Camel Milk with Pegylated Interferon Alfa-2a and Ribavirin for Treatment-Naive Chronic Hepatitis C Genotype 2/ 3: An Open-Label, Randomized Controlled Trial

Chronic hepatitis C is one of the most important causes of cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Camel milk (CM) is a new candidate therapy for chronic hepatitis C (CHC).
The present study assessed the safety and efficacy of pegylated interferon alfa-2a and ribavirin with CM (CM Peg IFN/RBV) and without CM (Peg IFN/RBV) in CHC genotype 2/3 infections.
This study was an open-label, randomized, phase 2 trial. Sampling strategy and date was computer–generated randomization. The researchers randomly selected 45 adult patients (ages > 18 years), who were treatment-naive with CHC infection (non-cirrhotic) to receive Peg IFN/RBV with standard-dose alone (group A, n = 23), CM Peg IFN/RBV: 500 cc orally per day (group B, n = 22) for 24 weeks in Iran. The primary efficacy outcomes were early virological response (EVR12) and end-of-treatment response (ETR24), the secondary efficacy outcome was sustained virological response (SVR24), and the safety outcomes were adverse events and laboratory tests at end-treatment to assess.
The EVR12 was 60% (12/20), ETR24 90% (18/20), and SVR24 100% (18/18) of CM Peg IFN/RBV therapy. The EVR12 was 15% (3/20), ETR24 70% (14/20), and SVR24 rates were 71% (10/14) in Peg IFN/RBV therapy (P Combination of CM with Peg IFN/RBV for 48 weeks showed significant improvements in the viral response and decreased adverse effects in CHC genotype 2/3 (P