The best time to treat children infected with the hepatitis C virus may be off in the future when newer, better drugs with fewer side effects are expected to be approved for pediatric populations, according to the authors of a recent article in Clinical Liver Disease.
Hepatitis C is a bloodborne virus that over time if left unchecked can severely damage the liver. But for children who are chronically infected, progression to advanced liver disease during their childhood years is uncommon, says lead author Christine Lee, MD.
A major milestone in the treatment of hepatitis C is the recent development of direct-acting antiviral (DAA) agents and combination drug regimens, Lee stated in the article. These developments are likely to similarly revolutionize treatment of the virus in children in the near future however clinical trials are still being conducted.
Read more...Labels: children and hepatitis C, chronic, liver, pediatric treatment