Study aims to eradicate Hepatitis C virus
Researchers have announced a major £2.8 million study looking into how Hepatitis C can be eliminated.
The virus – a major cause of liver disease and cancer – is estimated to affect around 200,000 people in the UK, with most having injected drugs.
Treatment can now cure more than 90 per cent of patients within 12 weeks with few side-effects. However, the cost of new antiviral drugs is significant.
The five-year study, led by Glasgow Caledonian University (GCU), will look at whether the virus can be eliminated entirely if treatment is sufficiently increased. The results will be used to guide clinical practice and policy.
Researchers will treat up to 500 people who inject drugs over a period of two years in NHS Tayside. Treatment will be offered in settings including pharmacies and prisons.
Professor Sharon Hutchison said: “The study will generate empirical evidence as to whether treating people who inject drugs can reduce the spread of infection.”