Until recently, chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) treatment had poor efficacy and was provided only by specialists such as hepatologists and gastroenterologists. However, the introduction of safe, effective direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) has revolutionized HCV treatment.
One pivotal transformation has been the expansion of treatment to nonspecialist physicians. Nevertheless, various factors must be considered when initiating treatment for HCV.
Dr Elizabeth Verna, director of hepatology research at Columbia University in New York City, examines the essential treatment considerations for chronic HCV in treatment- naive patients.
First, she outlines recommended first-line therapies and the simplified HCV treatment algorithm recently issued by the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases and the Infectious Diseases Society of America. She then discusses patient-specific factors, such as cirrhosis, co-infections, age, and pregnancy, that can create treatment challenges and change the algorithm.
In closing, she talks about changes in HCV screening recommendations and how diagnosis and treatment of this infectious disease largely rest in the hands of general practitioners who are the first line of defense in controlling HCV spread.
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Associate Professor of Medicine, Director of Hepatology Research, Associate Physician, Department of Medicine, Columbia University, New York, NY
Elizabeth Verna, MD, has disclosed the following relevant financial relationships:
Received research grant from: Salix
