A practical guide for antiviral therapy of chronic Hepatitis C

AbstractThe antiviral treatment of Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is changing rapidly. Peginterferon and ribavirin are no longer the standard of care therapy and are being replaced by new drugs with greater efficacy and fewer adverse effects. These new direct-acting antivirals (DAAs), incorporated in interferon-based or all-oral regimens, cure more than 90% of infections, even in patients before considered difficult to treat, such as cirrhotic and non-responders. These agents allow shortening the treatment duration, improving sustained response rates (SVR) and have reduced toxicity. The goal of this review is to discuss the current stage of HCV therapy. We describe the mechanisms of the new drugs, the efficacy of the therapeutic regimens, and the predictors of SVR. Individual approach should be based on the different combinations of drugs, and treatment strategy should take into account the profile of the patient, the efficacy and safety of drugs as well as the reimbursement policy