The way forward in HCV treatment--finding the right path

Abstract

Infection with the hepatitis C virus (HCV) represents an important health-care problem worldwide. The prevalence of HCV-related disease is increasing, and no vaccine is yet available. Since the identification of HCV as the causative agent of non-A, non-B hepatitis, treatment has progressed rapidly, but morbidity and mortality rates are still predicted to rise. Novel, more efficacious and tolerable therapies are urgently needed, and a greater understanding of the viral life cycle has led to an increase in the number of possible targets for antiviral intervention. Here we review the specific challenges posed by HCV, and recent developments in the design of vaccines and novel antiviral agents.