New treatment available for chronic hepatitis C

摘要

PATIENTS with genotype 1 chronic hepatitis C have a new treatment option following the launch of telaprevir last month.Marketed as Incivo by Janssen, the drug is indicated in combination with current standard therapy peginterferon alfa and ribavirin. It is used to treat adults with compensated liver disease, including cirrhosis, who are treatment-naive or who have previously been treated with interferon alfa alone or with ribavirin.Rashes have been reported with telaprevir use and treatment should be discontinued permanently if a severe rash develops. Other side effects include anaemia, nausea, thrombocytopenia and lymphopenia.