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): 20.0-65.0,  Chronic Hepatitis C Adult subjects who are 20 to 65 years old (inclusive), of either gender and in any ethnical group in Asia Chronic hepatitis C, positive with both antibody to hepatitis C virus (anti HCV) and HCV RNA assays Confirmed HCV genotype 1 Subjects who are indicated to have combination treatment of PegIFNα 2a and RBV at the discretion of the investigator All fertile males and females receiving RBV must be using two forms of effective contraception during treatment with study drugs and 6 months post treatment completion Subjects must voluntarily give written informed consent indicating that they understand the purpose of and procedures required for the study and are willing to participate in the study Subjects must be able to comply with the assessments during the study Subjects must be able to understand study QoL questionnaires  Prior treatment with any IFN α or any medicines that contain Cordyceps Prior treatment of hepatitis C with any other antiviral or immune modulators Investigational therapy administered within 4 weeks, or within a time interval less than at least 5 half lives of the investigational agent, whichever is longer, prior to the first scheduled day of dosing in this study Subjects diagnosed with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) by biopsy or α fetoprotein (AFP) serology and radiology (helical computed tomography [CT] and/or magnetic resonance imaging [MRI]) within 5 years of signing the informed consent form Evidence of hepatic decompensation (history or current evidence of ascites, bleeding varices or hepatic encephalopathy) History or evidence of other liver diseases other than chronic HCV infection Subjects with known allergy or hypersensitivity to any ingredient of the study drug or placebo Pregnant, planning on becoming pregnant, or breastfeeding female subject or male subject whose partner is pregnant or planning on becoming pregnant Subject with any of the following laboratory abnormalities: 1. Platelet count <90,000/mm3; 2. Absolute neutrophil count <1500 cells/mm3; 3. Hemoglobin <12 g/dL for women and <13 g/dL for men; 4. Creatinine >1.5 mg/dL; 5. Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and/or aspartate aminotransferase (AST) >10 x upper limit of normal (ULN); 6. Total serum bilirubin >1.5 x ULN; 7. Subjects without cirrhosis and AFP >50 ng/mL must have an ultrasound between the screening and baseline visit with no findings suspicious for HCC Medical conditions which are contraindications for PegIFNα 2a or RBV therapy: 1. Psychiatric disorders; 2. Organ transplant (other than cornea or hair transplant or skin graft); 3. Severe concurrent medical disease such as severe hypertension, significant coronary heart disease, poorly controlled diabetes mellitus (glycated hemoglobin A1c [HbA1c] >8.5%), not adequately controlled thyroid dysfunction, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, severe infections (bacterial, viral, fungal, including acute tuberculosis), or hemoglobinopathies (thalassemia major or sickle cell anemia); 4. Autoimmune hepatitis or other autoimmune conditions known to be exacerbated by PegIFNα 2a and RBV