New developments in the treatment of hepatitis & rotavirus infections

Abstract

A vaccine that protects against rotavirus infection and a new target for developing drugs against hepatitis C were among the significant developments in antiviral therapy that were reported at the 36th Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy [ New Orleans, US; September 1996 ]. The RRV-TV vaccine looks set to be the world’s first licensed vaccine for the prevention of rotavirus-associated gastroenteritis, and the results of a study reported at the conference indicated that it provides complete protection against severe disease. Regarding hepatitis, the discovery of the protease enzyme of hepatitis C virus (HCV), and the development of new nucleoside analogues against hepatitis B virus (HBV), could herald a long-awaited new era in the treatment of hepatitis infections.