Emerging drugs for hepatitis C.
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.


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.
Soriano
Vincent
V
Hospital Carlos III, Department of Infectious Diseases, Calle Sinesio Delgado 10, Madrid 28029, Spain. vsoriano@dragonet.es
Madejon
Antonio
A
Vispo
Eugenia
E
Labarga
Pablo
P
Garcia-Samaniego
Javier
J
Martin-Carbonero
Luz
L
Sheldon
Julie
J
Bottecchia
Marcelle
M
Tuma
Paula
P
Barreiro
Pablo
P
D000818:Animals; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015507:Drugs, Investigational / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic / Q000639:trends
D000998:Antiviral Agents; D015507:Drugs, Investigational