Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is the most common blood-borne infection in the United States and a worldwide public health problem of epidemic proportions. Benign in the acute phase of infection, HCV infection usually becomes chronic in 70% of those originally infected. Chronic HCV infection leads to inflammation of the liver (hepatitis), cirrhosis, end-stage liver disease, and hepatocellular carcinoma. In the United States alone, there are over 2.7 million individuals with chronic HCV hepatitis. Standard treatment of chronic HCV hepatitis is combination therapy for 24 to 48 weeks with alpha interferon and ribavirin. This combination has limited efficacy, poor tolerability, and significant expense in terms of drug and ancillary laboratory testing. It is well recognized that new treatment options are needed which are more efficacious, potent, less toxic, and less expensive.