Boceprevir: an oral protease inhibitor for the treatment of chronic HCV
infection.
Author(s): Trembling PM, Tanwar S, Dusheiko GM.
Affiliation(s): Centre for Hepatology, UCL Medical School, Royal Free Hospital, Rowland Hill
Street, London, NW3 2PF, UK.
Publication date & source: 2012, Expert Rev Anti Infect Ther. , 10(3):269-79
Chronic hepatitis C (CHC) virus infection affects more than 170 million people
globally. The aim of treatment of CHC is to affect sustained elimination of the
virus (a sustained virological response [SVR]). The success and duration of
therapy with interferon is dependent on HCV genotype. The current standard of
care comprises combined treatment with pegylated interferon and ribavirin. Rates
of SVR in patients with genotype 1 infection, the least responsive group, are
less than 50%. Boceprevir is a ketoamide protease inhibitor that binds reversibly
to the HCV nonstructural NS3 protease active site inhibiting intracellular viral
replication. Phase III clinical studies have demonstrated that, in combination
with the current standard of care, boceprevir significantly increases the SVR
rate in both treatment-naive and previously treated patients with genotype 1 CHC.
Both the US FDA and EMA have approved boceprevir for the treatment of genotype 1
CHC: the first directly-acting antiviral drug to be licensed for this indication.
This article will review the pharmacology and pharmacodynamics of boceprevir, the
efficacy and safety of the drug, and explore possible future developments in the
management of CHC.
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