Hepatitis C treatment
The Liver department at The London Clinic treats many patients each year with the Hepatitis C viral infection. Treatment can be challenging, with success depending on which genotype (strain) of hepatitis C you have. New drug treatments are now available to boost success rates significantly.
Treatment of chronic hepatitis C is important as clearing the virus from the body can prevent long-term liver damage, such as cirrhosis (irreversible scarring of the liver), liver failure and liver cancer.
Quick facts
Fast referral
Get seen and treated within 14 days
What is it for?
To help treat the hepatitis C virus
Treatment overview
The standard therapy that we offer is:
- Pegylated interferon (an injection of a protein to stimulate the immune system to attack virus cells. This involves you making a small injection yourself once a week. You can be shown how to do this by a Specialist Hepatitis C Nurse.
- Ribavirin: antiviral tablets that are active against the spread of hepatitis C in the body.
This treatment can clear the hepatitis C virus from the body in 80-90 % of cases if treatment is started soon after exposure, and if the infection is caused by genotypes 2 or 3 of the hepatitis C virus. Find out more about the genotypes of hepatitis C.
If the infection is due to any of the other 4 genotypes, or if treatment is started once the infection has become chronic, clearance of the virus is greatly reduced. New hope for hepatitis C patients
In 2011, 2 new drugs were approved to treat people with hepatitis C. This is a significant advance, as these are the first new treatments to be approved in the USA or Europe for 20 years.
- Victrelis (Boceprevir®) available in the UK since July 2011when it was passed for approval by the European Medicines Agency (EMA).
- Telaprevir (Incivek®) was also approved by the EMA in the late summer of 2011 and can now be added to the standard therapy for patients with hepatitis C in our outpatient clinic.
Both these drugs have been shown to significantly increase the chances of clearing the virus in some cases of Hepatitis C infection. Side effects of hepatitis C treatment
Hepatitis C infection can cause no symptoms but treatment with interferon can produce several side effects:
- Tiredness and irritability
- Mood swings
- Concentration difficulties
- An itchy rash
- Mild anaemia
- Lack of interest in food
- Poor sleep.
Why choose The London Clinic
Excellence in one place
We operate as teams of experts with world-class resources dedicated to maintaining the highest standards of medical care. You are surrounded by the latest treatments and advice with everything you need to get back to your best health.
Personal care, every time
Exceptional patient care is a way of life for us. Our nurses, clinicians and support teams are dedicated to the care of a very small number of patients, so have more time for you. They’ll be with you every step of the way, tailoring your care around you and giving the peace-of-mind that comes with knowing you’re in the best hands.
Effortlessly simple
We work together as one to guide you through each step of your experience, with complexities unravelled and answers readily to hand. Your personal treatment plan will be laid out for you, with all the details taken care of so you can focus on you.
What's included in your package?
Choosing The London Clinic means your treatment plan will be laid out for you, with all the details taken care of so you can focus on you.
Your treatment package will include:
- Enhanced pre-admission assessment
- Your treatment with our complete care team at your fingertips
- Personalised aftercare and follow-up
We want you to be in control of your health. That’s why we also offer optional services such as comprehensive recovery packages and extra touches for you to choose from during your stay with us.
How to pay
- You can use private medical insurance (PMI) to access this treatment. We work with all major PMI providers in the UK and many internationally
- You can pay for yourself (self-pay)
- If you’re paying for yourself, we have finance options available with Chrysalis