Experimental and emerging therapies for chronic hepatitis C virus infection

Abstract

Hepatitis C virus infection is prevalent throughout the world and is associated with substantial morbidity, mortality and health economic burden. No effective preventative measure, including vaccination, is currently available. Incremental and substantial progress in the rate of viral eradication using interferonbased therapies has been made over the past decade. The most recent advance has been related to the development of a pegylated form of IFN-α by two independent pharmaceutical companies. Pegylation of IFNα appears to prolong its halflife, allowing for less frequent dosing. Reports have suggested that pegylated interferons are also associated with better efficacy for viral eradication in patients with hepatitis C virus. Slower progress also has been made in developing noninterferonbased therapeutic agents against hepatitis C virus, including protease inhibitors, helicase inhibitors, ribozymes, antisense therapies, cytokinebased therapies and Tcellbased therapeutic vaccines.

• hepatitis C
• interferons
• ribavirin
• therapy