Current treatment consists of a combination of peginterferon (PegIFN) and ribavirin (RBV) given for 24 or 48 weeks depending on the viral genotype. While genotypes 2 and 3 respond well to 24 weeks of PegIFN/RBV with approximately 80% viral clearance, genotype 1 infected patients only achieve about 40-50% sustained viral response (SVR) with 48 weeks of combination therapy.