C-FREE Protocol 4.0 for sustainability

The C-FREE study was launched in May 2019. Since inception, more than 5,000 participants have voluntarily joined the study across currently 11 sites in Thailand. C-FREE has demonstrated high cure rates from treatment of hepatitis C delivered to those most at risk of infection, including notably people who inject drugs.

In November 2022, the Thai government removed drug use as an exclusion criterion for the treatment of hepatitis C under the national program, in part from the evidence of treatment success in this group generated by the C-FREE study.

Building on this policy change, the C-FREE consortium is now launching the protocol amendment 4.0, adapting procedures to also now further study the applicability and effectiveness of integrating hepatitis treatment provided by the national program through the C-FREE community services. Trainings of all sites' research nurses, research assistants, and study physicians were organized between March 14–21, 2025.