Hepatitis C is one of those infections that can quietly damage the liver for years before anyone notices. A new Indian clinical trial suggests that treating it could become shorter, simpler and cheaper for many patients. Here is what the study found, who it applies to and what it does not tell us yet.
A silent but curable infection
Hepatitis C is a viral infection of the liver. As The Indian Express explains in its report on the study, it often goes undetected for years while it slowly damages the organ. Left untreated, it can lead to liver scarring (cirrhosis) and liver cancer. The report says that in India, nearly one in every 200 people is infected with the virus.
The good news is that hepatitis C is curable. The standard treatment is a combination of two antiviral drugs, sofosbuvir and velpatasvir, taken for 12 weeks. In India, according to the same report, a 12-week course costs around Rs 15,000.
What the RESOLVE trial tested
The new research, called the RESOLVE trial, was published in The Lancet. The Indian Express describes it as an ICMR study. It asked a simple question: can patients who do not have cirrhosis be cured with eight weeks of the same drugs instead of twelve?
The study design, as reported:
- 880 patients without cirrhosis took part.
- It ran at five public hospitals: two in Lucknow, two in New Delhi and one in Varanasi.
- Half the patients took sofosbuvir-velpatasvir for eight weeks. The other half took it for the standard 12 weeks.
The results: nearly identical cure rates
Among patients who completed treatment, the cure rates were almost the same:
- 98.8% in the eight-week group
- 99% in the 12-week group
In other words, for this group of patients, cutting a month off treatment made almost no difference to how many people were cured.
Why a shorter course matters
The most obvious benefit is cost. The report says that going from 12 weeks to eight could cut drug costs by about a third, which works out to a saving of about Rs 5,000 per patient at current market prices. It also notes that savings under India's National Viral Hepatitis Control Programme may be different, because government procurement prices are not publicly available.
There are other practical benefits too, even if they are harder to measure:
- Fewer pills and fewer weeks. A shorter course is easier for patients to stick with and finish.
- Less load on health systems. Public hospitals treating large numbers of patients could reach more people with the same resources.
- Simpler programmes. Treatment schedules that are easier to follow can help screening and treatment efforts reach more of the people who need them.
Important limits of the findings
It helps to be clear about what this study does not show:
- It covers only patients without cirrhosis. People whose liver disease is more advanced were not part of this comparison. The report says further research will show whether their treatment can also be shortened.
- The cure rates are for patients who completed treatment. Finishing the full course, whatever its length, still matters.
- It is not a reason to change treatment yourself. Decisions about which regimen and how long are for a doctor, who will look at liver health, other conditions and lab results.
What this means for you
If you have never been tested for hepatitis C, the bigger message may simply be that this is an infection that often has no obvious symptoms, yet it can be cured. If you think you may have been exposed, or you have concerns about your liver, talk to a qualified doctor about testing. If you are already being treated, keep following your doctor's plan. Do not shorten or stop a course of medicine on your own because of a news report.
A broader moment for affordable treatment
This study comes during a week of other cost-related health news in India. On 8 October 2026, the government announced through the Press Information Bureau that margins on non-scheduled anti-cancer medicines would be capped at 30% of MRP. It expects the move to save cancer patients ₹2,500 crore a year. Taken together, these stories point to a growing focus on making effective treatment easier to afford, whether through smarter regimens or pricing rules.
The bottom line
An Indian trial published in The Lancet found that eight weeks of sofosbuvir-velpatasvir cured hepatitis C about as well as the standard 12 weeks in patients without cirrhosis, with cure rates of 98.8% and 99%. That could make treatment simpler and save around Rs 5,000 per patient at market prices. More research is needed for people with advanced liver disease.
This article is for general information only and is not medical advice. Please consult a qualified healthcare professional about your own health.
Sources
- The Indian Express, "8-week Hepatitis C treatment as good as 12-week course: ICMR study says it saves Rs 5,000": https://indianexpress.com/article/health-wellness/hepatitis-c-treatment-weeks-course-icmr-study-10918803/
- Press Information Bureau, "Government Expands Cancer Medicine Price Controls": https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2321092&lang=2®=48
