title: Hepatitis C virus: standard-of-care treatment.
abstract: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is curable by therapy. The antiviral treatment of chronic hepatitis C has been based for decades on the use of interferon (IFN)-α, combined with ribavirin. More recently, new therapeutic approaches that target essential components of the HCV life cycle have been developed, including direct-acting antiviral (DAA) and host-targeted agents (HTA). A new standard-of-care treatment has been approved in 2011 for patients infected with HCV genotype 1, based on a triple combination of pegylated IFN-α, ribavirin, and either telaprevir or boceprevir, two inhibitors of the HCV protease. New triple and quadruple combination therapies including pegylated IFN-α, ribavirin, and one or two DAAs/HTAs, respectively, are currently being evaluated in Phase II and III clinical trials. In addition, various options for all-oral, IFN-free regimens are currently being evaluated. This chapter describes the characteristics of the different drugs used in the treatment of chronic hepatitis C and those currently in development and provides an overview of the current and future standard-of-care treatments of chronic hepatitis C.
authors.affiliation: National Reference Center for Viral Hepatitis B, C and D, Department of Virology, Hôpital Henri Mondor, Université Paris-Est, Créteil, France. jean-michel.pawlotsky@hmn.aphp.fr
authors.forename: Jean-Michel
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Pawlotsky
mesh_terms: D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination / Q000592:standards; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000187:drug effects; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007372:Interferons / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012254:Ribavirin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D012254:Ribavirin; D007372:Interferons
keywords: Direct-acting antivirals; Hepatitis C virus; Interferon alpha; Interferon-free regimens; Ribavirin