Faldaprevir for the treatment of hepatitis C

Enormous progress has been made in the understanding of the hepatitis C virus and the development of novel therapeutic agents since the identification of the virus, from initial interferon monotherapy to PEGylated interferon in combination with ribavirin for 48-72 weeks that used to be the standard of care in hepatitis C virus therapy. However, this combination has limited efficacy and a significant side effect profile including flu-like symptoms, anemia, leukopenia, autoimmune disorders and depression, so it is often poorly tolerated. Recently, direct-acting antiviral agents, such as the first-generation NS3/4A protease inhibitors, have been added to this combination, improving the percentage of successful treatments. Faldaprevir is a first-generation, second wave, protease inhibitor that, when combined with PEGylated interferon and ribavirin, has been shown to increase treatment success with shorter treatment duration. Various direct-acting antiviral agent combinations in interferon-free regimens have been effective in over 95% of patients and are now in licensed use.