suitable for this 12 weeks regimen. Thus, the authors should also include the role
of IL28B and low baseline viral load in their discussion. They should even
mention that these ideal naïve patients probably will not need triple therapy but
can be effectively treated with a conventional PEG-IFN/RBV standard therapy.
Level of interest: An article of importance in its field
Quality of written English: Acceptable
Statistical review: No, the manuscript does not need to be seen by a
statistician.
Declaration of competing interests:
I declare that I have no competing interests
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