In the past, medications used to treat chronic hep C — a long-term liver infection caused by the hepatitis C virus — weren’t nearly as effective at ridding the body of the virus as they are now. They also had unpleasant side effects that caused many people to stop taking their prescribed drugs, according to Mayo Clinic. Modern treatments are more effective than ever and come with fewer side effects. “Rarely do we see such a radical development that has taken a disease that had a highly toxic profile to something that is highly curable,” says Nancy Reau, MD, a professor of transplant hepatology and gastroenterology at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago. Here are a few more differences between the older and newer hepatitis C medications — and why you shouldn’t wait to get treated for the disease.
1. The new drugs directly target the hepatitis C virus.
Older hep C medications were less effective at eliminating the infection from the body because they didn’t impact the virus itself. “Instead, they boosted the immune system’s ability to clear the virus,” explains Dr. Reau. That was also why they caused more side effects. That’s all changed. The new antiviral medications directly target the virus and kill its ability to replicate, says Reau, allowing the body to effectively clear the residual bits and pieces of the virus.
2. New hep C treatments work in as little as 8 weeks.
In the past, some people with hepatitis C had to undergo treatment for a year. Because of the differences in how new medications work, most people are cured after 8 to 12 weeks of treatment, says Dr. Laryea.
3. The new treatments can cure the vast majority of people with hepatitis C.
Unfortunately, the old regimen of injections and oral meds wasn’t even guaranteed to eliminate the virus. At one time, the success rate for treatment was “best-case scenario, 50 percent,” says Laryea. Later advancements boosted that number to 70 percent, but that cure rate is now over 90 percent, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). “The vast majority of patients respond to [today’s medications] really well,” says Reau. In fact, if you’ve been diagnosed with hep C, you can be confident that your body will be able to clear the infection with one of these new treatments.
4. New hep C treatments usually cure people in one cycle.
In the past, some people needed to be treated as many as four times — something that put them “through hell,” says Laryea. “Hepatitis C was complicated to treat,” she says. “Every patient required different combinations of medications for different lengths of time. Factors including age and the amount of scarring of the liver impacted treatment.” Today, she continues, “We’ve taken hepatitis C from something very complicated to something that is treated like a typical infection.”
5. New hep C treatments have fewer side effects.
Chronic hepatitis C can lead to cirrhosis (scarring of the liver), and having both conditions can put you at risk for liver failure and liver cancer, according to the CDC. But the side effects of old hep C medications were so terrible that, despite the long-term health risks of the infection, many people stopped treatment early. “When I first started as a resident, treatment was extremely hard on patients,” says Laryea. “It was like chemo. It made people incredibly sick, and it brought out psychotic and suicidal thoughts. Then, 10 years ago, medication was added that targeted the virus, but the side effects were still horrendous.” The side effects also had a major impact on some people’s lives. “Some people would have to take so much time off of work, they’d lose their jobs,” for instance, says Reau. “Or they’d be so crabby and fatigued, they’d get divorced.” Now, the side effects are minimal and include nausea and stomach upset, which are seen with almost any medication, Laryea adds.
6. New hep C treatments require far fewer doctor’s appointments.
In the past, people had to see their doctor as frequently as every couple of weeks during treatment, says Laryea. “Now, we see them once at the beginning and once at the end of treatment.”
7. More people are able to take the new hep C treatments.
Because the older treatments lead to serious side effects, many people, including those with heart disease or certain mental illnesses, weren’t candidates for these therapies. Unfortunately, Reau says, this old way of thinking still lingers, even among medical experts. “Sometimes a family doctor doesn’t know that having depression or being diagnosed with bipolar disorder is no longer a contraindication to treatment,” she says. The bottom line: If you have hepatitis C, don’t wait to seek treatment. “Treating hepatitis C really is incredibly easy now,” she says. “Even if you had a bad past experience or heard of someone else’s bad experience, I encourage you to come in and hear about the new medications. They might help you.”
