It's an exciting time in the field of research and therapies against hepatitis C. An experimental drug combination developed by Gilead Sciences has showed to wipe out virtually all types of hepatitis C strains.
The combined drug is sofosbuvir, which is sold by the company as Sovaldi, and velpatasvir. Sofosbuvir, which was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in December 2013, is a 400 mg tablet that is taken along with other antiviral drugs. It is intended for short-term therapies. The company also manufactures ledispavir, which is marketed as Harvoni. It is a once-daily single tablet that is intended for genotype 1 hepatitis C.
In the latest drug trial, more than 600 patients with various strains of hepatitis C were provided with a both sofosbuvir and velpatasvir. Upon analysis of the results after about 3 months of therapy, the combined medications had eliminated 99% of the viral strains. Other trials have already shown how this combination also works on patients with different strains.
This success means one thing: the drug can be marketed globally. Most of the drugs the company has produced were intended for genotype 1, which is the most well-known hepatitis C viral strain in the United States. However, in other parts of the world, especially in Southeast Asia, the most common is genotype 3.
The company is now working on getting a regulatory approval for the treatment. Gilead has been previously criticized for its overpriced hepatitis C medications but has since brought it down when Abbvie released its competition drugs.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), hepatitis C is a liver infection caused by a blood-borne virus. This means that the virus is introduced into the body usually through transfusion of contaminated blood or sharing of needles. At least 70% of the patients with hepatitis C develop chronic infection, which can lead to significant liver damage and death.
