Review article: investigational agents for chronic hepatitis C.

BACKGROUND

The need for effective treatment for chronic hepatitis C infection has driven the development of novel antiviral agents that target specific steps in the viral replication cycle.

AIM: To evaluate the current literature concerning investigational agents for chronic hepatitis C virus infection.

METHODS

Resources used included PubMed, conference proceedings from the American and European Liver Associations' meetings 2005-2008 and the National Institute of Health's clinical trials website (http://www.clinicaltrials.gov). The focus was restricted to investigational agents that have progressed beyond preclinical development.

RESULTS

Over 50 investigational agents for chronic hepatitis C infection are currently in clinical development. Specifically targeted anti-viral therapy for HCV (STAT-C) shows great promise with NS3/4a protease inhibitors now entering phase 3 programmes. New interferon-alpha and ribavirin formulations aim to optimize anti-viral efficacy yet limit toxicity. Other candidates include novel immunomodulators and therapeutic vaccines.

CONCLUSIONS

A new era of therapy for chronic hepatitis C beckons, promising increased cure rates with shortened duration of therapy. However, the era will not be without challenges including viral resistance, drug toxicity and the need to optimize combination therapy in the face of a rapidly evolving therapeutic arsenal.