A doctor jailed for infecting 55 women with hepatitis C has lost a bid to reduce his sentence after arguing the advent of direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) meant the disease was no longer a serious condition.

Dr James Peters originally pleaded guilty to negligently causing serious injury back in 2013.

The women were infected after the Melbourne anaesthetist injected himself with fentanyl stolen from his work, and then reused the needles on his patients, despite knowing he had hepatitis C.

Now serving 14 years in jail, he last month sought leave to appeal in the Supreme Court of Victoria.