Novel hepatitis C drugs in current trials.
Almost half of the patients who have chronic hepatitis C cannot be cured with the current standard treatment. Recent progress in structure determination of HCV proteins and development of a subgenomic replicon system and a cell culture infectious HCV clone enabled the development of a specifically targeted antiviral therapy for hepatitis C (STAT-C). Many HCV-specific compounds are under investigation in preclinical and clinical trials. The development of agents in different classes may allow construction of antiviral combinations that enhance the effectiveness of antiviral treatment, reduce the duration of treatment, and, eventually, may even avoid the use of interferon-alfa.
Kronenberger
Bernd
B
Zentrum der Inneren Medizin, Medizinische Klinik 1, Klinikum der Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Universität, Frankfurt, Germany.
Welsch
Christoph
C
Forestier
Nicole
N
Zeuzem
Stefan
S
D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic / Q000379:methods*; D004341:Drug Evaluation; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics
D000998:Antiviral Agents; D012367:RNA, Viral