24/12/2014
The U.S. Food and Drug
Administration approved Harvoni (ledipasvir and sofosbuvir) to treat chronic
hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype 1 infection.
Harvoni is the first
combination pill approved to treat chronic HCV genotype 1 infection. It is also
the first approved regimen that does not require administration with interferon
or ribavirin, two FDA-approved drugs also used to treat HCV infection.
Both drugs in Harvoni
interfere with the enzymes needed by HCV to multiply. Sofosbuvir is a
previously approved HCV drug marketed under the brand name Sovaldi. Harvoni
also contains a new drug called ledipasvir.
Harvoni
is the third drug approved by the FDA in the past year to treat chronic HCV
infection. The FDA approved Olysio (simeprevir) in November 2013 and Sovaldi in
December 2013