The study, which was published Jan. 19 in the New England Journal of Medicine, focused on hepatitis C genotype 1, which is predominant in the United States and the most difficult to treat. Hepatitis C is a virus that infects the liver and can cause liver cancer and liver cirrhosis. It is transmitted through direct contact with infected blood and blood products.

 

In this pilot study, patients with hepatitis C genotype 1 infection, who had not responded to previous treatment with PEG-interferon alfa and ribavirin, were given a combination of two investigational direct-acting antiviral agents (daclatasvir and asunaprevir) alone, or were given these two antiviral agents along with PEG-interferon alfa-2a and ribavirin. All the patients saw their hepatitis C viral load drop rapidly, says Dr. Anna Lok, professor of internal medicine, Division of Gastroenterology at the Medical School, and lead author of the study.

 

All 10 patients given the four-drug treatment had sustained virologic response with undetectable virus at the end of treatment and at 12 weeks after stopping treatment. Four of the 11 patients given only the two direct-acting antiviral agents also achieved sustained virologic response. 

 

A sustained virologic response or SVR means there is no detectable hepatitis C virus in a patient’s blood after treatment is stopped. Achieving sustained virologic response is important, because research has shown that late relapse is rare.