Telaprevir

Mechanism of action:
Telaprevir is a hepatitis C virus NS3/4A protease inhibitor. The hepatitis C virus polyprotein precursor must be cleaved by the NS3/4A protease into multiple functional proteins, including NS3, NS4A, NS4B, NS5A, and NS5B. Telaprevir binds to the active site of the NS3/4A protease and inhibits its proteolytic activity, preventing the virus from producing mature functional proteins required for viral RNA replication and assembly.
Reference(s):
1. Kim JJ et al. (2012). Telaprevir: an oral protease inhibitor for hepatitis C virus infection. Am J Health Syst Pharm.
2. Liu-Young G et al. (2008). Hepatitis C protease and polymerase inhibitors in development. AIDS Patient Care STDS.
3. Forestier N et al. (2012). Telaprevir for the treatment of hepatitis C. Expert Opin Pharmacother.
