On the cusp of change: new therapeutic modalities for HCV

• Published in: Annals of hepatology 2010, Vol.9 Suppl, p.123-S131
• Main Author: Rodríguez-Torres, Maribel
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Antiviral Agents - adverse effects; Antiviral Agents - economics; Antiviral Agents - therapeutic use; Boceprevir; Chronic hepatitis C (CHC); Clinical Trials as Topic; Directly acting antivirals (DAA); Drug Costs; Drug Therapy, Combination; Drugs, Investigational - adverse effects; Drugs, Investigational - economics; Drugs, Investigational - therapeutic use; Evidence-Based Medicine; Hepatitis C - diagnosis; Hepatitis C - drug therapy; Hepatitis C - economics; Humans; Oligopeptides - therapeutic use; Patient Selection; Proline - analogs & derivatives; Proline - therapeutic use; Telaprevir; Treatment Outcome; Viral Load
• ISSN: 1665-2681
• DOI: 10.1016/S1665-2681(19)31737-5

We are at the cusp of significant new alternatives for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C. Among more than 100 drugs in development, some are ready to be approved and in the market as soon as next year. The protease inhibitors telaprevir and boceprevir, will change the SOC treatment to triple therapy, (combined with peg IFN and RBV), with duration of treatment guided by rapid virological response. In this article we present the data supporting the approval of telaprevir and boceprevir, and information on polymerase inhibitors and IFN free proof of concept trials. Finally we discuss which patients should wait for DAA based therapies and which should be considered for peg IFN/RBV now. In the next 5 years our patients can expect higher response rates and truncated duration of therapy. They can expect drug cocktails or combos but for the next years these novel drugs will still require peg IFN and RBV. Also, a new era of resistance as a barrier to therapy will require sub typing and more viral monitoring. Overall, improved outcomes will come at the expense of more adverse events and increased costs of treatment.