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Finally sofosbuvir: an oral anti-HCV drug with wide performance capability
Journal article   Open access   Peer reviewed

Finally sofosbuvir: an oral anti-HCV drug with wide performance capability

Zeid Kayali and Warren N Schmidt
Pharmacogenomics and personalized medicine, Vol.7, pp.387-398
12/08/2014
DOI: 10.2147/PGPM.S52629
PMCID: PMC4270038
PMID: 25540594
url
https://doi.org/10.2147/PGPM.S52629View
Published (Version of record) Open Access

Abstract

Chronic Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is the leading cause of advanced liver disease worldwide. The virus successfully evades host immune detection and for many years has hampered efforts to find a safe, uncomplicated, and reliable oral antiviral therapy. Initially, interferon and ribavirin therapy was the treatment standard of care, but it offered limited performance across the wide spectrum of HCV disease and was fraught with excessive and often limiting side effects. Sofosbuvir (SOF) is a potent first-in-class nucleoside inhibitor that has recently been approved for treatment of HCV. The drug has low toxicity, a high resistance barrier, and minimal drug interactions with other HCV direct-acting antiviral agents such as protease inhibitors or anti-NS5A agents. SOF is safe and can be used across different viral genotypes, disease stages, and special patient groups, such as those coinfected with human immunodeficiency virus. When used in combination with ribavirin or another direct-acting antiviral agent, SOF has revolutionized the HCV treatment spectrum and set the stage for nearly universal HCV antiviral therapy. More so than any other anti-HCV drug developed to date, SOF offers the widest applicability for all infected patients, and new regimens will be tailored to maximize performance.
 sofosbuvir polymerase inhibitors Review Hepatitis C virus interferon-free treatment

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