Epclusa is a combination of two antiviral drugs, sofosbuvir and velpatasvir, that work together to treat chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection.
Sofosbuvir is a nucleotide analogue inhibitor of the HCV NS5B polymerase, an enzyme essential for HCV replication. By inhibiting the NS5B polymerase, sofosbuvir interferes with HCV’s ability to replicate, leading to a reduction in viral load.
Velpatasvir is an NS5A inhibitor, a type of drug that targets a different HCV protein, the NS5A protein. The NS5A protein plays a crucial role in the HCV replication process and is involved in the assembly and release of new HCV particles.
By inhibiting the NS5A protein, velpatasvir further reduces HCV replication.
The combination of sofosbuvir and velpatasvir in Epclusa provides a potent antiviral effect against HCV, leading to high cure rates in treated patients.
The combination of these two drugs also has a broader spectrum of activity against different HCV genotypes compared to using sofosbuvir alone, making Epclusa a highly effective treatment option for HCV infection.