Dollinger 2005.

Methods	Study design: randomised multicentre trial. ITT analysis: performed. Sample size calculation: not mentioned.
Participants	Country: Germany. Total number (sample size): 40. Age: not mentioned. Sex (male): not mentioned. Comorbidity: not mentioned. Genotype: one‐b. Previous HCV treatment: non‐responders to previous combination treatment with IFN and RBV. Inclusion criteria: chronic hepatitis C diagnosed by the following. Histologically proven chronic hepatitis. Hepatitis C, positive HCV‐RNA. Elevated transaminases.
Interventions	Group A (n = 22). Drug: peginterferon alpha‐2b. 1.5 µg/kg body weight. Once weekly. Group B (n = 18). Drug: consensus interferon (CIFN) 18 mcg/d CIFN for six weeks followed by 9 µg/d CIFN for 42 weeks. Ribavirin Dose: > 10.6 mg/kg body weight daily.
Outcomes	Early response rate (24 weeks of treatment); end‐of‐treatment response rate (52 weeks of treatment); sustained response rate (six months after treatment); adverse events.
Notes
Risk of bias
Bias	Authors' judgement	Support for judgement
Random sequence generation (selection bias)	Unclear risk	Comments: Method of sequence generation is not mentioned.
Allocation concealment (selection bias)	Unclear risk	Comments: Allocation concealment is not mentioned.
Blinding (performance bias and detection bias) All outcomes	Unclear risk	Comments: Blinding to outcome assessors is not mentioned.
Incomplete outcome data (attrition bias) All outcomes	Low risk	Comments: Incomplete outcome data were addressed adequately.
Selective reporting (reporting bias)	Low risk	Comment: All clinically relevant and reasonably expected outcomes were reported.
Other bias	Unclear risk	Quote: "The study was supported by a grant of Yamanouchi and Essexpharma, Germany". Comments: The study may contain conflict of interest risk of bias.