Miravirsen

Miravirsen

Miravirsen is an experimental drug for the treatment of hepatitis C. It is an antisense oligonucleotide that binds to microRNA-122, a molecule that the hepatitis C virus uses to replicate. By binding to microRNA-122, miravirsen prevents the virus from replicating, thereby reducing the amount of virus in the body.

Mechanism of action

Miravirsen is a locked nucleic acid (LNA) antisense oligonucleotide. It works by binding to microRNA-122, a small RNA molecule that is highly expressed in the liver. Hepatitis C virus (HCV) uses microRNA-122 to replicate. By binding to microRNA-122, miravirsen prevents HCV from using this molecule, thereby inhibiting viral replication.

Clinical trials

Miravirsen has been tested in phase 2 clinical trials. In a study published in 2013, patients with chronic hepatitis C who were treated with miravirsen had a significant reduction in viral load. The drug was well tolerated, with no serious adverse events reported.

Potential advantages

Miravirsen has several potential advantages over other treatments for hepatitis C. Because it targets a human molecule (microRNA-122) rather than a viral protein, the virus may be less likely to develop resistance to miravirsen. In addition, because microRNA-122 is highly expressed in the liver, miravirsen may have fewer side effects than drugs that target viral proteins.

See also

• Antisense therapy
• Hepatitis C treatment
• MicroRNA

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