REVIEWS  HEPATOLOGY IN 2009 

Minerva Gastroenterologica e Dietologica 2009 March;55(1):23-35

Copyright © 2009 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: English

The management of hepatitis C

Pan J. J., Firpi R. J.

Section of Hepatobiliary Diseases and Liver Transplantation Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition Department of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA

Hepatitis C is a serious public health problem with more than 170 million chronic carriers worldwide. Although hepatitis C infection can be cured in up to 40% of patients, current treatment is not ideal and is associated with a wide spectrum of side effects and complications. Therefore, emerging evidence suggests that patients can receive tailored therapy based on their viral kinetic changes during treatment. With better knowledge of hepatitis C viral genome and life cycle, compounds so called “Specifically Targeted Antiviral Therapy for HCV or STAT-C” are under development. This review will discuss current therapies and recent advances in new therapies for hepatitis C.