Patent ID: 8765704

Claim:
A method for inhibiting Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) replication in a patient, the method comprising the steps of: (a) administering to said patient a composition comprising a modified double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) or modified small interfering RNA (siRNA) in an amount effective to mediate RNA interference and to inhibit HCV replication, wherein the modified dsRNA or modified siRNA comprises a first strand and a second strand, wherein the first and second strand are each no more than about 30 ribonucleotides in length and wherein the first or second strand targets HCV and is complementary to a target sequence of the HCV genome at least 15-25 nucleotides long; and wherein the modified dsRNA or modified siRNA is cholesterol-labeled, and (b) administering to said patient a cholesterol-lowering drug in an amount sufficient to reduce the level of competing cholesterol in the serum and allow more efficient uptake of the cholesterol-labeled modified dsRNA or modified siRNA by hepatocytes, wherein steps (a) and (b) can be performed simultaneously or in any order, and (c) wherein the cholesterol-lowering drug reduces the level of competing cholesterol in the serum, allowing more efficient uptake of the cholesterol-labeled modified dsRNA or modified siRNA by hepatocytes.