Ireland: Some Hep C patients to get new drugs

Some patients with Hepatitis C are to be given early access to powerful new drugs, the Minister for Health has announced.

He said that the HSE is putting in place a programme to provide early access to new ‘direct-acting, antiviral drugs for hepatitis C patients with the greatest clinical need, due to the advanced nature of their condition'.

Around 120 patients are set to benefit from the move.

(Editorial comment: It is estimated that 20,000-50,000 people in Ireland are chronically infected with HCV, a population prevalence of 0·5-1·2%. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21923968)

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