Anti-hepatitis C medication may prevent further spreading of infection

Advancements in hepatitis C research may lead to a drug that can combat the virus, according to research conducted at Cardiff University in the UK. In fact, this medication could help prevent the infection from spreading throughout the body.

A team of investigators recently completed the first phase of a study, which began in 2008, that led to enhancements in a potential medication for fighting off the sexually transmitted disease (STD). Currently, hepatitis C patients can be treated with two injections, which typically lead to side effects that prevent individuals from completing the therapy.

During the two-year research, the most potent form of the STD was exposed to INX-189, the anti-hepatitis C medication, and it killed off nearly 90 percent of hepatitis C cells.

Chris McGuigan, a professor at the university, stated that "this is still a very early stage of the trials process but none the less a significant development." He added that "the efficiency of drug release in this study has also confirmed that one single dose a day is most likely enough in treating the virus."

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a total of 849 cases of hepatitis C were reported in the U.S. in 2007, but researchers suggest that an estimated 17,000 people may have contracted the virus.