Telaprevir for Hepatitis C

People with

chronic hepatitis C may benefit from telaprevir (INCIVEK™). This prescription medicine is specifically designed to treat genotype 1 chronic hepatitis C in people age 18 and older. It is only approved for use in combination with certain other hepatitis C medications.

Telaprevir comes in tablet form and is taken 3 times daily (with 7 to 9 hours between each dose) for 12 weeks. It is important to not miss doses, as it may cause the hepatitis C virus to become resistant to telaprevir.

Telaprevir works by blocking the activity of certain enzymes in the body that are needed by the hepatitis C virus to reproduce. As a result, this drug prevents the hepatitis C virus from multiplying.

(For more information, click What Is Telaprevir Used For?. This full-length article takes a closer look at what hepatitis C is and how telaprevir can help prevent the virus from reproducing.)