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Abstract Details
Direct Acting Antiviral Agents and the Path to Interferon Independence
Schmidt WN, Nelson DR, Pawlotsky JM, Sherman KE, Thomas DL, Chung RT. Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2013 Jul 17. pii: S1542-3565(13)01036-7. doi: 10.1016/j.cgh.2013.06.024. [Epub ahead of print]
Source
Department of Internal Medicine and Research Service, Veterans Affairs Medical Center, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242; Roy G. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242. Electronic address: warren-schmidt@uiowa.edu.
Abstract
Chronic infection with hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a major global health problem-there are approximately 120-130 million chronic infections worldwide. Since discovery of HCV 24 y ago, there has been a relentless effort to develop successful antiviral therapies. Studies of interferon-α(IFN)-based therapies have helped define treatment parameters, and these treatment strategies have cured a substantial percentage of patients. However, IFN must be injected, and there are problems with tolerability, adherence, and incomplete response in a large percentage of patients. New drug candidates designed to target the virus or the host have recently been introduced at an unprecedented pace. In phase I-III studies, these agents have exceeded expectations and achieved rates of response previously not thought possible. We are therefore entering a new era of therapy for HCV infection and interferon independence.