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Treatment regimen - Chronic hepatitis C
The standard treatment for chronic hepatitis C is a combination of two medicines: peg-interferon (Pegasys, Pegetron) and ribavirin (Copegus, Pegetron).
Two new medications, called telaprevir (Incivek) and boceprevir (Victrelis), were approved for people with genotype 1 chronic hepatitis C in August 2011.
Telaprevir and boceprevir are both a type of drug called a protease inhibitor. This means that they are part a collection of medications that directly attack the ability of a virus, such as the hepatitis C virus, to make copies of itself (replicate). These are known as direct-acting antivirals, or DAAs.
Currently, provincial, territorial and federal prescription drug programs and many private insurance companies are reviewing these medications to decide when and how the costs of the treatments will be covered by their programs.
Click on a treatment option below for more information about that treatment regimen.
- peg-interferon and ribavirin, the current standard of care
- direct-acting antivirals telaprevir and boceprevir
You can also refer to the table below for some of the key similarities and differences between the current medicines used to treat hepatitis C.
| Current treatments for hepatitis C: key similarities and differences | |||
| Peg-interferon | Ribavirin | Boceprevir or Telaprevir | |
| Who can take the medication? | Approved for all genotypes of hepatitis C and for people who are co-infected with HIV. | Approved for all genotypes of hepatitis C and for people who are co-infected with HIV. | Currently approved for genotype 1 chronic hepatitis C mono-infection. |
| How is it taken? | As an injection once a week. | As capsules or tablets twice daily day for the treatment period. | As capsules three times daily for the treatment period, taken with food. |
| Is it prescribed alone or in combination with other medications? | Peg-interferon can be prescribed:
| Ribavirin is prescribed:
| Boceprevir and telaprevir are always prescribed with peg-interferon and ribavirin. Boceprevir and telaprevir are never prescribed together. |
| How does it work? | Improves the body’s immune system to destroy the hepatitis C virus. Peg-interferon can also slow down or stop the progression of liver damage. | Increases the effect of the peg-interferon. | Directly attacks the ability of the hepatitis C virus to make copies of itself (replicate). |
| How long does someone take it for? | Treatment generally lasts six months to one year, depending on genotype. | Treatment generally lasts six months to one year, depending on genotype. | Treatment time varies, depending on how the virus responds to treatment. |
Treatment should be given or directed by a qualified physician.
Treatments in the pipeline
A treatment is said to be “in the pipeline” when it is undergoing the drug evaluation process. Clinical trials (evaluations) are conducted around the world, but each pharmaceutical company must satisfy Canadian health regulations before its drug can be prescribed and sold in Canada. Drugs go through other types of review as well, such as the Common Drug Review, to determine if and how they will be covered under provincial and territorial public insurance programs.
Over the next few years more new medications will be available that do a better job at meeting the different treatment needs of people living with hepatitis C. Many of these new medications are DAAs. Some of them will likely replace peg-interferon, ribavirin or both. Others are meant to be added to the standard regimen of peg-interferon and ribavirin, such as telaprevir and boceprevir.
Revised 2011.
News
14 May 2013
