Patients who do not respond to therapy are called non-responders. The response to combination treatment with interferon and ribavirin may give the best results. Due to the large number of non-responders to standard doses of interferon and the high frequency of relapse, physicians have sought additional approaches to treatment. Higher doses of interferon, treatment with consensus interferon and varied schedules of administering the combination of interferon and ribavirin are all undergoing current investigation through clinical trails. Currently combined therapy of interferon and ribavirin seems most promising.
Ribavirin is a new class of anti-viral drugs called nucleoside analogues.
These agents interfere with virus replication and when combined with interferon appear to produce a much longer lasting response in patients undergoing initial therapy. This combination may also lead to successful therapy for patients who did not respond to interferon alone. Hepatologists at the University of Chicago have considerable experience treating patients with these drugs. If the patient's condition worsens despite medical therapy, liver transplantation can be considered. Besides specific therapy for the liver condition, patients with hepatitis C are encouraged to eat a balanced diet containing several servings of fruits and vegetables to provide vitamins and minerals.