10 research outputs found
New direct-acting antivirals in the development for hepatitis C virus infection
A large number of new therapies are in development for chronic hepatitis C
including direct-acting antiviral drugs (DAA), which target specific hepatitis C
virus enzymes. Two of these compounds have already advanced into phase 3
development in the USA and EU, and many more are in phase 2 trials and likely to
advance. In this review, the results of recent studies on ribavirin analogues,
nonstructural (NS) 3/4 serine protease inhibitors, NS5B polymerase inhibitors,
cyclophilin inhibitors, silimarin components, and thiazolides have been updated.
Each compound includes a brief summary of its proposed mechanism of action,
results of early clinical trials, and more advanced trial data where available.
These compounds are likely to be the first approved in the USA and EU and will
initially be used in combination with the current standard of care. It is
possible that future treatment paradigms with these agents will offer the
potential of interferon-free regimens. It is most likely that patients for these
new therapies will be selected carefully by identifying and treating first those
who have excellent sustained virologic response rates with 24 weeks of pegylated
interferon and ribavirin, the current standard of care. It is also likely that
there will be a need to identify those patients who are not likely to have a
sustained virologic response with the addition of a protease inhibitor to the
current standard of care and delaying their therapy until combination viral
suppression therapy becomes an option. The cost and side effects of the DAA will
be important considerations for treating physicians. This review is current
through 2009; however, data are rapidly changing
Recommended from our members
2006 GI-5005 THERAPEUTIC VACCINE PLUS PEG-IFN/RIBAVIRIN SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVES VIROLOGIC RESPONSE AND ALT NORMALIZATION AT END-OF-TREATMENT AND IMPROVES SVR24 COMPARED TO PEG-IFN/RIBAVIRIN IN GENOTYPE-1 CHRONIC HCV PATIENTS
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277 GI-5005 THERAPEUTIC VACCINE PLUS PEG-IFN/RIBAVIRIN IMPROVES BIOPSY NECRO-INFLAMMATORY SCORES AND ALT NORMALIZATION AT 48 WEEKS VERSUS PEG-IFN/RIBAVIRIN IN GENOTYPE 1 CHRONIC HCV PATIENTS
New developments in small molecular compounds for anti-hepatitis C virus (HCV) therapy*
Infection with hepatitis C virus (HCV) affects approximately 170 million people worldwide. However, no vaccine or immunoglobulin is currently available for the prevention of HCV infection. The standard of care (SOC) involving pegylated interferon-α (PEG-IFN α) plus ribavirin (RBV) for 48 weeks results in a sustained virologic response in less than 50% of patients with chronic hepatitis C genotype 1, the most prevalent type of HCV in North America and Europe. Recently, reliable in vitro culture systems have been developed for accelerating antiviral therapy research, and many new specifically targeted antiviral therapies for hepatitis C (STAT-C) and treatment strategies are being evaluated in clinical trials. These new antiviral agents are expected to improve present treatment significantly and may potentially shorten treatment duration. The aim of this review is to summarize the current developments in new anti-HCV drugs