I have been reading about a possible cure from Abbott Laboratories for hepatitis C, genotype 1 patients. I was previously non-responsive, after several months, to treatment with interferon alone (no ribavirin). At age 74, am I now a viable candidate for phase 3 treatment with the Abbott protocol?

Hepatitis C clinical trials accept people of only certain ages. In the past the cutoff for inclusion was often 65, but some of the newer trials allow people up to age 75. So I would check with your doctor to see what the upper age is for the Abbott protocol you mention.

It is also worth considering with your physician your overall health, degree of scarring in the liver, specific hepatitis C medications you are considering, and potential benefits versus risks of hepatitis C treatments.

Although you did not respond to interferon alone, it is difficult to be cured with interferon alone. Thus your chance of cure should be better with the addition of ribavirin and/or with novel medications.