Hepatitis C virus: an overview of current approaches and progress
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Updated: Oct 18, 2026
A Protocol for Analyzing Hepatitis C Virus Replication
Published on: June 26, 2014
1Bristol-Myers Squibb, Pharmaceutical Research Institute, 5 Research Pkwy, Wallingford, CT 06492, USA.
Insights
Hepatitis C virus (HCV), identified in 1989, causes chronic liver disease. This review discusses drug development targeting viral enzymes to combat widespread HCV infection.
Area of Science:
- Hepatology
- Virology
- Drug Discovery
Background:
- Hepatitis C virus (HCV) identified in 1989 as the cause of non-A, non-B hepatitis.
- HCV infection is widespread and a significant health threat.
- Chronic HCV infection can lead to cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review drug development opportunities for Hepatitis C virus.
- To discuss targeted drug development based on characterized viral enzymes.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing literature on Hepatitis C virus enzymes.
- Identification of potential drug targets and inhibitors.
Main Results:
- HCV enzyme characterization provides opportunities for drug development.
- Several inhibitors have shown activity against viral targets.
Conclusions:
- Despite challenges in viral propagation and animal models, targeted drug development for HCV is feasible.
- Focusing on viral enzymes is a promising strategy for effective Hepatitis C treatments.
Abstract:
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) was unambiguously identified in the year 1989 as the agent responsible for most cases of non-A, non-B hepatitis, a chronic disease that often leads to cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Having developed the means to detect the virus in the general population, it is now apparent that HCV infection is widespread and is likely to remain a health threat unless effective treatments are developed. The inability to propagate the virus in tissue culture and the scarcity of convenient animal models have proved to be major obstacles in drug discovery. Despite these limitations, several opportunities exist for targeted drug development based on the viral enzymes that have been characterized so far. These targets and inhibitors reported to be active against them are discussed in the following review.
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