A Sustained Virologic Response Reduces Risk of All-Cause Mortality in Patients With Hepatitis C

Asian Pacific Association for the Study of the Liver consensus statements on the diagnosis, management and treatment of hepatitis C virus infection

Interferon-Free Treatment Regimens for Hepatitis C: Are We There Yet?

Liver transplantation for hepatitis C virus (HCV) non-viremic recipients with HCV viremic donors.

Optimizing Outcomes in Hepatitis C: Is Treatment Beyond 48 Weeks Ever Justified?

Hepatitis C Treatment Eligibility and Outcomes Among Patients With Psychiatric Illness

Peginterferon Alfa-2a and Ribavirin for 24 Weeks in Hepatitis C Type 1 and 4 Patients With Rapid Virological Response

Impact of Occult Hepatitis B Virus Infection or Hepatitis B Virus DNA Integration on Efficacy of Chronic Hepatitis C Treatment With Peginterferon and Ribavirin

Agents NS3/NS4A Protease Inhibitors NS3/NS4A protease inhibitors block the hepatitis C virus (HCV) NS3/NS4A protease enzymatic cleavage of the HCV C-terminal polyprotein into discrete nonstructural proteins. Telaprevir and boceprevir represent the first wave of HCV protease inhibitors. The second wave (simeprevir, ABT-450, asunaprevir) have improved pharmacokinetics and allow once-daily dosing with more tolerable side effects. Each of these agents has similar genotype and subtype coverage (less efficacious against 1a than 1b because of a lower barrier to selection for resistance) and resistance profiles. The true second-generation protease inhibitors (MK-5172) are in earlier stages of development and likely provide close to pan-genotypic antiviral activity and a higher genetic barrier to resistance.

Data to Guide the “Test and Treat Era” of Hepatitis C

EASL Clinical Practice Guidelines: Management of hepatitis C virus infection

With the development of effective therapies against human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection has become a major cause of morbidity and mortality among patients with both infections (coinfection). In addition to the high prevalence of chronic HCV, particularly among HIV-infected injection drug users, the rate of incident HIV infections is increasing among HIV-infected men who have sex with men, leading to recommendations for education and screening for HCV in this population. Liver disease is the second leading and, in some cases, a preventable cause of death among coinfected patients. Those at risk for liver disease progression are usually treated with a combination of interferon (IFN) and ribavirin (RBV), which is not highly effective; it has low rates of sustained virologic response (SVR), especially for coinfected patients with HCV genotype 1 and those of African descent. Direct-acting antivirals might overcome factors such as immunodeficiency that can reduce the efficacy of IFN. However, for now it remains challenging to treat coinfected patients due to interactions among drugs, additive drug toxicities, and the continued need for combination therapies that include pegylated IFN. Recently developed HCV protease inhibitors such as telaprevir and boceprevir, given in combination with pegylated IFN and RBV, could increase the rate of SVR with manageable toxicity and drug interactions. We review the latest developments and obstacles to treating coinfected patients.

Extended Treatment Duration for Hepatitis C Virus Type 1: Comparing 48 Versus 72 Weeks of Peginterferon-Alfa-2a Plus Ribavirin

Rethinking hepatitis C viral kinetics: Insights into host-virus interactions in ‘difficult-to-treat’ groups and implications for novel treatment approaches

CXCL9, CXCL10 and CXCL11 polymorphisms are associated with sustained virologic response in HIV/HCV-coinfected patients

IL28B single nucleotide polymorphisms in the treatment of hepatitis C