La hepatitis viral B y C se curan o se tratan de por vida? Nuevas drogas

Are viral hepatitis B and C curable or treated for life? New drugs

• Roberto León B. Instituto Médico La Floresta. Caracas, Venezuela. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8882-7787

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6709209

Keywords: hepatitis B virus, hepatitis C virus, interferon alfa, treatment, direct activiral drugs

Abstract

Chronic infection with hepatitis B and C viruses (HBV and HCV respectively) is responsible of numerous cases of cirrhosis (and associated complications), hepatocarcinoma and need for liver transplantation. Interferon alfa (2a and 2b) was the first drug used in the treatment of both viruses, with frustrating results due of its lack of significant efficacy and many and sometimes severe adverse events. A relatively new generation of drugs directed against specific viral targets, known as Direct Acting Antiviral Drugs (DAAs), has been associated with persistent viral suppression of HBV and complete cure of HCV. Given this different effect profile of DAAs, HBV infection still requires prolonged and in the majority of cases, indefinite therapy, while in HCV infection, a course of 8 to 12 weeks of a specific DAAs combo is sufficient to obtain cure.

References

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