Interferon free therapy with direct acting antivirals for HCV

Abstract

The current treatment for hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype 1 chronic infection is the addition of direct-acting antivirals (DAA) with a protease inhibitor (telaprevir or boceprevir) to the pegylated interferon (PEG-IFN) plus ribavirin (RBV) regimen. Major progress has been made in the past few years: numerous ongoing trials with different compounds, increasing sustained virological response (SVR) rates with oral regimens and shortened treatment duration. Combinations of antivirals with additive potency that lack cross-resistance and with a good safety profile may provide new regimens in the future to make HCV the first chronic viral infection to be eradicated worldwide with a finite duration of combination DAA therapy without IFN.