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From October 1, GPs around New Zealand will start prescribing life-changing medication to many of the 50,000 people living with hepatitis C in New Zealand.
Viekira Pak, a breakthrough treatment which was previously out of reach to ordinary New Zealanders, is now fully funded by Pharmac. The drug treats people with hepatitis C genotype 1 who have compensated disease, which is more than half of all New Zealanders living with the virus.
Renowned liver specialist and The Hepatitis Foundation of New Zealand Trustee, Professor Ed Gane, says the new treatment is a huge step towards eliminating hepatitis C from this country.
“This new Viekira Pak treatment is taken orally, usually for 12 weeks’ and will cure over 95 per cent. Viekira Pak is very well tolerated with 99% of people completing treatment. This is a huge improvement compared to previous Interferon treatments which consisted of weekly injections for a year, associated with bad side effects. Almost 20% of people had to stop the treatment and less than half were cured.”
Professor Gane says GPs should expect to have patients knocking on their door seeking treatment from October 1.
“GPs need to ensure they are educated about this new treatment. This is our chance to offer a life-changing cure to many people living with hepatitis C.” Information on prescribing Viekira Pak and Viekira Pak with Ribavirin can be found on the Pharmac website.
Professor Gane says we still need effective oral treatment for almost half New Zealanders infected with HCV who have other genotypes (2, 3, 4, 5 and 6). “PHARMAC needs to consider funding current and future pangenotypic regimens (drugs which work against every genotype) for this unmet medical need.”
Monitoring and support provided through The Hepatitis Foundation of New Zealand’s national service
The Hepatitis Foundation of New Zealand’s CEO, Susan Hay, says enabling GPs to prescribe treatment from October 1 is a major breakthrough.
“We are now one step closer to eliminating hepatitis C from New Zealand. Our goal is to eradicate the disease from this country by 2030.”
“In the meantime, The Hepatitis Foundation of New Zealand will continue to find the people living with hepatitis C that are still undiagnosed. More than 60 per cent of people with hepatitis C in New Zealand are unaware they have the virus. Through our helpline and free nursing advice, we can provide them with the support and monitoring they need.”
Personal importation of drugs
While many people will gain access to this breakthrough treatment, those infected with genotypes 2-6 are still left waiting for a cure. Professor Gane says personal importation of generic versions of the current pan-genoptypic drugs (sofosbuvir and daclatasvir) could be a viable option for those people.
“To date more than 500 New Zealanders and Australians have accessed generics through The Fix Hep C Buyers’ Club. At the European Association of the Study of the Liver in Barcelona, April 2016, Dr Freeman (Founder of the Buyers’ Club) presented the results from 146 mainly Australians and New Zealanders who have been treated with 12 weeks of generic ledipasvir-sofosbuvir (for genotype 1) and daclatasvir-sofosbuvir (for genotype 2 – 6).
“The generic medications cured more than 95 per cent of patients and were extremely safe, proving that these generic drugs are the real deal. These medications cost less than five per cent of the price of brand drugs — which is about $2,100.”
It is important however, that the buyer exhibits caution when importing generic drugs.
About hepatitis C
Hepatitis C is a disease transferred by blood-to-blood contact and effects for than 50,000 New Zealanders. The virus often shows no symptoms and is the leading cause of liver disease and liver cancer in New Zealand.
Currently X number of people in New Zealand die from complications of hepatitis C every year.
Risk factors include:
- Have injected drugs (even if only once)
- Have received a tattoo or body piercing using unsterile equipment
- Lived or received medical attention in a high-risk country (South East Asia, China, Eastern Europe (including Russia), or the Middle East)
- Had a blood transfusion or received blood products prior to 1992
- Have ever been in prison
- Were born to a mother living with hepatitis C.
If individuals think they may be at risk, they should visit www.hepatitisfoundation.org.nz or call 0800 33 20 10.
NOTES FOR MEDIA
For more information, or an interview with Ed Gane, contact The Hepatitis Foundation Press Office on 0800 33 20 10.
Press Release Source: http://www.hepatitisfoundation.org.nz/events/release-breakthrough-treatment-will-cure-thousands-new-zealanders