The standard medication for Hepatitis C, a deadly disease that leads to liver failure, involves a combination of alpha interferon and ribavirin. New research suggests that the addition of a third antiviral drug called bocoprevir may boost the treatment’s effectiveness by up to 75 percent.

A study conducted by Dr. Paul Y. Kwo and his team of researchers from Indiana University School of Medicine in Indianapolis shows that the current standard treatment for the liver disease draws out the desired virological response in just less than half of the patients.

Seeking to improve this rate, the Indiana team launched a two-phase trial involving 520 patients diagnosed with Hepatitis C. The subjects were taken from 67 sites across the United States, Canada, and Europe. A control group continued the interferon plus ribavirin treatment while other patients received one of several drug cocktails of various strengths for a period of 48 weeks. Some of the drug formulations included bocoprevir, while some did not.

Not counting other factors, such as attempting to reduce the amount of regular medication or the length of treatment given to patients, study reports show that the drug’s addition appeared to consistently improve viral response.

Unlike the two other medications, which are generally antiviral, Bocoprevir works by attacking the Hepatitis C virus directly. It may work on its own except that the virus quickly develops resistance to opposing agents. Standard treatment four weeks prior to the drug’s addition may help delay or avoid resistance. Indeed, patients who underwent this particular schedule were five times more likely to have a sustained viral response than those solely on standard treatment.

Since Hepatitis C is infectious and infamously hard to treat, it affects not only the lives of those who have it, but their loved ones and acquaintances as well. Treatment could potentially revive intimacy in couples and even allow infected mothers to breastfeed their children without risk.