Novel Therapies for Hepatitis C Virus Based on Lessons From Virology Jeffrey S. Glenn  Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology  Volume 3, Pages S86-S88 (October 2005) DOI: 10.1016/S1542-3565(05)00703-2 Copyright © 2005 American Gastroenterological Association Terms and Conditions

Figure 1 Three generations of anti-HCV therapy. First-generation therapies are those that currently are approved, consist of interferon and ribavirin, were available before the identification of the HCV genome, and thus are not really specific for HCV. Second-generation agents are those that are designed specifically against HCV targets (such as the protease and polymerase) and are in various stages of advanced development. Third-generation agents consist of therapies of the future; increased knowledge of HCV molecular virology is expected to expand their number. Ultimate effective pharmacologic control of HCV is likely to result from combination therapy with a cocktail of multiple drugs, each targeting an independent, virus-specific function. IFN, interferon; IRES, internal ribosome entry site. Adapted and reprinted with permission from Glenn.9 Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology 2005 3, S86-S88DOI: (10.1016/S1542-3565(05)00703-2) Copyright © 2005 American Gastroenterological Association Terms and Conditions