BIP48 (Peginterferon Alfa 2b 48kDa) Compared With Pegasys® (Peginterferon 2a 40kDa) for Treatment of Chronic Hepatitis C

Inclusion Criteria: 1. anti-HCV positive; 2. viral load of HCV positive; 3. viral genotypes 1, 2 or 3; 4. the absence of previous treatment for chronic hepatitis C; 5. liver biopsy performed in the last 36 months classified by Metavir score as at least A1, with any degree of fibrosis ; 6. age from 18 to 70 years old; 7. hemoglobin greater than 11 g / dl; 8. platelet count higher than 75.000/mm3; 9. neutrophils higher than 1.500/mm3; 10. use of, at least two contraceptive methods during treatment and up to 36 weeks after the last dose of study medication (for male or female subjects in fertile age ); 11. concordance and signing of the informed consent. Exclusion Criteria: 1. decompensated cirrhosis (Child-Pugh score\> 6); 2. history of bleeding gastroesophageal varices; 3. hemoglobinopathies; 4. hepatocellular carcinoma; 5. co-infection with HIV or HBV; 6. other coexisting chronic liver disease, as autoimmune hepatitis, Wilson disease, hemochromatosis, chronic obstructive cholestatic disease or autoimmune disease, alcoholic liver disease; 7. malignancies except basal cell carcinoma in situ or cervix carcinoma; 8. systemic autoimmune diseases, except compensated autoimmune thyroid diseases ; 9. uncontrolled seizures; 10. primary immunodeficiencies; 11. myelosuppression; 12. coagulation disorders; 13. thrombophilias; 14. thrombopathy ; 15. decompensated heart failure; 16. chronic renal failure; 17. diagnosis of other comorbidity that would compromise the subject's participation in the research study as judged by the investigator (eg, neuropsychiatric diseases, systemic infection or antibiotic use within 4 weeks, decompensated diabetes mellitus, ischemic heart disease, heart failure, respiratory or renal or uncontrolled hypertension); 18. prior organ transplantation, except cornea; 19. alcohol consumption exceeding 20g/day for women and 40g/dia for men during the past six months; 20. use of illicit drugs in the previous six months; 21. use of immunosuppressive agents during the previous six months; 22. pregnancy or lactation; 23. male research subjects whose sexual partner is pregnant; 24. previous treatment with IFN or ribavirin in the last 6 months prior to inclusion; 25. subjects with hypersensibility to IFN alpha and / or any of its components; 26. subjects with hypersensibility to ribavirin and / or any of its ingredients; 27. participation in another clinical study in the last 12 months