A large number of new therapies are in development for chronic hepatitis C including direct-acting antiviral drugs (DAA), which target specific hepatitis C virus enzymes. Two of these compounds have already advanced into phase 3 development in the USA...
A large number of new therapies are in development for chronic hepatitis C including direct-acting antiviral drugs (DAA), which target specific hepatitis C virus enzymes. Two of these compounds have already advanced into phase 3 development in the USA and EU, and many more are in phase 2 trials and likely to advance. In this review, the results of recent studies on ribavirin analogues, nonstructural (NS) 3/4 serine protease inhibitors, NS5B polymerase inhibitors, cyclophilin inhibitors, silimarin components, and thiazolides have been updated. Each compound includes a brief summary of its proposed mechanism of action, results of early clinical trials, and more advanced trial data where available. These compounds are likely to be the first approved in the USA and EU and will initially be used in combination with the current standard of care. It is possible that future treatment paradigms with these agents will offer the potential of interferon-free regimens. It is most likely that patients for these new therapies will be selected carefully by identifying and treating first those who have excellent sustained virologic response rates with 24 weeks of pegylated interferon and ribavirin, the current standard of care. It is also likely that there will be a need to identify those patients who are not likely to have a sustained virologic response with the addition of a protease inhibitor to the current standard of care and delaying their therapy until combination viral suppression therapy becomes an option. The cost and side effects of the DAA will be important considerations for treating physicians. Published clinical trial data onthese therapies are summarized in this paper. Vaccines in clinical trials now include recombinant proteins, synthetic peptides, virosome based vaccines, tarmogens, modified vaccinia Ankara based vaccines, and DNA based vaccines. Several preclinical vaccine strategies are also under development and include recombinant adenoviral vaccines, virus like particles, and synthetic peptide vaccines. Published clinical trial data onthese therapies are summarized in this paper. A new era of hepatitisC virus treatment is beginning, the ultimate goals of which will bedirectly targeting the virus, shortening the length of therapy, improvingsustained virologic response rates, and minimizing side effects.