Treatment of chronic hepatitis C: The new standard of care for the future

Hepatitis C is an infection of the liver that may lead to cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma and ultimately result in end-stage liver disease and death. The treatment for hepatitis C infection for the past decade included only interferon or pegylated interferon with or without ribavirin. These medications demonstrate moderate effectiveness in eradicating the hepatitis C virus (HCV) and are not free of adverse effects, which may require treatment discontinuation. Several new agents for the treatment of hepatitis C have been approved that have demonstrated higher cure rates for those patients with hepatitis C genotype 1 disease. This article reviews the current pharmacologic agents for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C with a focus on the newly approved HCV protease inhibitor agents boceprevir and telaprevir. (Formulary. 2011;46:314-338.)