Objectives: Chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection represents a leading worldwide medical and social problem. The expanding knowledge of HCV lifecycle has led to the development of novel antiviral agents that: a) specifically target a viral function (direct-acting antivirals), or b) specifically inhibit viral replication. The present review describes the novel anti-HCV drugs that have been better studied at the time of this writing and the current two types of treatment, namely interferon-based and interferon-free regimens. In addition, predictive factors, virological responses, side-effects, and resistance mechanisms of the novel agents are summarized.
Conclusions: The introduction of novel antiviral agents is remarkably changing the therapeutic combinations aimed at improving virological responses both for easy-to-cure and difficult-to-treat patients. Since additional, effective drugs are under advanced development, it seems reasonable to expect that further therapeutic and prognostic improvements will be achieved in the near future.
Keywords: BOC; CHC; CV; Chronic hepatitis C; DAA; DVR; Direct-acting antivirals; EVR; HCV; HTAs; Host-targeting antivirals; IFN-α; IL28B; ISGs; Interferon; NIs; NNIs; PI; Protease inhibitors; RBV; RGR; RVR; Ribavirin; SNP; SVR; SoC; TPV; boceprevir; chronic hepatitis C; cryoglobulinemic vasculitis; delayed virological response; direct-acting antiviral; eRVR; early virological response; extended rapid virological response; genotype; genotypes; gt; gts; hepatitis C virus; host-targeting antivirals; interferon-alpha; interferon-stimulated genes; interleukin 28B; non-nucleoside inhibitors; nucleoside analog inhibitors; pIFN; pegylated interferon; protease inhibitor; rapid virological response; response-guided regimens; ribavirin; single nucleotide polymorphism; standard of care; sustained virological response; telaprevir.
Copyright © 2013 The British Infection Association. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.