Telaprevir for the treatment of hepatitis C.

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Forestier N, Zeuzem S

Telaprevir for the treatment of hepatitis C.

Expert Opin Pharmacother. 2012 Mar;13(4):593-606. doi: 10.1517/14656566.2012.660524. Epub 2012 Feb 15.

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22332992 [ View in PubMed
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Abstract

INTRODUCTION: More than 180 million people worldwide are infected with the chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV), a major cause of liver cirrhosis, and its life-threatening complications including liver failure, portal hypertension and hepatocellular carcinoma. For patients infected with HCV genotype 1, the chances of a sustained virologic response (SVR) with the previous standard of care treatment (Peg-IFN-alpha + ribavirin) are only 40 - 50%. Neither drug targets a specific HCV protein, and treatment is not only compromised by insufficient SVR rates but also associated with several side effects. With a better understanding of the HCV life-cycle, and of the structural features of HCV proteins, several promising direct antiviral drugs (DAAs) have entered clinical development. AREAS COVERED: This review summarizes the clinical development of telaprevir and discusses the possible role of telaprevir in combination with Peg-IFN-alpha and ribavirin as a new standard treatment against HCV infection, as well as any possible challenges in the future. EXPERT OPINION: Triple therapy, with telaprevir in combination with Peg-IFN-alpha + ribavirin, is the new standard for chronic hepatitis C treatment in genotype 1-infected patients. At present, there are several next-generation DAAs in clinical development in combination with Peg-IFN-alpha. The future, however, may also include new treatment strategies, such as oral DAA combinations.

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