Korean J Med.  2015 Jun;88(6):635-642. 10.3904/kjm.2015.88.6.635.

Treatment of Chronic Hepatitis C Using Newly Developed Oral Antiviral Agents

• Lee HW
• Jung KS
• Ahn SH

• KMID: 2269069
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3904/kjm.2015.88.6.635

Abstract

Standard care for chronic hepatitis C has been a combination of pegylated interferon-alpha and ribavirin, although this treatment has suboptimal antiviral efficacy and significant adverse events. The hepatitis C virus treatment landscape has been transformed recently by the development of direct-acting antiviral agents (DAAs) that target NS3 protease, NS5A protein, and NS5B polymerase. Several DAAs showed potent antiviral activity leading to increased rates of sustained virological response (SVR), even in difficult-to-treat patients such as older patients and those with advanced liver disease and prior failed peg-interferon/ribavirin treatment. Use of multiple DAAs without pegylated interferon has shown dramatically high SVR rates (up to nearly 100%) with negligible side effects. Interferon-free regimens are close to becoming the new standard of care for patients with chronic hepatitis C in USA and Europe. Similarly, several DAAs are near clinical use in Korea. This review discusses DAAs that have been approved or are under investigation for approval in Korea.

Keyword

Chronic hepatitis C; Direct acting antivirals; Peginterferon

MeSH Terms

Antiviral Agents*
Europe
Hepacivirus
Hepatitis C, Chronic*
Humans
Interferon-alpha
Interferons
Korea
Liver Diseases
Ribavirin
Standard of Care
Antiviral Agents
Interferon-alpha
Interferons
Ribavirin