Actualización en el tratamiento de la hepatitis C

Chronic hepatitis C infection is a health problem of the highest order. In the last 5 years, no hepatology area has experienced a revolution of such caliber as the treatment of hepatitis C. The advances in understanding the molecular mechanisms involved in the virus' cell cycle have enabled the development of a new family of drugs known as direct-acting antivirals (DAAs). Unlike classical treatment with interferon-α and ribavirin, these new agents selectively and directly block viral proteins. Thanks to combinations of these drugs, which can include interferon-α, the most recent clinical trials have obtained a sustained viral response rate >90% in the considerable majority of patients. Additionally, their oral administration and low rate of adverse effects place them as the treatment of first choice. Unfortunately, now that science appears to have won the battle after so much effort, a new problem arises that is perhaps equally dangerous and difficult to defeat: its cost. The objective of this article is to clearly, simply and concisely review the current panorama of the treatment of HCV, placing special emphasis on the pharmacological properties and usefulness of the new DAAs.