lonafarnib + ritonavir

**Lonafarnib + ritonavir** is a fixed combination therapy of two small molecule drugs: **lonafarnib**, a farnesyltransferase inhibitor, and **ritonavir**, an HIV protease inhibitor used here as a pharmacokinetic booster. Lonafarnib inhibits farnesyltransferase, thereby blocking prenylation of the large hepatitis delta antigen needed for hepatitis delta virus (HDV) assembly and secretion. Ritonavir inhibits CYP3A4, significantly reducing the metabolic breakdown of lonafarnib and resulting in increased lonafarnib plasma levels with a lower dose, improved efficacy, and fewer adverse effects compared to lonafarnib monotherapy. This combination is administered orally for the treatment of chronic HDV infection. Clinical development has demonstrated that lonafarnib + ritonavir slows HDV, providing all-oral therapy for chronic HDV with moderate antiviral and biochemical response rates, especially in patients not suited for interferon-based therapies[1][2][3][4][5].

Other names

LNF + RTVlonafarnib/ritonavir