Abstract
The development of interferon-free cures for hepatitis C has revolutionized the treatment of patients chronically infected with the hepatitis C virus. Since 2010, ten new curative regimens have been introduced into clinical practice. These new regimens have delivered cure rates in excess of 95% in as little as 8–10 weeks on therapy. Never before has there been an absolute cure for a chronic viral disease. This medical breakthrough has been made possible by the commitment of scientists and clinicians from both academia and industry working toward a common goal. Because of the availability of these curative regimens, it is now possible to contemplate eliminating HCV as a global public health problem as outlined by the World Health Organization. This perspective will give a brief commentary of the achievements and future possibilities provided by direct-acting antiviral interferon-free HCV cure therapies.
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Conflict of Interest: Author is co-founder, Chief Scientific Officer and shareholder of Arbutus Biopharma, Inc. Author is a consultant for Gilead Sciences, Inc. Author was an employee of Pharmasset Inc. and Gilead Sciences Inc.
Ethical Approval: This article does not contain any studies with human participants or animals performed by any of the authors.
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Sofia, M.J. (2019). Perspectives on HCV Cure. In: Sofia, M. (eds) HCV: The Journey from Discovery to a Cure. Topics in Medicinal Chemistry, vol 32. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/7355_2019_65
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/7355_2019_65
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