Trial involving experimental medications shows six-week cure rate.
A small
clinical trial has shown a combination of oral medicines can rid the body
of the disease in as few as six weeks, which marks a big advancement in the treatment
of hepatitis C.
The drugs included a combination of sofosbuvir and
ledipasvir and one of two experimental drugs by Gilead Sciences, GS-9669 and
GS-9451.
One obstacle to shorter treatments is cost. Harvoni
(ledipasvir-sofosbuvir), the most recently approved rapid cure medication, costs
around $95,000. The high price tag for this daily pill taken for 12 weeks poses
challenges to public health insurers such as state Medicaid programs. Debates
are raging surrounding who should have access to the medications and when.
Read more...Labels: 6 week treatment, GS-9451, sofosbuvir + ledipasvir + GS-9669