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Trade names | Victrelis |
AHFS/Drugs.com | Consumer Drug Information |
MedlinePlus | a611039 |
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Routes of administration | Oral |
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Pharmacokinetic data | |
Protein binding | 75% [1] |
Elimination half-life | 3.4 hours [1] |
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CompTox Dashboard (EPA) | |
ECHA InfoCard | 100.226.246 |
Chemical and physical data | |
Formula | C27H45N5O5 |
Molar mass | 519.687 g·mol−1 |
3D model (JSmol) | |
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Boceprevir (INN, trade name Victrelis) is a protease inhibitor used to treat hepatitis caused by hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype 1. [2] [3] It binds to the HCV nonstructural protein 3 active site. [4]
It was initially developed by Schering-Plough, [5] then by Merck after it acquired Schering in 2009. It was approved by the FDA in May 2011. [6] In January 2015, Merck announced that they would be voluntarily withdrawing Victrelis from the market due to the overwhelming superiority of newer direct-acting antiviral agents, such as ledipasvir/sofosbuvir. [7]
The SPRINT-1 trial was a phase-II trial of boceprevir in difficult-to-treat patients with HCV genotype 1. [5] Study results were announced at the 44th annual meeting of the European Association for the Study of the Liver in Copenhagen in April, 2009. When used in combination with peginterferon alfa-2b and ribavirin, boceprevir resulted in significantly higher sustained viral response (SVR) rates in the most difficult-to-treat patients with genotype 1.[ citation needed ]
The phase-II trial compared three different regimens: four weeks of peginterferon alfa-2b (1.5 micrograms/kg once weekly) plus ribavirin (800 to 1400 mg daily based on patient weight) followed by boceprevir (800 mg three times a day in addition to peginterferon and ribavirin) for 24 weeks or 44 weeks; boceprevir in combination with peginterferon alfa-2b plus ribavirin as above for 28 or 48 weeks (triple therapy); and peginterferon alfa-2b plus low-dose ribavirin (400 to 1000 mg/day) and boceprevir for 48 weeks.[ citation needed ]
The patients enrolled in the SPRINT-1 study were among the most difficult to treat, and were exclusively those with genotype 1. (The patients were all treatment naive.) Additionally, many of the patients had other difficult-to-treat indices, including cirrhosis (6–9%), high viral load (90%), and African-American ancestry (14–17%). An SVR after 24 weeks off therapy of 75% was achieved in the group treated for 48 weeks with four weeks of lead-in therapy with peginterferon alfa-2b plus ribavirin followed by the addition of boceprevir. This represents a near doubling of the rate of SVR compared to standard therapy without boceprevir in this group.[ citation needed ]
Anemia was the most common adverse event. It occurred in half of the patients who received boceprevir and by about a third of the patients taking peginterferon alfa-2b plus ribavirin at the standard dose.[ citation needed ]
The lead investigator of the study was Dr. Paul Kwo, associate professor of medicine at the School of Medicine, Indiana University, in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA. [8]
The SPRINT-2 trial [9] was a double-blind study which randomly assigned adults with untreated hepatitis C virus, genotype 1, to one of three groups. Each group received a month of peginterferon alfa-2b and ribavirin before being randomized to one of three arms. The first arm received placebo plus peginterferon-ribavirin for 44 weeks, the second arm received boceprevir plus peginterferon-ribavirin for 24 weeks, and those with a detectable HCV RNA level between weeks 8 and 24 received placebo plus peginterferon-ribavirin for an additional 20 weeks, and the third arm received boceprevir plus peginterferon-ribavirin for 44 weeks. Black patients and nonblack patients were enrolled and analyzed separately, since black patients have been shown to respond less well to antiviral therapy with peginterferon plus ribavirin than nonblacks. [10] In all, 938 nonblack and 159 black patients were enrolled in the study.[ citation needed ]
At 44 weeks, among the nonblack cohort, a 40% sustained virologic response (125 of 311 patients) occurred in the placebo group, a 67% response (211 of 316 patients) in the response-guided boceprevir group, and a 68% response (214 of 311 patients) in the fixed-duration therapy group. Important side effects included anemia and dysgeusia (distortion of the sense of taste).[ citation needed ]
