The treatment of hepatitis C

Hepatitis C virus infection is a major health problem worldwide and no vaccine is yet available against this virus. The goal of antiviral treatment in patients with chronic hepatitis C (HCV) infection is a persistent viral clearance. The achievement of this short-term outcome is the only way to ensure that, in patients with chronic liver damage, the underlying liver disease is going to stabilize and liver-related mortality to decrease. Interferon and ribavirin have represented the approved pharmacotherapies for HCV infection for many years. They were associated with suboptimal cure rates and had side effects that result in non-compliance and premature treatment discontinuation. After dominating both Infectious diseases and gastroenterologist and hepatologists’ interests for over 25 years, hepatitis C is nowadays a curable disease and its treatment represents one of the most important successes in the history of medicine.
Contents
Introduction
Hepatitis C: current and new drugs
Hepatitis C: current regimens
Hepatitis C: coming and future regimens
Treatment of HCV infection in patients with hemodialysis
Treatment of patients with decompensated liver disease and in transplant setting
Drug to drug interactions with direct acting antiviral
Resistance testing before the initial treatment, before re-treatment or both?
Safety of approved direct acting antiviral regimens: the bridge to access for special populations
How to reduce barriers to treatment