Hepatitis C; Interview with Victrelis -"boceprevir" researcher Jonathan McCone, M.D

On July 6th an interview with Victrelis-"boceprevir" researcher Jonathan McCone, M.D., was published online at the website "The Body.". This interview by Kellee Terrell  included a few FAQ such as; What are some of the side effects of HCV therapy, including Victrelis? and Why would cirrhosis make a difference in the success of HCV treatment?

Here is a peek at the interview;

Why have African Americans had such little success with past HCV therapies?

Genetics. People who have good configurations of [a gene called] IL28B have a higher chance of being cured of HCV when on therapy. And what we have found is that African Americans were most likely to have bad configurations of IL28B, so even when they adhered to the therapy and did everything right, the treatment was less likely to be successful.

But when Victrelis was added to the existing therapies, even the people who had bad configurations had a better chance of being cured than without Victrelis. This is why this is such great news for the African-American community.

Please go read the article in full here