Preparation of HCV infected patients to the triple therapy with first generation protease inhibitors

Abstract

In 2011 the European Medicines Agency approved two new drugs (boceprevir and telaprevir) to treat patients with chronic hepatitis C or compensated liver cirrhosis infected with genotype 1 HCV. Their usage together with a standard therapy, ie. pegylated interferon alfa and ribavirin significantly increased the chance of sustained virologic response among both previously unsuccessfully treated and naïve patients. However, this involves a greater number of side effects that poorly monitored can be life threatening. To the known side effects of standard therapy joined new, such as dysguasia, anorectal symptoms. Both drugs can compromise cardiac complications, especially in predisposed patients. Furthermore there is also a greater risk of rash and serious skin reactions. New problem is the interaction between drugs and first generation protease inhibitors resulting from the inhibition of cytochrome p450, common to many drugs pathway.