Hepatitis C Cure Can Be Assessed 4 Weeks After Treatment

Measuring HCV viral load at 4 weeks posttreatment predicts a cure as well as sustained virological response at 12 weeks.
​November 11, 2025 • By Liz Highleyman, POZ

Achieving a sustained virological response four weeks after completing hepatitis C treatment—known as SVR4—is highly predictive of a cure, according to study results presented at the American Association for the Study of Liver Disease (AASLD) Liver Meeting. Confirming a cure earlier could be a practical approach for people who are at risk for loss to follow-up and could help determine sooner who might need another course of treatment.


Direct-acting antiviral therapy for hepatitis C is highly effective, and more than 95% of people who complete treatment are cured. Successful treatment is defined as sustained virological response (SVR), or continued undetectable hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA. In the interferon era, sustained response was traditionally assessed at 24 weeks posttreatment (SVR24). But relapse that long after treatment with direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) is rare, so today a cure is typically assessed at 12 weeks (SVR12). Patients who still have detectable HCV RNA after treatment may have not responded adequately, may have relapsed or may have become reinfected.

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