Keyur Patel, MD Duke Clinical Research Institute and the Division of Gastroenterology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC
John G. McHutchison, MD Duke Clinical Research Institute and the Division of Gastroenterology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC
Correspondence: John G. McHutchison, MD, Duke Clinical Research Institute and Division of Gastroenterology, Duke University Medical Center, P.O. Box 17969, Durham, NC 27715; e-mail: mchut001@mc.duke.edu
Dr. Patel reported that he has no commercial affiliations or interests that pose a potential conflict of interest with this article.
Dr. McHutchison reported that he has received grant or research support from and is on the speakers’ bureaus of the Schering-Plough and Roche corporations, and that he serves as a consultant to the Schering-Plough corporation.
ABSTRACT
The main treatment goal in patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is the prevention of progressive hepatic fibrosis by eradicating serum and intrahepatic virus. The current standard of care in previously untreated patients with chronic hepatitis C is combination therapy with pegylated interferon alfa and ribavirin. The duration of therapy and the dose of ribavirin should be determined according to the patient's HCV genotype. Adherence to the full dose of therapy for the prescribed treatment duration enhances the likelihood of sustained virologic response. Early virologic response is a good predictor of eventual sustained response for patients with HCV genotype 1 infection. Despite important gains in treating chronic hepatitis C, many treatment challenges remain.
