The importance of rapid viral suppression in the era of directly acting antiviral therapy for hepatitis C virus.

An increased understanding of viral kinetics has allowed clinicians to tailor therapy for hepatitis C virus through identifying patients who have the best chance of viral eradication and those for whom therapy will likely fail. Nonetheless, sustained viral response rates with pegylated interferon (PegIFN) and ribavirin remain disappointingly low. However, exciting advancements in the field of hepatitis C therapy include the development of new direct-acting antiviral agents, which offer much higher rates of sustained viral eradication when used in combination with PegIFN and ribavirin.