In this BMJ review on protease inhibitors for treatment of genotype 1 hepatitis C virus infection which begins with a case vignette, the following topics are addressed:

• What are protease inhibitors?

• How well do protease inhibitors work?

• Telaprevir

• Boceprevir

• Role of pegylated interferon

• How safe are protease inhibitors?

• What precautions are needed? (drug interactions, cardiac dysrhythmia, anaemia and neutropenia, rash, viral resistance)

• How are they taken and monitored?

• How cost effective are protease inhibitors?

• How do they compare with other drugs?