Review article: investigational agents for chronic hepatitis C

Summary Background  The need for effective treatment for chronic hepatitis C infection has driven the development of novel antiviral agents that target specific steps in the viral replication cycle. Aim  To evaluate the current literature concerning investigational agents for chronic hepatitis C vir...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Alimentary pharmacology & therapeutics 2009-04, Vol.29 (7), p.689-705
Main Authors: THOMPSON, A. J. V., MCHUTCHISON, J. G.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Antiviral Agents - pharmacology
Biological and medical sciences
Clinical Trials as Topic
Digestive system
Drug Design
Drugs, Investigational - therapeutic use
Gastroenterology. Liver. Pancreas. Abdomen
Hepatitis C virus
Hepatitis C, Chronic - drug therapy
Hepatitis C, Chronic - virology
Human viral diseases
Humans
Infectious diseases
Medical sciences
Pharmacology. Drug treatments
Viral diseases
Viral hepatitis
Virus Replication - drug effects
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Summary:Summary Background  The need for effective treatment for chronic hepatitis C infection has driven the development of novel antiviral agents that target specific steps in the viral replication cycle. Aim  To evaluate the current literature concerning investigational agents for chronic hepatitis C virus infection. Methods  Resources used included PubMed, conference proceedings from the American and European Liver Associations’ meetings 2005–2008 and the National Institute of Health’s clinical trials website (http://www.clinicaltrials.gov). The focus was restricted to investigational agents that have progressed beyond preclinical development. Results  Over 50 investigational agents for chronic hepatitis C infection are currently in clinical development. Specifically targeted anti‐viral therapy for HCV (STAT‐C) shows great promise with NS3/4a protease inhibitors now entering phase 3 programmes. New interferon‐α and ribavirin formulations aim to optimize anti‐viral efficacy yet limit toxicity. Other candidates include novel immunomodulators and therapeutic vaccines. Conclusions  A new era of therapy for chronic hepatitis C beckons, promising increased cure rates with shortened duration of therapy. However, the era will not be without challenges including viral resistance, drug toxicity and the need to optimize combination therapy in the face of a rapidly evolving therapeutic arsenal.
ISSN:0269-2813
1365-2036
DOI:10.1111/j.1365-2036.2009.03927.x