It's always nice when one drug can do double duty. That's what new research shows in the June issue of American Journal of Gastroenterology. The old drug Fluvastatin, which has been used for years as a treatment to lower blood cholesterol, can also inhibit Hepatitis C replication.

Unfortunately, Fluvastatin alone won't clear the virus completely, but it may offer another tool in the treatment arsenal for hepatitis C, especially for those not responding well to conventional therapy. As it is now, only about 50% of people respond well to treatment. Read about two people's experience with the current treatment regimen.

One of the nice benefits of using older medicines for newer treatments, besides the obvious cost savings of researching a new drug, is the established safety record. Fluvastatin has been on the market since 1993, and literally millions have taken it safely. It's now in a phase II trial to see if it can provide stronger results by combining it with the standard pegylated interferon and ribavirin. For more about treatment, check out this overview.