Hepatitis C was first recognized in the 1970s as a blood-borne, non-A, non-B hepatitis virus and one of the leading causes of post-transfusion hepatitis, and the hepatitis C virus (HCV) was first identified in 1989. This virus is adept at evading the immune system of the patient’s organism and is able to establish an infection for decades. This persistent infection can damage the liver and even cause liver cancer. The vast majority of infected people do not show symptoms at first until the virus causes severe liver damage. Researchers at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) and Intermountain Medical Center recently found that hepatitis C infection can be eradicated in more than 90 percent of patients with advanced liver disease using a specific combination of antiviral drugs. The clinical study, called the ASTRAL series (ASTRAL-1, -2, -3,-4), was published simultaneously as three research papers in the same issue of the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM). Not only did they demonstrate good efficacy for different genotypes of hepatitis C, but also for patients who progressed to cirrhosis. Previously reported: NEJM: Sofosbuvir and Velpatasvir Have High Virologic Response Rates for HCV Infection and HCV Genotype 2 or 3 Patients – sofosbuvir/velpatasvir Superior to Standard of Care Regimens ” A large portion of this study was in patients who had failed hepatitis C treatment,” described the article’s co-first author, Dr. Michael Curry of BIDMC. “The study showed that the combination of the antiviral drugs Sofosbuvir and Velpatasvir, used daily, successfully treated 83 to 94 percent of patients with hepatitis C.” Sofosbuvir has been called a revolutionary hepatitis C treatment, a nucleotide analogue that works on virtually all hepatitis C viruses without causing serious side effects and achieves a cure in just 12 weeks. Hundreds of millions of people worldwide are infected with the hepatitis C virus, an infection that causes liver failure and cirrhosis. Liver failure and cirrhosis occur when the patient’s healthy liver tissue is replaced by scar tissue, eventually preventing the liver from performing its own functions properly. A total of 267 patients with liver failure participated in the clinical study, according to the report. “For patients with hepatitis C who have developed cirrhosis and liver failure, there are really very few treatment options available,” Curry said. “In our study, the majority of participants in this study showed improvement in liver function. This improvement was reflected in the Child-Pugh score, which primarily assesses the severity of cirrhosis, and the MELD score, which is used to prioritize patients for liver transplantation.” The liver is the largest solid organ in the body and plays many critical roles, including the production of blood proteins to promote clotting and immune system function, the production of bile to help the body digest food, and the storage of glucose for energy production. In addition, the liver excretes harmful substances such as alcohol for the body. ”The number of patients who experience liver failure because of hepatitis C will increase significantly in the next decade,” Curry said. “Our study shows that patients with advanced liver disease can still benefit from hepatitis C treatment, and eradicating hepatitis C infection can help improve liver function.” The study also drew widespread attention from our infectious disease experts, with one commenting, “The recent availability of many antiviral drugs for hepatitis C opens a new era in hepatitis C treatment.”