Despite 35 years of intensive research since the discovery of hepatitis C virus in 1989, the world still lacks a preventive vaccine—a stark contrast to the rapid development seen with COVID-19 vaccines.
Our new Hepatitis C Vaccine Development Dashboard reveals the sobering reality: zero active clinical trials, one failed Phase 2 study, and only a handful of preclinical candidates struggling against HCV’s unprecedented challenges.
With 50 million people living with chronic hepatitis C, 1 million new infections annually, and 250,000 deaths each year, the absence of a vaccine represents one of modern medicine’s greatest unmet needs.
The dashboard tracks the sole clinical trial that reached Phase 2 (AdCh3NSmut1/MVA-NSmut, which failed in 2019), five preclinical candidates including the promising HCVIVA inactivated vaccine, and explains the formidable scientific barriers: extreme genetic diversity across 7 genotypes, rapid viral mutations, lack of animal models, and unclear correlates of protective immunity.
While direct-acting antivirals now cure over 95% of infections, they don’t prevent transmission—making a vaccine critical to achieving WHO’s 2030 elimination goals.