Ledipasvir/sofosbuvir (Harvoni): Improving options for hepatitis C virus infection

摘要

Hepatitis C is an infectious liver disease caused by the hepatitis C virus (HCV), a single-stranded RNA virus.1 Those infected usually develop acute hepatitis C, which spontaneously clears in 15% to 45% of infected persons. The incubation period for acute hepatitis is anywhere from two weeks to six months, and most patients remain asymptomatic. Early diagnosis of HCV infection is rare, and the disease may go unnoticed until patients have already developed serious liver damage.