New drugs for hepatitis C virus (HCV)

Lack of efficacy and significant side effects have severely limited the use of interferon-α (IFN-α) as the standard therapy for non-A non-B hepatitis (NANBH) caused by hepatitis C virus (HCV) and alternative, improved therapies are urgently sought. Attempts have been made to improve the potency and tolerability of IFN-α by adjusting dosing regimens, methods of delivery and length of treatment. Furthermore, a number of different agents have been used in combination with IFN-α and, from these studies, therapeutic options have been galvanized by the synergistic effects of IFN-α and ribavirin. Nevertheless, the majority of patients with HCV still do not sustain lasting therapeutic benefit from this combination and continuing research is required to identify new therapeutic candidates that will have more potent anti-viral activity and less severe side effects. This review focuses on the progress that has been made in this area and the prospects for new effective therapies in the near future.