Prevention of re-infection in HCV liver transplantation

Chronic HCV infection is responsible for 50 to 75 % of all liver cancer cases and of two third of all liver transplants. Once patients develop cirrhosis and liver failure, their only chance for survival is to undergo liver transplantation.  One of the major problems with this approach is that all patients get massive re-infection in their new liver because their blood still contains a large number of viruses and they receive immunosuppression in order to avoid liver rejection.  This re-infection frequently results in a more aggressive disease progression than during the initial infection.  To date, no drug has been able to prevent the re-infection.  REP 9AC has the potential to be the first drug addressing this indication and is expected to quickly achieve total market penetration.