Nearly 250,000 Australians with hepatitis C hope new drugs will be approved by the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS).

Current medication can require 6-12 months of treatment and for many patients causes debilitating side effects like nausea, hair loss and depression.

Hepatitis Queensland spokeswoman Jodie Walton said while the available drugs had an 80 per cent cure rate, the emotional and physical cost was often too high.

She said the stigma associated with Hepatitis C meant many sufferers were reluctant to tell their family or work colleagues they were infected.

But she said new drugs from Europe and the US were providing hope.

"The medications we're seeing approved overseas now are around 12 weeks on treatment and have very little side effects," Ms Walton said.

But they cost between $80,000 and $100,000 - well beyond the means of many people with the illness.

For more details, go to: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-03-19/australians-with-hepatitis-c-hope-drugs-will-be-approved-by-pbs/6333710