How does Sovaldi work?

[Verdugo]

I want to educate myself on how Sovaldi works in the body.  

"Sofosbuvir (brand name Sovaldi) is a nucleotide analog inhibitor that blocks a protein the hepatitis C virus needs to replicate."

I tried researching this statement and was overwhelmed by the specifics.  Could anyone explain it in simple terms?  

Thanks,
V.

[candyce1953]

Does the hepatitis C virus attach anywhere else other than the liver for viral replication?

Just curious after having this dies ease 43 years, how it really exists,

I just hope TX gets all of this disease, because it's been in me a very long time, and that blood goes into every organ yes?
Thanks C

[sh7as7]

"nucleotide analog inhibitor " translated:

basically, when the virus reproduces itself it uses "instructions" (DNA/RNA) for which "building blocks" (nucleotides) to piece together.

a nucleotide analog is like a "false" or "sham" building block

The virus replication machinery "cements" the sham look-alike block(nucleotide analog) to the other nucleotides but suddenly it can't cement more blocks (nucleotides) together since the sham (nucleotide analog) is designed not to fit to any the other blocks (nucleotides).  It's like throwing a wrench into the virus replication machinery.

Yeah fooled you virus, nice...

hope this helps.

(disclaimer, this is not my area of expertise and it's been some years since I studied these topics, but for layman's purposes hope to give a better idea of the process)

[HectorSF]

Sovaldi (sofosbuvir) is direct-acting antiviral (DAA) nucleotide polymerase inhibitor-class drug used in combination antiviral therapy(now. peg-INF and ribavirin in genotype 1 patients) for the treatment of hepatitis C.

The hepatitis C virus must attach to and infect liver cells in order to carry out its life cycle and reproduce which is why it can cause liver disease over time. Sovaldi works (as all DAAs)by blocking an enzyme that HCV uses to replicate its RNA interrupting a vital stage in the virus' life cycle. If it's virions (virus particles) can't replicate, it dies because HCV virions have short lifetimes.

Cheers!

Hector

[flyinlynn]

Hi I am sure others will have some ideas and I am not a microbiologist but from what you posted my best guess would be that Solvaldi interferes with the hep C virus replicating itself. That it prevents the virus from reproducing or making copies of itself.
Individual virus cells don't live forever so as the virus cells die they are not replaced.
Hope that helps. Any other takers on this one?