Emerging drugs for hepatitis C

Expert Opin Emerg Drugs. 2008 Mar;13(1):1-19. doi: 10.1517/14728214.13.1.1.

Abstract

Background: Chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection remains a global health threat with approximately 200 million carriers worldwide. Current treatment consists of the use of peginterferon (pegIFN)/ribavirin (RBV) for 24 or 48 weeks depending on HCV genotype. Serious side effects and the fact that less than half of patients infected with HCV genotypes 1 and 4 (which are the most common) accomplish sustained virological response with this medication warrant the need for novel anti-HCV therapies.

Objective: Description of specifically targeted antiviral therapies for hepatitis C (STAT-C) designed to inhibit the serine protease and the RNA-dependent HCV-RNA polymerase.

Methods: Review of available data reported in peer-reviewed journals and medical conferences.

Results/conclusions: Early preclinical studies using these compounds produced encouraging results, but the initial enthusiasm has been hampered by toxicity issues and rapid selection of resistance. Therefore, combination therapy with a backbone of pegIFN/RBV, or perhaps in the future using several of these small molecules, preferably having distinct modes of action and resistance profiles, will be required.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antiviral Agents / pharmacology
  • Antiviral Agents / therapeutic use
  • Drugs, Investigational / pharmacology
  • Drugs, Investigational / therapeutic use*
  • Hepacivirus / drug effects*
  • Hepacivirus / physiology
  • Hepatitis C / drug therapy*
  • Hepatitis C / epidemiology
  • Hepatitis C / virology
  • Humans
  • Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic / trends

Substances

  • Antiviral Agents
  • Drugs, Investigational