Hepatitis C virus therapy to date

Abstract

Chronic hepatitis C is a major contributor to cirrhosis and hepatocellular cancer worldwide, justifying the considerable research effort aimed at understanding the disease and refining its treatment. As a result, significant therapeutic advances have been made in the last decade, particularly with regard to the development of pegylated interferons and ribavirin. This review will discuss the physical properties, pharmacokinetics, viral kinetics and side-effect profiles of the different treatment options and how they have improved, culminating in the use of pegylated interferon and ribavirin combination therapy as the current standard of care.