For the millions of Americans -- and hundreds of millions of people worldwide -- infected with or worried about becoming infected with hepatitis B or C, this section provides information on vaccines, existing drug therapies, and drugs in development.

For the millions already infected, a vaccine is of no use. No vaccine yet exists that can prevent hepatitis C, and at this point, there are also no therapeutic vaccines on the market.

But vaccines are readily available that can prevent hepatitis B -- and hepatitis A. And our vaccine section provides information on who should take these vaccines, and when.

As for existing drugs, the mainstay of treatment for either hepatitis B or C continues to be members of the interferon family.

Used in combination with ribavirin (to fight hepatitis C) or in combination with lamivudine (to fight hepatitis B), these drugs provide at least short-term clearance of the virus in as many as four out of ten patients. Our interferon section provides information on some of these solo interferon therapies and combinations.

But the problems of resistance and effectiveness -- combined with cost and unpleasant side-effects -- have led millions of those infected with hepatitis B or C to wait on the sidelines for emergence of a potential cure.

In our investigational drugs section, we describe some of the drugs currently in the preclinical research stage or already in clinical trials.

All information provided in this site is offered for educational purposes only, and it is not intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. Always consult your own physician or healthcare provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.