Abstract
The new era of triple combination therapy of hepatitis C represents a major advance in treatment efficacy. On the other hand, use of direct-acting antiviral agents (DAAs) has brought new and more frequent adverse events, which can interfere with treatment completion (shorter treatment duration) and subsequently with the planned treatment efficacy.
Rarely, these events may be clinically serious. Use of telaprevir in triple therapy of hepatitis C is associated mainly with a higher incidence of rash and pruritus, anaemia and gastrointestinal symptoms.
Based on the analysis of available clinical studies, it is clear that an active approach to the early diagnosis and management of these adverse events can maintain them under effective control and thus planned therapy may be terminated and often the adverse events may resolve before the end of telaprevir treatment (in the first 12 weeks of therapy). Accurate knowledge of potentially severe adverse skin reactions is crucial for the timely termination of therapy, thus minimising the risk of further progression.