title: NS5A inhibitors for the treatment of hepatitis C infection.
abstract: Today, we are witnessing a new era for the treatment of hepatitis C with excellent rates of virologic response and very good safety profiles. Among the many classes of direct-acting antivirals, the inhibitors of nonstructural protein 5A are particularly interesting. NS5A is a phosphorylated protein with a relevant role in viral replication. HCV-NS5A inhibitors show high potency, very good safety profile and high barrier to resistance. The amazing in vitro effectiveness of this class is associated with great efficacy in clinical trials in combination protocols with antivirals of other classes, with sustained virological response (SVR) obtained in more than 90% of patients. Herein, we sought to review the current knowledge regarding the NS5A protease complex inhibitors with special emphasis on clinical efficacy and development of viral resistance.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy.
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gitto
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy.
authors.forename: Nesrine
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Gamal
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy.
authors.forename: Pietro
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Andreone
mesh_terms: D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D024882:Drug Resistance, Viral; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D017361:Viral Nonstructural Proteins / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D014779:Virus Replication / Q000187:drug effects; D012324:RNA-Dependent RNA Polymerase
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D017361:Viral Nonstructural Proteins; C087036:NS-5 protein, hepatitis C virus; D012324:RNA-Dependent RNA Polymerase
keywords: NS5A inhibitor; direct-acting antiviral; hepatitis C