New drug for hepatitis C

A new drug that prevents a virus from duplicating in the body could be a new weapon against hepatitis C. More than 170 million people around the globe are infected with the virus that can cause permanent liver damage and in many cases death. There is no vaccine against hepatitis C virus (HVC).Hepatitis C already infects three times more people than does AIDS. It is responsible for more than one-third of all liver transplants. Chronic Hepatitis C can be treated using interferons. The treatment is usually given in combination with the antiviral drug ribavirin. People can get infected with the virus through any exposure to infected blood, including intravenous drug use, body piercing, tattooing, unbandaged cuts or poorly sterilised medical equipment and blood transfusions. Many people who are infected are not aware about it. Fatigue is the most common early symptom but it can occur years after the initial infection. In its later stages the illness causes jaundice, abdominal swelling and liver failure.

Scientists working for the German company Boehringer Ingelheim have developed a drug that could offer new hope to patients with the illness. Called BILN 2061, the drug targets a viral enzyme to block the replication of the virus. In eight people given four doses of the treatment, viral loads, or the amount of virus in the blood, dropped by 100 to 1,000 fold after 48 hours without producing any unpleasant reactions in the patients. The results of the new drug, which is a protease inhibitor, BILN 2061 in a proof-of-concept human trial demonstrate the potential of selective and potent anti-HCV action. BILN 2061 is the first of a class of drugs called NS3 protease inhibitors to be tested in humans. However more and detailed trials are needed to see if the drug keeps the viral load down and if resistance develops.

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