Roche says doctors can tell which hepatitis B patients will react well to Roche

BASEL, Switzerland Doctors can predict which hepatitis B patients will have the most success, including being cured, when treated with a Roche drug, the Swiss drug maker announced Monday.

The company said patients will have some confidence about their likelihood of beating the virus when receiving treatment with Roche's Pegasys (peginterferon alfa-2a).

Several studies at the APASL Asia-Pacific liver disease meeting focused on measuring the decline in levels of a viral protein called surface antigen to provide insight into the likelihood of treatment success for patients treated with Pegasys. Completely clearance of s-antigen is considered a cure and associated with reduced risk of liver cancer and cirrhosis.

"In treating hepatitis B, we need to change mindsets and raise expectations so that patients and physicians are focused on achieving the best possible outcome: clearance of the s-antigen," University of Paris hepatology professor Patrick Marcellin said in a statement.