Clin2Atlas
AtlasDigestiveCirrhosis and other chronic liver diseases

Chronic hepatitis C including cirrhosis

4Curable or preventable in mostAI-generated

Hepatitis C is curable for most; access remains unevenAI-generated

Burden-over-time charts — how many people this disease affects and whether that number is rising or falling — are coming to this page. The treatability read, milestones, and live trial pipeline below are current.

Milestones

dot size = significance
199020002010202020251996 — Ritonavir approved (FDA)1997 — Interferon alfacon-1 approved (FDA)2000 — Peginterferon alfa-2b approved (FDA)2002 — Peginterferon alfa-2a approved (FDA)2008 — Eltrombopag approved (FDA)2011 — Boceprevir approved (FDA)2011 — Telaprevir approved (FDA)2013 — Simeprevir approved (FDA)2013 — Sofosbuvir approved (FDA)2014 — Ledipasvir approved (FDA)2014 — Daclatasvir approved (FDA)2014 — Ombitasvir approved (FDA)2014 — Paritaprevir approved (FDA)2014 — Dasabuvir approved (FDA)2016 — Obeticholic acid approved (FDA)2016 — Grazoprevir anhydrous approved (FDA)2016 — Elbasvir approved (FDA)2016 — Velpatasvir approved (FDA)2017 — Voxilaprevir approved (FDA)2017 — Glecaprevir approved (FDA)2017 — Pibrentasvir approved (FDA)2024 — Seladelpar approved (FDA)
1996: Drug approval — Ritonavir approved (FDA). 1997: Drug approval — Interferon alfacon-1 approved (FDA). 2000: Drug approval — Peginterferon alfa-2b approved (FDA). 2002: Drug approval — Peginterferon alfa-2a approved (FDA). 2008: Drug approval — Eltrombopag approved (FDA). 2011: Drug approval — Boceprevir approved (FDA). 2011: Drug approval — Telaprevir approved (FDA). 2013: Drug approval — Simeprevir approved (FDA). 2013: Drug approval — Sofosbuvir approved (FDA). 2014: Drug approval — Ledipasvir approved (FDA). 2014: Drug approval — Daclatasvir approved (FDA). 2014: Drug approval — Ombitasvir approved (FDA). 2014: Drug approval — Paritaprevir approved (FDA). 2014: Drug approval — Dasabuvir approved (FDA). 2016: Drug approval — Obeticholic acid approved (FDA). 2016: Drug approval — Grazoprevir anhydrous approved (FDA). 2016: Drug approval — Elbasvir approved (FDA). 2016: Drug approval — Velpatasvir approved (FDA). 2017: Drug approval — Voxilaprevir approved (FDA). 2017: Drug approval — Glecaprevir approved (FDA). 2017: Drug approval — Pibrentasvir approved (FDA). 2024: Drug approval — Seladelpar approved (FDA)

What's being tested now

2006: 1 trials started2010: 2 trials started2011: 1 trials started2012: 1 trials started2013: 3 trials started2014: 2 trials started2015: 6 trials started2016: 2 trials started2017: 7 trials started2018: 7 trials started2019: 10 trials started2020: 13 trials started2021: 21 trials started2022: 24 trials started2023: 44 trials started2024: 72 trials started2025: 76 trials started2026: 78 trials started20102020202678

Trials started per year, stacked by phase (darker = later phase). Source: ClinicalTrials.gov via Clin2, which tracks studies recruiting in recent years — early years undercount.

See all 335 active Alcoholic Cirrhosis trials on Clin2 →

Where we are

AI-generated

Chronic hepatitis C is now curable in the vast majority of people, including those with compensated cirrhosis, thanks to direct-acting antiviral therapy. Cure rates exceed 95 percent with modern regimens. Deaths and new infections have been falling in many countries as screening and treatment reach more patients, though access still varies around the world. The single most important milestone was the development of direct-acting antiviral drugs, which transformed hepatitis C from a lifelong infection into a short, tolerable cure for most. Ribavirin, approved in 1985, was an early tool but is no longer the backbone of care. Ongoing research remains active, with more than 300 trials under way and 31 phase 3 studies started in the past five years.

Is hepatitis C curable?
Yes. Direct-acting antiviral pills cure more than 95 percent of people with chronic hepatitis C, including those with compensated cirrhosis. Treatment is usually taken for 8 to 12 weeks with few side effects.
Does curing hepatitis C reverse cirrhosis?
Curing the infection stops ongoing liver damage. In people with compensated cirrhosis, liver function often stabilizes, and the risk of liver failure and liver cancer falls substantially, though regular monitoring may still be needed.
Is there a vaccine against hepatitis C?
No. Unlike hepatitis A and B, no vaccine is approved for hepatitis C. Prevention relies on avoiding blood exposure, and research into a preventive vaccine continues, but it remains a challenge.
Why are there still deaths if the disease is curable?
Many people are undiagnosed or cannot access treatment, particularly in lower-resource settings. Also, some people are diagnosed late after severe liver damage has already developed. Expanding screening and making cure affordable worldwide are key goals.
What new treatments are being studied?
As of the most recent data, 317 trials began in the last five years, including 31 phase 3 studies, and 335 trials are active. Research focuses on shorter therapies, harder-to-treat populations, and preventing liver complications in advanced disease.

Related

Chronic hepatitis B including cirrhosisCirrhosis due to alcoholNonalcoholic fatty liver disease including cirrhosisCirrhosis due to other causes

Burden estimates: IHME Global Burden of Disease Study. Drug indications: ChEMBL (CC BY-SA). Trial data: ClinicalTrials.gov via Clin2. Velocity, acceleration, and turning points are computed by Clin2 — how this page is made. Treatability describes what medicine can do, not what is available everywhere. This page describes populations, not people, and is not medical advice.