Patient description: A 53-year-old man presents with chronic HCV infection for the past 2 years. His past medical history is only significant for inguinal hernia surgery when he was 20 years old. He is on IFN (100 mg/week) plus RBV (400 mg/day) combination therapy for the past 9 months. Direct antiviral drugs were added to his treatment 6 months ago. His medical record shows previous positive HCV RNA tests as well as positive enzyme immunoassay for anti-HCV-antibodies. The recent biopsy was negative for hepatocellular carcinoma and was only remarkable for chronic inflammation compatible with a chronic viral hepatitis. There is no evidence of alcoholic liver disease, bleeding from esophageal varices, hemochromatosis, autoimmune hepatitis or metabolic liver disease. He is an alert male with no acute distress. His BP: 130/75, HR: 90/min and BMI: 27. His abdomen is soft with no ascites or tenderness. The lower extremities are normal with no edema.

Clinical trial eligibility criteria: eligible ages (years): 18.0-65.0,  Hepatitis C Infection To be eligible for this trial, patients must have documentation of the following Male or female > 18 years old HCV genotype-1 infection Liver biopsy consistent with Chronic Hepatitis C (CHC) within the last 3 years No previous treatment with any anti-HCV therapy (approved or investigational) For women of childbearing potential, a negative urine pregnancy test result documented within 24 hours prior to the first dose of any study drug (BOC, PEG-INF alfa-2b, or ribavirin). Additionally, all female patients of childbearing potential and all males with female partners of childbearing potential must use two forms of effective contraception (combined) during study treatment and for 6 months after treatment Willingness to give written informed consent and to participate in and comply with requirements of the study  Patients with any of the following will not be eligible for participation Infection with HCV other than genotype 1 History or other evidence of a medical condition associated with chronic liver disease other than CHC (e.g., hemochromatosis, autoimmune hepatitis, metabolic liver disease, alcoholic liver disease, toxin exposures) History or other evidence of decompensated liver disease (e.g., coagulopathy, hyperbilirubinemia, hepatic encephalopathy, hypoalbuminemia, ascites, bleeding from esophageal varices) or a Child-Pugh score > 6 (see Appendix 1) Infection with hepatitis A virus (HAV), hepatitis B virus (HBV), or HIV as demonstrated by a positive test at screening for anti-HAV immunoglobulin M (IgM) antibodies (Ab), hepatitis B surface antigen, anti-hepatitis B core protein IgM Ab, or anti-HIV antibodies History of having received IFN, PEG-IFN, ribavirin, viramidine, levovirin, or investigational HCV protease or polymerase inhibitors at any previous time, or any other systemic antiviral therapy with established or perceived activity against HCV within 3 months prior to enrollment Pregnant or breastfeeding Male partners of females who are pregnant or breastfeeding Hemoglobin concentration < 12 g/dL in females or < 13 g/dL in males or any patient with an increased risk for anemia (e.g., thalassemia, sickle cell anemia, spherocytosis, history of gastrointestinal bleeding) or for whom anemia would be medically problematic Absolute neutrophil count (ANC) < 1000 cells/mm3