The RESPOND-2 trial [11] studied patients with chronic hepatitis C genotype 1 who did not have a sustained response to therapy with peginterferon-ribavirin therapy. All patients received a month of peginterferon alfa-2b and ribavirin before being randomized to one of three arms. The first arm received placebo plus peginterferon-ribavirin for 44 weeks. The second group received boceprevir plus peginterferon-ribavirin for 32 weeks, and those with a detectable HCV RNA level at week 8 received peginterferon-ribavirin and placebo for another 12 weeks. The third group received boceprevir and peginterferon-ribavirin for 44 weeks.[ citation needed ]
Four hundred and three people were treated in the trial. At 44 weeks, the control group had a lower sustained virologic response rate (21%) than either of the groups treated with boceprevir—59% sustained viral response for the group with response-guided therapy and 66% response for the group with fixed-duration therapy.[ citation needed ]
Hepatitis C is an infectious disease caused by the hepatitis C virus (HCV) that primarily affects the liver; it is a type of viral hepatitis. During the initial infection period, people often have mild or no symptoms. Early symptoms can include fever, dark urine, abdominal pain, and yellow tinged skin. The virus persists in the liver, becoming chronic, in about 70% of those initially infected. Early on, chronic infection typically has no symptoms. Over many years however, it often leads to liver disease and occasionally cirrhosis. In some cases, those with cirrhosis will develop serious complications such as liver failure, liver cancer, or dilated blood vessels in the esophagus and stomach.
Ribavirin, also known as tribavirin, is an antiviral medication used to treat RSV infection, hepatitis C and some viral hemorrhagic fevers. For hepatitis C, it is used in combination with other medications such as simeprevir, sofosbuvir, peginterferon alfa-2b or peginterferon alfa-2a. Among the viral hemorrhagic fevers it is sometimes used for Lassa fever, Crimean–Congo hemorrhagic fever, and Hantavirus infection but should not be used for Ebola or Marburg infections. Ribavirin is taken orally or inhaled. Despite widespread usage, since the 2010s it has faced scrutiny for a lack of efficacy in treating viral infections it has historically been prescribed for.
Pegylated interferon alfa-2a, sold under the brand name Pegasys among others, is medication used to treat hepatitis C and hepatitis B. For hepatitis C it is typically used together with ribavirin and cure rates are between 24 and 92%. For hepatitis B it may be used alone. It is given by injection under the skin.
Pegylated interferon alfa-2b is a drug used to treat melanoma, as an adjuvant therapy to surgery. Also used to treat hepatitis C, it is no longer recommended due to poor efficacy and adverse side-effects. Subcutaneous injection is the preferred delivery method.
Telaprevir (VX-950), marketed under the brand names Incivek and Incivo, is a pharmaceutical drug for the treatment of hepatitis C co-developed by Vertex Pharmaceuticals and Johnson & Johnson. It is a member of a class of antiviral drugs known as protease inhibitors. Specifically, telaprevir inhibits the hepatitis C viral enzyme NS3/4A serine protease. Telaprevir is only indicated for use against hepatitis C genotype 1 viral infections and has not been proven to be safe or effective when used for other genotypes of the virus. The standard therapy of pegylated interferon and ribavirin is less effective than telaprevir in those with genotype 1.
Alisporivir (INN), or Debio 025, DEB025, is a cyclophilin inhibitor. Its structure is reminiscent of, and synthesized from ciclosporin.
Sofosbuvir, sold under the brand name Sovaldi among others, is a medication used to treat hepatitis C. It is taken by mouth.
Simeprevir, sold under the brand name Olysio among others, is a medication used in combination with other medications for the treatment of hepatitis C. It is specifically used for hepatitis C genotype 1 and 4. Medications it is used with include sofosbuvir or ribavirin and peginterferon-alfa. Cure rates are in 80s to 90s percent. It may be used in those who also have HIV/AIDS. It is taken by mouth once daily for typically 12 weeks.
