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World J Hepatol. Dec 8, 2015; 7(28): 2829-2833
Published online Dec 8, 2015. doi: 10.4254/wjh.v7.i28.2829
Update on hepatitis C: Direct-acting antivirals
Leon L Seifert, Ryan B Perumpail, Aijaz Ahmed
Leon L Seifert, Department of Transplantation Medicine, University Hospital Münster, 48149 Münster, Germany
Ryan B Perumpail, Aijaz Ahmed, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, United States
Author contributions: Seifert LL, Perumpail RB and Ahmed A designed research and analyzed data; Seifert LL performed research and wrote the paper.
Conflict-of-interest statement: We declare that we have no conflicts of interest.
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article which was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Correspondence to: Aijaz Ahmed, MD, Associate Professor of Medicine, Medical Director Liver Transplant Program, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Stanford University School of Medicine, 750 Welch Road, Suite 210, Stanford, CA 94305, United States. aijazahmed@stanford.edu
Telephone: +1-650-4986091 Fax: +1-650-4985692
Received: July 20, 2015
Peer-review started: July 24, 2015
First decision: October 22, 2015
Revised: October 24, 2015
Accepted: November 23, 2015
Article in press: November 25, 2015
Published online: December 8, 2015
Processing time: 136 Days and 16.6 Hours
Abstract

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) was discovered 26 years ago. For decades, interferon-based therapy has been the mainstay of treatment for HCV. Recently, several direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) have been approved for treatment of HCV-infected patients and to help combat the virus. These drugs have revolutionized the management of HCV as all-oral regimens with favorable side effect profiles and superior rates of sustained virological response. Emerging real-world data are demonstrating results comparable to registration trials for DAA agents. Suddenly, the potential for eradicating HCV is on the horizon.

Keywords: Hepatitis C virus; Direct-acting antivirals; Sustained virologic response; Management; Treatment

Core tip: Recently, several direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) have been approved for treatment of hepatitis C virus (HCV)-infected patients and to help combat the virus. These drugs have revolutionized the management of HCV as all-oral regimens with favorable side effect profiles and superior rates of sustained virological response. Emerging real-world data are demonstrating results comparable to registration trials for DAA agents. Suddenly, the potential for eradicating HCV is on the horizon.