New therapeutic options for hepatitis C

There is an urgent need for new anti-hepatitis C virus therapies and recently a number of agents have reached clinical trials with yet more in preclinical stages of development. New technologies for the in-vitro study of drugs have accelerated progress markedly, previously hampered by the lack of cell-culture systems or animal models for hepatitis C.

A number of agents have demonstrated potent antiviral activity and synergism with existing therapies. A better understanding of managing adverse events and tailoring treatment dose and duration have yielded improved treatment response rates. We review the mechanisms of both new and existing anti-hepatitis C virus drugs and the data for some promising new agents and strategies.

Although many of the agents reviewed are in the early stages of development they show great promise and the ever-increasing understanding of hepatitis C virus will undoubtedly lead to exploration of new targets. Much progress has been made in terms of maximizing success with currently licensed agents and lessons learned from the field of HIV can guide the careful use of new agents to minimize resistance in the future.