Treatment of hepatitis C virus infection: current status and perspectives

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Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2008 Nov;31(9):596-605.

[Treatment of hepatitis C virus infection: current status and

perspectives.][Article in Spanish]

Diago M.

Sección Hepatología. Servicio de Aparato Digestivo. Hospital General

Universitario. Valencia. España. mdiagomeditex.es.

Current treatment of patients with chronic hepatitis C consists of pegylated

interferon and ribavirin. The application of viral kinetics is currently

allowing treatment to be optimized by varying the length of treatment to 24

weeks for genotypes 2 and 3 and 48 weeks for the remaining genotypes. Thus,

patients with genotype 1, with a low viral load, and rapid virological response

(RVR) obtain a high RVS with 24 weeks' treatment. In contrast, slow responders

may benefit from 72 weeks' treatment. Patients with genotypes 2 and 3 can also

benefit from regimens designed according to viral kinetics. Higher doses and

more prolonged periods have been tested in non-responders to current treatment,

although for many, the only option is to wait for a new generation of drugs.

Maintenance therapy with low-dose interferon to prevent cirrhosis and

hepatocarcinoma is currently being evaluated.

PMID: 19091249 [PubMed - in process]