Goals of HCV treatment

Curing HCV

The primary goal is usually to get rid of the hepatitis virus, and to cure HCV.

In hepatitis C, a sustained virological response, or SVR, means that a person does not have HCV in his/her blood 6 months after the end of treatment. Most people who have had an SVR stay free of HCV, although there are less long-term results in hIV-positive people. Although some recent research has found very low levels of hepatitis C in the blood and liver tissue of some people with a sustained virological response, this may not have any significant effect on liver health.

Improving liver health

A secondary goal of HCV treatment is to improve liver health by reducing inflammation, and, sometimes, reversing fibrosis.

This even happens in people who do not get an SVR, although only in about half the number of cases.

For some people, the condition of the liver may worsen after HCV treatment, particularly among people who did not clear the virus. It is not clear why this happens.

Maintenance therapy

Use of full or reduced dose pegylated interferon as a maintenance therapy in people who did not clear their hepatitis C with treatment, did not reduce the risk for liver disease progression. Therefore, maintenance therapy is no longer recommended for people with hepatitis C, regardless of their HIV status.

SVR reduces the risk of liver cirrhosis, liver cancer and liver failure for HIV negative and HIV positive people.

For HIV-positive people, there may be an additional benefit from HCV treatment in reducing the risk of liver-related side effects from HIV drugs.