New Interferon-Free Drugs for Hep C Show High Cure Rates

Interferon has been the primary treatment for chronic hepatitis C for 2 decades, but new drugs promise better results with fewer adverse effects.

In the PEARL-III trial, treatment-naïve noncirrhotic adults with chronic genotype 1b (GT1b) hepatitis C were treated with an investigational all-oral interferon-free treatment from AbbVie plus ribavirin. After 12 weeks of treatment, sustained virologic response rates reached 99.5%. Even in difficult-to-treat cirrhotic patients, response rates reached 92% to 96%.