Existing drug regimens are based on various genetically engineered versions of the natural immune system protein alphainterferon combined with a second chemical, ribavirin.
Those drugs aim to improve on current treatment regimens based on the immune protein alpha interferon--which often don't work and have an array of nasty side effects.
An anonymous pharmaceutical company on Celera's subscriber list is now working to see if the gene will produce an alphainterferon protein that might be used as a drug.