Low-cost Hepatitis C cure showing good results in Thailand
A new combination of drugs that is a quarter of current cost of treatment is successful in the first phase of tests
By Apinya Wipatayotin
The first phase of clinical tests for an affordable Hepatitis C treatment has yielded a high cure rate, according to Thailand’s Department of Disease Control.
Started in 2016, the clinical trial testing the combined set of Sofosbuvir+Ravidasvir with 81 patients showed 97 per cent of them reacted positively to the treatment, Suwanchai Wattanayingcharoenchai, chief of the Department of Disease Control (DDC) says.
“It’s a good sign telling us that patients with Hepatitis C will have the opportunity to access medicine at an affordable price. It is also a significant step for our hopes of eliminating the disease in the future,” said Mr Suwanchai.
Currently, the country’s Hepatitis C patients pay 40,000 baht (US$1,254) to use commercially registered drugs throughout the course of treatment. The combined set of Sofosbuvir+Ravidasvir will cost patients 10,000 baht (US$315). The lower price stems from Ravidasvir, which is set to be registered and sold at a low price.
Currently, Ravidasvir is not registered in Thailand. The trial project received the Ravidasvir from the Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi), an international non-profit organisation that provides affordable medication to poor patients.
