Treatment of Hepatitis C
Christoph Welsch
J.W. Goethe University Hospital, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
Search for more papers by this authorStefan Zeuzem
J.W. Goethe University Hospital, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
Search for more papers by this authorChristoph Welsch
J.W. Goethe University Hospital, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
Search for more papers by this authorStefan Zeuzem
J.W. Goethe University Hospital, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
Search for more papers by this authorHoward C. Thomas BSc, PhD, FRCP, FRCPath, FMedSci
Emeritus Professor of Hepatology, Department of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK
Search for more papers by this authorAnna S.F. Lok MD
Alice Lohrman Andrews Research Professor in Hepatology, Director of Clinical Hepatology, Professor of Internal Medicine, Associate Chair for Clinical Research, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan Health System, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
Search for more papers by this authorStephen A. Locarnini MBBS, BSc(Hons), PhD, FRCPath
Head, Research & Molecular Development, Victorian Infectious Diseases Reference Laboratory, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
Search for more papers by this authorArie J. Zuckerman MD, DSc, FRCP, FRCPath, FMedSci
Emeritus Professor of Medical Microbiology, Formerly Principal and Dean, Royal Free Hospital School of Medicine
Search for more papers by this authorSummary
The goal of hepatitis C virus (HCV) therapy is viral eradication to prevent complications of chronic infection. The sustained virologic response rate for pegylated interferon alpha (PEG-IFNα) plus ribavirin (RBV) has been only about 50% in patients infected with HCV genotype 1, the most prevalent genotype in Europe and North America. Therapy has been revolutionized recently by the development and approval of direct-acting antiviral agents (DAAs). Triple therapy with PEG-IFNα, RBV, and a protease inhibitor has supplanted PEG-IFNα and RBV alone as the new standard of care (SOC) for HCV genotype 1 infection. This chapter provides an overview on chronic hepatitis C treatment, including dosing regimens, response rates, stopping rules, side effects, drug resistance development, and medication interactions. A perspective on novel agents in clinical development and interferon-sparing regimens concludes this chapter.
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