The treatment of chronic viral hepatitis

Interferon alfa remains the most useful treatment for chronic viral hepatitis, but it has considerable drawbacks. Three varieties of hepatitis can cause chronic infection and lead to chronic liver disease, cirrhosis, and liver cancer: hepatitis B (HBV), C (HCV), and D (HDV). Interferon alfa induces long-term remission in as much as 40% of HBV patients and 25% of HCV and HDV patients. Adverse effects are common and occasionally life-threatening. New virus-killing drugs such as famciclovir, lamivudine, lobucavir, adefovir dipivoxil show promise for HBV treatment, and ribavarin may prove helpful in treating HBC.