This study plans to address the issue of whether increasing the duration of therapy from 24 weeks to 48 weeks with PegIFNα2b 1.5mg/kg/week and using weight-based ribavirin (15mg/kg) may reduce relapse rates and thereby increase SVR rates in patients infected with genotype 3 who fail to achieve an RVR but do achieve a complete cEVR defined as undetectable HCV RNA (ie. <50 or <15 IU/ml by 12 weeks). This study is necessary because although most patients with genotype 3 ultimately become HCV RNA undetectable during treatment, relapse after discontinuation of therapy remains a major cause of failure to achieve SVR. This is a very important issue given that to date none of the new small molecule drugs appear effective against genotype 3 meaning that at the present time patients with genotype 3 infection have no other options. Relapse is particularly common in patients with advanced liver disease but it has been shown that if SVR can be achieved in patients with advanced disease, the risk of liver failure is significantly reduced, as may be the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). As a consequence the need for liver transplantation is diminished and survival is improved. Identifying strategies to reduce relapse and improve rates of SVR are therefore critical.