Inclusion Criteria:

• Male and female patients with a history of intravenous drug abuse, who are willing to undergo methadone or buprenorphine substitution.
• Patients with newly diagnosed chronic hepatitis C.
• Age 18-65.
• Hepatitis C virus (HCV)-ribonucleic acid (RNA) positive in serum as measured by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) within the last 4 weeks.
• Genotype 2 or 3.
• Elevated alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels.
• In women of child-bearing age, pregnancy must be excluded prior to entry into the study, and the use of a safe contraceptive device (intrauterine device, oral contraceptive, diaphragm + spermicide, condom + spermicide, tubal ligation) must be documented.

• Lab parameters:

  • Hemoglobin: >=12 g/dL (women) or >=13 g/dL (men)
  • Leukocytes >=3,000/µL
  • Thrombocytes >=100,000/µL
  • Prothrombin time (PT)/partial thromboplastin time (PTT)/coagulation within the normal range
  • Albumin: not more than 10% deviation from lower normal value
  • Thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) normal
  • Creatinine normal
  • Uric acid normal
  • Antinuclear antibodies <=1:160
• Signed informed consent.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Refusal by women of child-bearing age or by sexually active patients to use a safe contraceptive.
• Breast-feeding women.
• Cirrhosis stage B and C according to Child-Pugh.
• Signs of decompensated liver disease (ascites, bleeding varices and spontaneous encephalopathy).
• Confirmed co-infection with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) or hepatitis B virus (HBV).
• Existing psychiatric comorbidity.
• Alcohol abuse.
• Active malignant disease or suspicion or history of malignant disease within five previous years (except for adequately treated basal cell carcinoma).
• Existing psoriasis or other dermatological disorder (relative exclusion criterion: due to great differences with regard to the severity of the disorder and the individual therapy compatibility, the therapy decision is at the discretion of the physician).
• Treatment with a study drug within the last 30 days.
• Any uncontrolled underlying medical conditions (e.g. diabetes).
• Clinically significant electrocardiogram (ECG) abnormalities and / or significant cardiovascular dysfunction within the last 6 months (angina, heart failure, recent myocardial infarction, severe hypertension or significant arrhythmia) is an exclusion criterion. In case of other suspected heart disease, a cardiologic examination is required prior to inclusion of the patient.
• Any liver disorder of other genesis than the study indication (with regard to elevated iron levels, only patients with manifest hemochromatosis are excluded).
• Autoimmune disorder (except LKM-positive patients: these patients may be included in the study).
• Misuse of buprenorphine or methadone.