New combination of drug therapy could help treat Hepatitis C

Scientists have a new combination drug therapy can effectively treat Hepatitis C.

Two multi-center clinical trials led by Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center have shown that patients suffering from the disease can be cured with a much more simple and tolerable all oral therapy.

According to the study, the 12-week single tablet regimen of ledipasvir and sofosbuvir have proven to be highly effective in treating a broad range of patients with HCV genotype 1, a form of the virus found in up to 75 percent of infections.

Nezam Afdhal, Director of the Liver Center at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, said that eliminating interferon and ribavirin from treatment regimens is expected to reduce the incidence and severity of adverse events, to simplify the treatment of patients with HCV infection and to provide an option for patients who are ineligible for the current interferon-based treatments.

The studies showed that 12 weeks of sofosbuvir and ledipasvir without ribavirin was adequate to cure over 95 percent of patient with hepatitis C.

The study is published online in the New England Journal of Medicine.