Direct-acting antiviral drugs for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C virus infection: Interferon free is now.

Chronic hepatitis C (CHC) is a global, serious, and life-threatening disease. Virologic response at 12 weeks post-treatment (SVR12) signifies a durable virologic response and is currently the primary efficacy endpoint used in registrational trials. This change led to more rapid clinical development and earlier approvals of highly effective and well-tolerated therapies, facilitating access to those in need. Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a therapeutic area where mathematical modeling has proven helpful in understanding the drug mechanism and characterizing viral kinetics to inform therapy decisions. The availability of direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) provides various treatment options for HIV/HCV coinfected patients, but the complexity of predicting and managing drug-drug interactions presents a unique challenge. Real-world experience or noninterventional studies can provide insight regarding the safety and use of therapeutics that may not be readily available from traditional clinical trials. This article provides a brief overview of the development of promising drugs for the treatment of CHC. Published 2015. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.