HCV affects 170 million people globally and is the leading cause of chronic liver disease and liver transplants. In the United States, 3 million have HCV, causing 12,000 deaths per year. Up to 3 in 4 people who are infected don't know it. Anyone born from 1945 through 1965, should get tested for HCV, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The current treatments for HCV are far from ideal. They require an injectable drug called interferon and a pill called ribavirin. The main problem with interferon is flu-like symptoms and severe depression. Ribavirin has two problems. The first is anemia, which is when an important type of red blood cell falls to unhealthy levels. The second problem with ribavirin is its potential to harm unborn children.
The good news is that several pharmaceutical companies have promising drugs expected to become available as soon as December of 2013. When these new drugs are combined, they can quickly and permanently wipe out HCV. This is called sustained virologic response, or in doctor lingo SVR.
Sustained virologic response (SVR) is when virus levels fall below detection. In patient lingo, that’s called undetectable. If you stop treatment, and you continue being undetectable for life, you’re cured.
