Pharmacy and Wellness Review
Abstract
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a prominent cause of chronic liver disease and may lead to serious complications such as liver failure and need for a transplant. The virus is transmitted via exposure to blood and is classified into various genotypes based on genetic mutations in the virus. Current treatment options for HCV infection are not effective in all patients, and there are limited options for patients infected with a genotype other than genotype 1. Two new medications have been approved recently for treatment of HCV infection. Simeprevir (Olysio®) gained U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval in November 2013, and sofosbuvir (Sovaldi®) was approved in December 2013. Information from clinical trials with each of the medications supports their safety and efficacy in appropriate patient populations. The adverse effects are generally tolerable; however, for some patients, the adverse effects, drug interactions and cost can be limiting factors.
Included in
Infectious Disease Commons, Medical Pharmacology Commons, Pharmaceutics and Drug Design Commons