Anti-virals cure up to 98% of hepatitis C patients since 2014

Anti-virals cure up to 98% of hepatitis C patients since 2014Paul Cullen 

Use of revolutionary drugs has led to ‘a triumph of science’, says hepatologist

Up to 98 per cent of patients with hepatitis C virus have been cured thanks to the use of revolutionary anti-viral drugs over the past four years, new figures show.

The figures from the national treatment registry for Irish hepatitis C patients represent “a triumph of science”, Dr Diarmuid Houlihan, a hepatologist at St Vincent’s University Hospital told a conference in Dublin on Monday.

Hepatitis C is a virus that infects and damages the liver. It can cause inflammation scarring of the liver, which in some people can progress to cause serious liver damage, such as cirrhosis. It is often referred to as a silent disease, as symptoms can take several years to develop and people do not realize they have the disease. 

Read more: https://www.irishtimes.com/news/health/anti-virals-cure-up-to-98-of-hepatitis-c-patients-since-2014-1.3656345