Antiviral therapy for treatment naïve patients with hepatitis C virus.

This article focuses on the most recent therapies for patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV) who are naïve to therapy. The primary end point for the treatment of naïve HCV patients is viral eradication or a sustained virological response, which is defined as the absence of HCV in the serum, as detected by a sensitive polymerase chain reaction test, 24 weeks after stopping antiviral therapy. Recent data suggest that an SVR can be equated with a biochemical, virological,and histological response that is sustained for up to 5 years and is conceptually a cure of HCV in 90% of patients.