Statin (3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase inhibitor)-based therapy for hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection-related diseases in the era of direct-acting antiviral

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Description Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is an important public health problem worldwide, as many HCV-infected patients develop liver cirrhosis and/or hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Recent improvements in the treatment of HCV infection have focused on the use of direct-acting antiviral agents (DAAs). Statins (inhibitors of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase) have been proposed as a new candidate for the treatment of HCV infection. According to previously conducted clinical studies using statins in HCV-infected patientsn Objectives Course Objective Recent improvements have been made in the treatment of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection with the introduction of direct-acting antiviral agents (DAAs). However, despite successful viral clearance, many patients continue to have HCV-related disease progression. Therefore, new treatments must be developed to achieve viral clearance and prevent the risk of HCV-related diseases. In particular, the use of pitavastatin together with DAAs may improve the antiviral efficacy as well as decrease the progression of liver fibrosis and the incidence of HCV-related hepatocellular carcinoma. To investigate the management methods for HCV-related diseases using pitavastatin and DAAs, clinical trials should be undertaken. However, concerns have been raised about potential drug interactions between statins and DAAs. Therefore, pre-clinical trials using a replicon system, human hepatocyte-like cells, human neurons and human cardiomyocytes from human-induced pluripotent stem cells should be conducted. Bas...