Faldaprevir for the treatment of hepatitis C.
The current treatments for chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype 1 infection are combinations of direct-acting antivirals, and faldaprevir is one of the new generation of HCV NS3/4A protease inhibitors. At the end of 2013, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the HCV NS3/4A protease inhibitor simeprevir and the HCV NS5B polymerase inhibitor sofosbuvir. Simeprevir or sofosbuvir in combination with pegylated interferon and ribavirin are available for clinical use. Faldaprevir, another HCV NS3/4A protease inhibitor that also has fewer adverse events than telaprevir or boceprevir, is under development. Of interest, faldaprevir in combination with pegylated interferon and ribavirin, and interferon-free treatment with faldaprevir in combination with deleobuvir plus ribavirin provides high sustained virological response rates for HCV genotype 1 infection. The aim of this article is to review these data concerning faldaprevir. Faldaprevir in combination with pegylated interferon and ribavirin treatment appears to be associated with fewer adverse events than telaprevir or boceprevir in combination with pegylated interferon and ribavirin, and may be one of the therapeutic options for treatment-naive patients with HCV genotype 1. The interferon-free combination of faldaprevir and deleobuvir with ribavirin was effective for HCV genotype 1 infection and may hold promise for interferon-ineligible and interferon-intolerant patients.
Department of Gastroenterology and Nephrology, Chiba University, Graduate School of Medicine, 1-8-1 Inohana, Chuo-ku, Chiba 260-8670, Japan. kandat-cib@umin.ac.jp.
Tatsuo
T
Kanda
Department of Gastroenterology and Nephrology, Chiba University, Graduate School of Medicine, 1-8-1 Inohana, Chuo-ku, Chiba 260-8670, Japan. yokosukao@faculty.chiba-u.jp.
Osamu
O
Yokosuka
Yamanashi Hospitals (Central and Kita) Organization, 1-1-1 Fujimi, Kofu-shi, Yamanashi 400-8506, Japan. momata-tky@umin.ac.jp.|University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8655, Japan. momata-tky@umin.ac.jp.
Masao
M
Omata
D000621:Aminoisobutyric Acids; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000235:genetics; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000737:chemistry / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007930:Leucine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D009842:Oligopeptides / Q000737:chemistry / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols / Q000737:chemistry / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011392:Proline / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D011804:Quinolines; D013844:Thiazoles / Q000737:chemistry / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017361:Viral Nonstructural Proteins / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism; D012697:Serine Endopeptidases; D043583:Nucleoside-Triphosphatase; D053487:DEAD-box RNA Helicases; D000085242:Viral Proteases
D000621:Aminoisobutyric Acids; D000998:Antiviral Agents; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D007930:Leucine; D009842:Oligopeptides; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols; D011392:Proline; D011804:Quinolines; D013844:Thiazoles; D017361:Viral Nonstructural Proteins; C084422:NS3 protein, hepatitis C virus; D012697:Serine Endopeptidases; D043583:Nucleoside-Triphosphatase; D053487:DEAD-box RNA Helicases; D000085242:Viral Proteases; C093542:NS4 protein, hepatitis C virus; C571406:PEG-IFN-SA; C552340:faldaprevir