New hope for Hepatitis C patients

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) - Researchers have made some encouraging headway when it comes to the treatment of Hepatitis C.

The current treatment for Hepatitis C cures about 40% of patients, but causes severe side effects.

For patients who fail to respond, the only backup is a second round of the same punishing treatment.

Now, a clinical trial finds adding the investigational drug, Telaprevir to the standard two-drug therapy cures four times more patients.

Dr. John McHutchinson of Duke University explained, "When we give the three drug regimen, for 24 weeks or 48 weeks, overall we're curing more than 50% of these patients. So four times what we would have expected to see compared to just retreating patients with the same two drugs we use now."

Hepatitis C is the most common condition leading to liver transplantation in the U.S.

It can also lead to liver cancer if left untreated.