Ledipasvir is a drug for the treatment of hepatitis C that was developed by Gilead Sciences. After completing Phase III clinical trials, on February 10, 2014, Gilead filed for U.S. approval of a ledipasvir/sofosbuvir fixed-dose combination tablet for genotype 1 hepatitis C. The ledipasvir/sofosbuvir combination is a direct-acting antiviral agent that interferes with HCV replication and can be used to treat patients with genotypes 1a or 1b without PEG-interferon or ribavirin.
Ombitasvir is an antiviral drug for the treatment of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection by AbbVie. In the United States, it is approved by the Food and Drug Administration for use in combination with paritaprevir, ritonavir and dasabuvir in the product Viekira Pak for the treatment of HCV genotype 1, and with paritaprevir and ritonavir in the product Technivie for the treatment of HCV genotype 4.
Ombitasvir/paritaprevir/ritonavir, sold under the brand name Technivie among others, is a medication used to treat hepatitis C. It is a fixed-dose combination of ombitasvir, paritaprevir, and ritonavir. Specifically it is used together with dasabuvir or ribavirin for cases caused by hepatitis C virus genotype 1 or 4. Cure rates are around 95%. It is taken by mouth.
Beclabuvir is an antiviral drug for the treatment of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection that has been studied in clinical trials. In February 2017, Bristol-Myers Squibb began sponsoring a post-marketing trial of beclabuvir, in combination with asunaprevir and daclatasvir, to study the combination's safety profile with regard to liver function. From February 2014 to November 2016, a phase II clinical trial was conducted on the combination of asunaprevir/daclatasvir/beclabuvir on patients infected with both HIV and HCV. Furthermore, a recent meta-analysis of six published six clinical trials showed high response rates in HCV genotype 1-infected patients treated with daclatasvir, asunaprevir, and beclabuvir irrespective of ribavirin use, prior interferon-based therapy, or restriction on noncirrhotic patients, IL28B genotype, or baseline resistance-associated variants
Grazoprevir is a drug approved for the treatment of hepatitis C. It was developed by Merck and completed Phase III trials, used in combination with the NS5A replication complex inhibitor elbasvir under the trade name Zepatier, either with or without ribavirin.
Elbasvir is a drug approved by the FDA in January 2016 for the treatment of hepatitis C. It was developed by Merck and completed Phase III trials, used in combination with the NS3/4A protease inhibitor grazoprevir under the trade name Zepatier, either with or without ribavirin.
Elbasvir/grazoprevir, sold under the brand name Zepatier, is a fixed-dose combination for the treatment of hepatitis C, containing elbasvir and grazoprevir. It is used to treat chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotypes 1 or 4 infection in both treatment-naïve and treatment-experienced patients.
Celgosivir, in development by Migenix for the treatment of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, is an oral prodrug of the natural product castanospermine that inhibits alpha-glucosidase I, an enzyme that plays a critical role in viral maturation by initiating the processing of the N-linked oligosaccharides of viral envelope glycoproteins. Celgosivir is well absorbed in vitro and in vivo, and is rapidly converted to castanospermine. Celgosivir has a novel mechanism of action, and demonstrates broad antiviral activity in vitro.
Mericitabine (RG-7128) is an antiviral drug, a deoxycytidine analog. It was developed as a treatment for hepatitis C, acting as a NS5B RNA polymerase inhibitor, but while it showed a good safety profile in clinical trials, it was not sufficiently effective to be used as a stand-alone agent. However mericitabine has been shown to boost the efficacy of other antiviral drugs when used alongside them, and as most modern treatment regimens for hepatitis C use a combination therapy of several antiviral drugs, clinical trials have continued to see if it can form a part of a clinically useful drug treatment program.
Narlaprevir, is an inhibitor of NS3/4A serine protease, intended for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C caused by genotype 1 virus in combination with other antiviral drugs.
Sofosbuvir/velpatasvir, sold under the brand name Epclusa among others, is a fixed-dose combination medication for the treatment of hepatitis C in adults. It combines sofosbuvir and velpatasvir. It is more than 90% effective for hepatitis C genotypes one through six. It also works for hepatitis C in those who also have cirrhosis or HIV/AIDS. It is taken by mouth.
Interferon lambda 4 is one of the most recently discovered human genes and the newest addition to the interferon lambda protein family. This gene encodes the IFNL4 protein, which is involved in immune response to viral infection.