Treating Hepatitis C in “Difficult-to-Treat” Patients

The current standard treatment for chronic hepatitis C is the combination of pegylated interferon alfa and ribavirin, a synthetic guanosine analogue. In the pegylated form of interferon, the interferon alfa molecule is linked to a polyethylene glycol molecule to ensure sustained interferon concentrations after single weekly injections. Pegylated interferon alfa potently inhibits the replication of hepatitis C virus (HCV) and has immunomodulatory properties that probably accelerate the clearance of infected cells. Ribavirin exerts a weak and transient early antiviral effect and acts primarily by preventing relapses during and after therapy in patients who have had an initial response. Ribavirin's mechanisms . . .