Evolution of efficacious pangenotypic hepatitis C virus therapies

Area of Science:

• Hepatology
• Virology
• Drug Discovery

Background:

• Hepatitis C virus (HCV) affects over 350 million people globally, impacting quality of life.
• Significant advancements in HCV therapeutic regimens have occurred in the past decade.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide an overview of the development of virus- and host-directed therapies for HCV.
• To highlight current and clinically evaluated treatment strategies against HCV infections.

Main Methods:

• Structure-based drug design to inhibit viral enzymes.
• Cell-based replicon systems to study HCV life cycle stages.
• Identification of essential viral and host targets for drug development.

Main Results:

• Development of molecules inhibiting key viral enzymes.
• Understanding of HCV entry, replication, translation, and assembly processes.
• Identification of numerous viral and host-encoded targets for therapeutic intervention.

Conclusions:

• Therapeutic strategies for HCV are evolving towards more efficacious, pangenotypic, and well-tolerated medicines.
• The expanded target set brings closer the development of robust treatments for HCV.
• Current and emerging therapies offer improved management options for individuals with HCV infection.