Interferon-Free Regimen for Hepatitis C: Insight and Management

Crit Rev Eukaryot Gene Expr. 2018;28(4):373-384. doi: 10.1615/CritRevEukaryotGeneExpr.2018025121.

Abstract

The rapid development of direct-acting antiviral agents (DAA) for hepatitis C virus (HCV) therapy dramatically altered the treatment landscape of this disease. The DAA regimen is associated with various advantages including high sustained virological response (SVR) with minimum side effects and low pill load and specific inhibition of viral replication, which lowers dependence on the host cell. This regimen has substantially replaced conventional (interferon) therapy with high cure rates (> 90%) in most HCV populations. This review provides insight into clinical studies of NS3/4A protease inhibitors, NS5B viral polymerase inhibitor (nucleotide and non-nucleotide), and NS5A inhibitors, alone and in combination.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Antiviral Agents / pharmacology
  • Antiviral Agents / therapeutic use*
  • Clinical Trials as Topic
  • Drug Resistance, Viral / drug effects
  • Drug Therapy, Combination
  • Hepacivirus / pathogenicity
  • Hepacivirus / physiology*
  • Hepatitis C / drug therapy*
  • Humans
  • Interferons / therapeutic use
  • Protease Inhibitors / pharmacology
  • Ribavirin / therapeutic use
  • Serine Proteases
  • Viral Nonstructural Proteins / antagonists & inhibitors

Substances

  • Antiviral Agents
  • Protease Inhibitors
  • Viral Nonstructural Proteins
  • Ribavirin
  • Interferons
  • NS-5 protein, hepatitis C virus
  • NS3-4A serine protease, Hepatitis C virus
  • Serine Proteases