Statin Drugs May Help in Treating Hepatitis C

Statin Drugs May Hold Other Benefits In Addition To Lowering Cholesterol

Masanori Ikeda and colleagues of Okayama University in Japan have found a new use for cholesterol-lowering statin drugs. The researchers discovered the possibility that statins may help treat patients with hepatitis C infections. This study was published in Hepatology, a journal published by the American Association for the Study of Liver Disease, this month.

Hepatitis C is an inflammatory disease of the liver caused by the hepatitis C virus. It is primarily transmitted to others through blood or bodily fluids. According to the World Health Organization, it is estimated that over 170 million people worldwide are infected with hepatitis C. Most individuals infected with hepatitis C may not experience any symptoms, and the long-term damage done by the virus on the liver can have irreversible consequences if left undetected. If left untreated, the disease may eventually progress into liver cancer, cirrhosis, liver failure or death.

The researchers tested several statin drugs (atorvastatin, fluvastatin, lovastatin, pravastatin and simvastatin) in cell cultures infected with hepatitis C in order to determine the effectiveness of each drug in preventing the hepatitis C virus from multiplying. Pravastatin, the researchers found, was not effective. On the other hand, fluvastatin (Lescol®) was found to be the most effective in preventing hepatitis C replication. The researchers theorize that the statins may be blocking proteins that the hepatitis C virus uses to replicate. Additionally, a combination of interferon and a statin was more potent that using a statin or interferon alone.

Current treatment options for individuals infected with hepatitis C, which include a combination of the drugs ribavirin and PEG-interferon, are roughly 45-75% effective and depend on the strain of the virus. Even when very effective, the drug combination can cause a variety of undesirable symptoms. No vaccine exists for the virus.

Although this sounds very promising, there is more research needed. For instance, this combination needs to be tested in animals and humans in order to verify the effects of statins against the virus and also to determine possible side effects. Additionally, statin drugs also have the potential of causing liver damage and are often discouraged in individuals who already have liver disease. Nonetheless, this new information may help others understand how the hepatitis C virus multiplies and may possibly lead to the development of statin-like drugs that would be effective in treating hepatitis C.