Research into new hepatitis C drugs

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To make an informed decision about starting or deferring treatment, it is useful to know which new drugs are in development.

Interferon-based treatment does not work for everyone, and is limited by side effects that are difficult enough for many people to defer treatment until there are newer options.

However, it will take several years for new drugs to be tested and, if safe and effective, approved. Waiting for better treatments may be a good option if you don’t need hepatitis C (HCV) treatment now, if your liver is okay, and if HCV is not progressing quickly.

For a long time, research into HCV was difficult because, the virus couldn’t be grown in laboratories.

This changed recently when new models were developed to study the virus’s life-cycle. This makes it easier to develop drugs that work both before the virus enters the cell, as well as when it is inside the cell.

Many new treatments for HCV are in development.

Some are oral drugs, from the same families as HIV medications (protease and polymerase inhibitors), though many of these drugs will not be active against HIV. These new drugs are likely to first be studied in people with HCV monoinfection, although treatment advocates are trying to include coinfection studies earlier in development.

As with HIV drugs, combination therapy may be essential in order not to develop resistance, and a high level of adherence (taking over 95% of doses on time) is likely to be important.

To avoid resistance, new drugs will probably need to be used in combination with PEG interferon, and perhaps ribavirin, until there are enough new drugs to construct interferon-free regimens. PEG interferon is likely to continue to be part of HCV treatment for years to come, but treatment may be able to compressed into a shorter period – perhaps down to 3 months.

Drugs that specifically target parts of the hepatitis C virus, protease and polymerase inhibitors, are currently in development. Some have made it into the clinic, others will follow.

New formulations of interferon, which can be given less frequently, are being tested, as are immune-based therapies, and therapeutic and preventive vaccines.

Drugs which generate an immune response, (called monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies) are being studied in liver transplant recipients.

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This is the web edition of the i-Base guide Hepatitis C for people living with HIV: testing, coinfection, treatment and support. This guide is available in UK clinics. You can order free printed copies or download a PDF version (657 Kb).

Information on this website is provided as a guide only. All treatment decisions should be taken in consultation with your doctor or other healthcare professional. Authors and credits. Full section index. Glossary.