Standard Hepatitis C Treatment Highly Effective

Dr. Vierling noted that the confluence of modern technology and a large study population account for the credence of Dr. Swain's and his colleagues' study.

“The beauty of this type of study is that these were studies in which we know everything about the patients. … They were able, [using] this mechanism, for the first time, to give us these 997 people that we're absolutely sure had a sustained virologic response,” defined by blood testing. Unlike older studies that predated PCR testing, “you don't have the question of whether any of them got into that group who may have harbored virus, but nobody knew it.”

Patients who achieve a sustained virologic response may be deemed clinically cured of chronic hepatitis C. DR. SWAIN

ELSEVIER GLOBAL MEDICAL NEWS