| Summary: | Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is caused by an enveloped, single-stranded, linear ribonucleic acid (RNA) virus of the Flaviviridae family. Before 2011, pegylated interferon plus ribavirin (PR) was the gold standard of therapy to inhibit viral replication in patients with chronic hepatitis C (CHC). Approximately one-half of patients with genotype 1 CHC, the most prevalent type of CHC in Canada, could expect to achieve a sustained viral response (SVR) with PR therapy. Simeprevir is a direct-acting antiviral (DAA) agent against HCV; it inhibits the HCV NS3/4A protease through a non-covalent, induced-fit binding into the active site of the NS3 protease.1 In Canada, simeprevir is indicated for the treatment of CHC genotype 1 infection, in combination with peginterferon alfa and ribavirin in adults with compensated liver disease, including cirrhosis, who are treatment-naive or who have failed previous interferon therapy (pegylated or non-pegylated) with ribavirin. The recommended dosage is a single 150 mg capsule taken orally once daily in combination with both peginterferon alfa and ribavirin (triple therapy) for 12 weeks, followed by peginterferon alfa and ribavirin (dual therapy) for a further 12 to 36 weeks (the duration is dependent upon the patient's characteristics and response to treatment; i.e., response-guided treatment)
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