Hepatitis C: Widespread, Yet Curable —Especially When Diagnosed and Treated in a Timely Manner With Direct-acting Antivirals (DAAs).
Hepatitis C Medicine
1. What is Hepatitis?
Any inflammation in the liver caused by virus, drug abuse or any medical condition is called hepatitis.
What is Hepatitis C ?
Hepatitis c is a type of viral hepatitis caused by HCV (virus)
2. How Hepatitis C spreads?
• Infected fluid or blood transfusions
• Sharing needles and syringes
• Sexual transmission
• From child-bearing mothers to children
• Non- sterile tattooing and piercing
Stages of Hepatitis C
Acute Hepatitis C
It’s a mild infection, generally the initial stages of infection, it can last for 6 months, and can get cured by itself.
Chronic Hepatitis C
it’s the severe form of infection, persisting for a long time, and the body is unable to heal itself, causing severe inflammation and liver damage.
- Symptoms for Hepatitis C
Many people in the early stages do not experience any symptoms or include mild symptoms often mistaken for flu – like fatigue, abdominal pain, nausea, poor appetite, unexpected weight loss, dark yellow urine and skin .
Long term complications in chronic hepatitis include  – liver fibrosis, liver failure, and liver cancer.
- Treatment Choices for Hepatitis C
Direct Antiviral therapies and combination drug treatments help manage chronic conditions effectively, improving the quality of life
Direct Acting Anti-viral
• NS5B Polymerase Inhibitors –Sofosbuvir- Sofokast
NS5B significantly leads to the elimination of the virus by inhibiting replication.
• NS5A Inhibitors- Ledipasvir- Ledikast ,
Daclatasvir- Dacikast
NS5A significantly drops the viral load, which implies a cure.
• NS3/4A Protease Inhibitors–
Glecaprevir, Grazoprevir
NS3/4A Protease inhibitors prevent viral transmission and spread.
The Potent Combination Therapies –
- Sofosbuvir and Velpatasvir (Velakast)  –
Offers a broad spectrum of antiviral activity and is widely used for advanced Hepatitis treatment in pediatric >3 years of age and adult patients.
Compensated cirrhosis (Child-Pugh A)
Decompensated cirrhosis (Child-Pugh B and C) in combination with Ribavirin.
- Ledipasvir & Sofosbuvir (Ledikast) – its fixed dose combination is used in pediatric patients of 3 years of age and older.
Approved for genotypes 1, 4, 5, and 6, suitable for with or without compensated cirrhosis.
- Sofosbuvir + Daclatasvir (Sofokast Plus) – It can be used in elderly patients with cirrhosis stages 5, 6 or failed direct-acting antivirals.
Safer, well-tolerated, and has minimal side effects.
- Glecaprevir + Pibrentasvir – Mavyret – treats Hepatitis C genotype 1,2,3,4,5,6 in patients with compensated cirrhosis.
Not to be recommended in decompensated cirrhosis .
- Sofosbuvir + Velpatasvir + Voxilaprevir – It is used in patients without or with compensated cirrhosis, or those with failed DAA treatment for chronic hepatitis C, not to be used in decompensated cirrhosis (Child-Pugh B/C).
