Treatment outcomes

A hepatitis C virus infection is said to be cured when the genetic material (RNA) from the virus cannot be detected in the patient’s blood immediately after the end of treatment and then another six months later. This is known as a sustained virological response (SVR). 

Some patients will not respond to treatment (non-responders). Other individuals will have an undetectable level of the virus in their blood during treatment, only for the levels to rise again after the treatment has been stopped (relapsers).

Combination therapy with pegylated interferon and ribavirin is the most effective treatment available today. The success rate varies depending on the genotype of the virus. Success rates are higher (about 80% of patients have an SVR) with genotypes 2 or 3 than with genotypes 1 (about 40–50% of patients have an SVR).¹

In patients who cannot take ribavirin, interferon monotherapy has a success rate of 15–25%.¹

¹World Health Organization website:
http://www.who.int/csr/disease/hepatitis/whocdscsrlyo2003/en/index.html