In 2016 the WHO Assembly defined a global strategy to combat viral hepatitis viruses, which seeks to eliminate these infections by 2030. The most important goals of this programme, adopted by 194 countries, are to reduce the incidence of viral hepatitis by 90 % and mortality rates – by 65 % as compared to the levels observed in 2016. Therefore, there is an obvious need for development of medicines for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C. The aim of the present paper was to determine basic approaches to planning pre-authorisation clinical trials for the main groups of medicines for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C. The paper summarises the current trends in the treatment of chronic hepatitis C; it lists medicines with direct antiviral effect that are currently registered in the Russian Federation, as well as interferon-free and interferon-containing regimens for the treatment of this disease. The authors examined the current requirements in force in the Russian Federation, namely: the Federal Law No. 61-FZ «On circulation of medicines» dated April 12, 2010, the Guideline on Evaluation of Medicinal Products, the Clinical Recommendations for Diagnosis and Treatment of Adult Patients with Hepatitis C, as well as recommendations of the European Medicines Agency and the Food and Drug Administration in order to analyse the planning of programmes of pre-authorisation clinical trials of interferon alfa products and direct antivirals.