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): 18.0-70.0,  Hepatitis C, Chronic Male and female patients with chronic hepatitis C and genotype 1 (1a or 1b) or genotype 4 Age between 18 and 70 years Serologic evidence of chronic hepatitis C infection by an anti-HCV antibody test Present with at least one elevated serum alanine-aminotransferase (ALT) level higher than normal in the last 6 months before therapy start including the screening period Positive HCV-RNA level in serum Laboratory parameters (within 35 days prior to study start): -Hepatitis A anti IgM negativity, HIV-Ab negativity, HBsAg negativity, Hemoglobin values > 12 g/dl in women or > 13 g/dl in men, Leukocyte count (WBC) > 3 000 /mcl, Platelets count > 100 000/mcl, Creatinine not 1.5 times higher than normal, normal TSH, normal uric acid with a maximum tolerance of 15 % in patients without history of gout Liver biopsy findings within 6 months prior to study therapy consistent with the diagnosis of chronic hepatitis C infection with or without compensated cirrhosis. Biopsies older than 1 year are eligible only after direct communication with the principal investigator Negative urine or blood pregnancy test (for women of childbearing potential) documented within the 24-hour period prior to the first dose of study drug. If there is no laboratory report existing, the physician should make an entry in the medical history that the pregnancy test was negative All fertile females receiving ribavirin must be using two forms of effective contraception during treatment and during the 6 months after treatment end. All fertile men with female partners must be using two forms of effective contraception during treatment and during the 7 months after treatment end  Any IFN and / or Pegylated IFN and ribavirin therapy at any previous time Class B or C cirrhosis as coded by Child Pugh classification Women with ongoing pregnancy or breast feeding Therapy with any systemic anti-neoplastic or immunomodulatory treatment (including supraphysiologic doses of steroids and radiation) 6 months prior to the first dose of study drug Any investigational drug 6 weeks prior to the first dose of study drug Drug addiction within 1 year prior to study start (patients participating in an official methadone program are eligible) Diabetes mellitus in patients receiving an insulin therapy Hemophiliac patients (due to the increased risk of requested liver biopsy) History or other evidence of a medical condition associated with chronic liver disease other than HCV (e.g., hemochromatosis, autoimmune hepatitis, metabolic liver disease, alcoholic liver disease, toxin exposures) History or other evidence of bleeding from esophageal varices or other conditions consistent with decompensated liver disease