4. The first person to ever work on Hepatitis
C was Harvey J. Alter. This American
virologist, was the first person to
distinguished Hepatitis C from Hepatitis A
and Hepatitis B in the mid 1970s.
Michael Houghton was the first to clone
and identify the virus. He also created a
blood screening test.
In 1988, a NANBH specimen was found in
this organism, which confirmed that it
was indeed the virus.
The name was changed from NANBH to
Hepatitis C Virus of HCV in April 1989.
Initially, the virus was called the non-A,
non-B hepatitis (NANBH). It took the
medical researchers almost a decade to
identify this virus.
15. Interferon
Is a substance that the body naturally
produces to defend itself against foreign
invaders. Interferon is a general antiviral
and help the immune system to help fight
infections.
Ribavirin
Is a type of drug It is considered a broad
antiviral and is only effective in treating
hepatitis C when it is taken with
interferon. Ribavirin comes in a pill or
capsule form and is taken twice a day.
16. Sovaldi is known as a direct-acting agent
(DAA), meaning that it interferes directly
with the HCV life cycle by suppressing
viral replication.
•Sofosbuvir is an inhibitor of the HCV NS5B
RNA-dependent RNA polymerase, which is
required for viral replication.
•Ledipasvir is an inhibitor of the HCV NS5A
protein, which is required for viral
replication.
Sovaldi & Harvoni
