Strong price reduction of hepatitis C drugs

Hepatitis C drugs will become much cheaper in the future

In the treatment of hepatitis C, many sufferers have the problem that they simply can not afford the medicines they need. The aid organization Doctors Without Borders has now announced that so-called generics can massively reduce the price of treatment. The organization signed agreements with generic drug manufacturers to help treat millions of patients.

The MSF experts have negotiated fairer prices with generics manufacturers, which will allow treatment of hepatitis C in millions of patients in the future. The doctors published a press release on the results of their negotiations.

Prices for hepatitis C treatment will become much more affordable in the future thanks to low-cost generic drugs. This could allow millions of affected people access to efficient treatment. (Image: tashatuvango - fotolia)

Prices for hepatitis C drugs are greatly reduced

At this year's World Hepatitis Summit in São Paolo, Brazil, Doctors Without Borders announced that, thanks to negotiations with manufacturers, drug prices for hepatitis C are being drastically reduced. In the future, there will be treatment-critical drugs for just $ 1.40 per day or $ 120 for a twelve-week treatment.

Millions of sufferers will benefit from the new prices

So far, the original price for a 12-week treatment of pharmaceutical manufacturers Gilead and Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMS) in the US was $ 147,000. In 2015, MSF had to pay companies up to $ 1,800 per 12-week treatment. Negotiated price reductions could result in millions of patients being treated in the future.

What costs have been incurred by treatment of hepatitis C?

The manufacturer Gilead sold the drug Sofosbuvir in the USA since the year 2013 for the price of originally 1.000 US-Dollar per tablet. The cost of a BMS Daclatasvir tablet was $ 750 in 2015. The total cost of treatment over a 12-week period is $ 147,000 in the United States.

Patients must be able to afford the medication for treatment

Unfortunately, manufacturers in many developing countries are demanding exorbitant prices for their medicines. This slows down treatment programs and few patients benefit from the medication. "What breakthrough new medicines bring if patients can not afford treatment," says Jessica Burry, a MSF drug cellist in the news release.

Governments must have access to affordable generics

The prices for hepatitis C drugs are so high that most patients can not pay them out of pocket. Even governments have their problems with ensuring treatment in the public health system. In contrast, the prices of generic drugs continue to reduce, say the experts. Governments need access to affordable generic medicines, which is the only way they can provide treatment for millions of people, emphasizes MSF. In Malaysia, for example, compulsory licenses are issued if patents prevent access to essential treatments.

Prices for a therapy have been reduced

In 2015, the MSF paid a price of between $ 1,400 and $ 1,800 for therapy with the drugs sofosbuvir and daclatasvir from Gilead and BMS. Today, the prices for a treatment are significantly lower. They are only 120 US dollars, thanks to qualitatively equivalent generics, reports the aid organization.

71 million people with chronic hepatitis C in the world

Around the world, there are about 71 million people with chronic hepatitis C. Many of those affected (72 percent) live in low and middle income countries. So-called direct-acting antiviral medicines (DAA) are a major breakthrough in the treatment of hepatitis C. They lead to healing rates of up to 95 percent, with much fewer side effects than before, explain the physicians. However, access to these antiviral drugs is hampered by the very high prices. For this reason, in many countries treatment is only possible for people in advanced stages of the disease.

69 million sufferers are still not treated

Three years after the launch of the drug sofosbuvir, it is estimated that only about 2.1 million patients were treated with the drug worldwide. Sixty-nine million sufferers still have no access to medications that are so important to them. Extremely high prices are putting a heavy financial burden on countries with publicly-funded general health care. Treatment is thereby restricted not only in developing countries, but also, for example, in countries such as Australia, Italy, Canada and the USA. This is reminiscent of the beginnings of the treatment of HIV.

Aid organization allows treatment at an affordable cost

MSF researchers and other researchers have been fighting hard for nearly two decades to maintain access to generic medicines and reduce the price of HIV medicines, says Mickael Le Paih from MSF in Cambodia. "The story repeats itself with hepatitis C - the medicines we need are too expensive again, but we find ways to make the treatment affordable so that our patients can be cured," said the physician in the press release. In eleven countries, patients with hepatitis C are being treated by the aid organization Doctors Without Borders. Since 2015, nearly 5,000 patients have been treated with so-called direct-acting antiviral drugs (DAA). The cure rates of these treatments are very satisfactory, with completed therapy leading to healing in 94.9 percent of those affected. (As)