HEPATITIS C VIRUS INFECTION, A SILENT PLAGUE OF THIS CENTURY. IS DISCOVERY OF SOFOSBUVIR A PARADIGM SHIFT ?
Abstract
Being in practice of adult medicine for the past
three decades and treating various patients with
varied symptoms has always motivated me to continue
finding new advances in better care. I can understand
the amount of inconsistency in the awaited results
faced by many physicians like me knowing the fact
that in human body the two plus two never always
results in four.
I received an e-mail on the weekend and I saw
this all new concept of Oral Antivirals Cocktails to treat
HCV infection just as we have loads of options for HBV
infection. To add to flavor is the fact that the results at
viral clearance will also be much better as would be
side effect profile. I am dropping a few lines just to
sensitize the readers regarding this all new drug
Sofosbuvir, licensed this month with the name of
Sovaldi manufactured in the US by Gliead
Pharmaceuticals.
Ironically most people who are infected with HCV
do not know it, because it can take decades for the
virus to damage the liver sufficiently to cause
symptoms.
Researchers and patients have been
disappointed before, when the first two direct-acting
antiviral pills, Telaprevir and Boceprevir, reached the
market in 2011. The drugs, which inhibited the virus’s
protease enzyme along with Simipravir which has yet
to get the approval of FDA have lost the race because
of the need to be combined with Pegylated Interferon
and Ribavirin. Nevertheless they raised the cure rate
to about 70 percent. Have they played the role of
being Game Changers as anticipated? Well I don’t
think so.
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