Guide to Hepatitis C Medications for Treatment of the Liver Infection

Hepatitis C medications are drugs prescribed to treat hepatitis C, a viral infection affecting the liver. They work by targeting the virus and reducing its activity.
Category
Drug
Where to get
Prescription-based and available at pharmacies.
Applicable for
Prepared by Shruti Sahoo, reviewed by Dr. Eugene Smith

Hepatitis C Medications FAQ


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What are hepatitis C medications?

The most common hepatitis C medications are direct-acting antivirals (DAAs). A typical treatment plan involves a combination of two or more DAAs. In some cases, doctors also combine DAAs with ribavirin or interferons. The hepatitis C virus (HCV) causes hepatitis C infection and liver inflammation that can lead to liver problems, including cancer.

Can hepatitis C be treated with a combination drug?

Combination drugs tend to be effective for most or all hepatitis C genotypes. Doctors typically prescribe a combination of sofosbuvir and velpatasvir for people without cirrhosis. However, doctors may also prescribe it alongside ribavirin for people who have severe cirrhosis. The treatment time is 12 weeks.

Which hepatitis C treatment is best?

Doctors often recommend Vosevi for people with long-term hepatitis C infection when they’ve already received other treatments. Mavyret was approved for hepatitis C treatment in 2017 by the FDA. It was the first 8-week treatment for all genotypes. Doctors may prescribe glecaprevir and pibrentasvir in a fixed-dose combination.

How are hepatitis C drugs listed?

The medicines are listed in the Schedule using a General Statement for Drugs for the Treatment of Hepatitis C to outline the patient eligibility conditions and prescribing restrictions.

What information should a hepatitis C prescriber provide?

Prescribers must also document the following information in the patient’s medical records: evidence of chronic hepatitis C infection (repeatedly antibody to hepatitis C virus (anti-HCV) positive and hepatitis C virus ribonucleic acid (HCV RNA) positive); and evidence of the hepatitis C virus genotype.

Hepatitis C Medications References

If you want to know more about Hepatitis C Medications, consider exploring links below:

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