Diwakar Rai, Liu Wang, Xuemei Jiang, Peng Zhan, Haiyong Jia, Erik De Clercq and Xinyong Liu Pages 1860 - 1879 ( 20 )
Current treatment for HCV infections consists of approved direct acting antivirals (DAAs), viz. the protease inhibitors (boceprevir, telaprevir, and simeprevir), NS5B polymerase inhibitors (sofosbuvir) and NS5A inhibitor (ledipasvir) in combination with pegylated interferon α and ribavirin). These treatments have made a great improvement in the treatment of chronic HCV infections in recent years, but their adverse side effects, emergence of resistant mutants, high cost, and increased pill burden have limited their clinical use. Recently, with the increasing knowledge in understanding the HCV life cycle, more targets have been recognized. NS5A protein plays a critical role in assembly of infectious HCV particles and offering potential for HCV therapies. Therefore, discovery and development of novel DAAs targeting NS5A with novel mechanisms of action, are of great necessity to improve the quality of existing HCV treatments. In the present review, we discuss recent advances with NS5A inhibitors with potent anti-HCV activity, and the potential for the development of HCV NS5A inhibitors to combat HCV infections.
Antivirals, drug design, HCV, hepatitis, inhibitors, NS5A.
, , Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shandong University, 44, West Culture Road, 250012, Jinan, Shandong, P.R., China., , , , Department of Hepatic Diseases, Jinan Infectious Disease Hospital, Jingshi Road, 173，250021, Jinan, Shandong, P. R. China.