Combination Antiviral Therapy for Hepatitis C

Peginterferon—a longer-acting form of interferon—combined with ribavirin is better than standard interferon combined with ribavirin. The two kinds of peginterferon work similarly.^{Reference 1}

How well treatment works is measured by whether you still have the virus in your blood 6 months after treatment. Treatment usually works better if you have genotype 2 or 3 than if you have genotype 1. Most studies have shown that treatment with peginterferon and ribavirin works for up to 50% of people with genotype 1 and up to 80% of people with genotype 2 or 3.^{Reference 2}

If you are also infected with Reference HIV Opens New Window, the combination of peginterferon and ribavirin is considered better than standard interferon and ribavirin.^{Reference 3}

Combination antiviral therapy is more likely to be effective if you:

• Have a low level of the hepatitis C virus in your blood when treatment starts.
• Are infected with genotype 2 or 3.
• Have a low amount of liver damage when treatment starts.

Many things affect the decision about Reference who should receive antiviral treatment for hepatitis C.^{Reference 4} For example, treatment may be recommended for people who are at least 18 years old, have detectable levels of the virus in their blood, and have significant liver damage confirmed by a Reference liver biopsy Opens New Window.

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