Perspectives in therapy for hepatitis C

Background: Chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a worldwide health problem. Response rates to current standard of treatment (pegylated IFNs and ribavirin) are low in patients with the prevailing genotype 1. Objective: To review papers published or presented at recent international meetings showing the results of trials of new anti-HCV drugs. Methods: Literature search using the terms 'antivirals', 'interferon', 'pegylated interferon', 'ribavirin', 'polymerase inhibitors', 'protease inhibitors', 'cyclophilin inhibitors' and 'hepatitis C virus'. Search of abstracts containing the same terms in the title and presented at the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases 2007 and at the European Association for the Study of the Liver 2008 meetings. Results/conclusion: Preliminary results of Phase II studies of new compounds look promising, although side effects are higher than with current standard of treatment.