Curing Chronic Hepatitis C — The Arc of a Medical Triumph

The development of direct-acting antiviral agents has revolutionized the treatment of hepatitis C by offering genuine prospects for a comprehensive cure of a chronic viral infection. This success can be traced to important scientific, clinical, and regulatory developments. Chronic hepatitis C is a major cause of liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma worldwide. Some 130 million to 170 million people, or about 3% of the world's population, are chronically infected with the hepatitis C virus (HCV). In the United States, chronic hepatitis C, the most common cause of liver-related death and reason for liver transplantation, recently eclipsed human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection as a cause of death. The development of direct-acting antiviral agents (DAAs) has revolutionized HCV treatment by offering genuine prospects for the first comprehensive cure of a chronic viral infection in humans. This success can be traced . . .