Last up on our Hall of Fame tour are direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) for Hepatitis C. Over three million people in the US are infected with Hepatitis C, a viral infection that primarily affects the liver. Effects of Hepatitis C include joint pain, fatigue, jaundice, cirrhosis, liver failure, and liver cancer. Globally, an estimated 58 million people have chronic hepatitis C, with about 1.5 million new infections occurring per year.
To set the stage, here’s a description of how Hepatitis C was treated before the introduction of DAAs.
A significant breakthrough in the treatment of Hepatitis C occurred in the 2010s with the development of direct-acting antiviral medications (DAAs). Patients were able to replace the painful, drawn-out interferon-ribavirin therapies of the past with a quick and highly effective cure for the infection. The first DAAs were approved by the FDA in 2011.
A landmark moment in Hepatitis C treatment was the approval of sofosbuvir (brand name Sovaldi) in December 2013. Sofosbuvir, in combination with other DAAs, marked a major advance in the field, with cure rates exceeding 90-95%!
Here’s what Hepatitis C treatment looks like today:
DAAs have since become the standard of care for Hepatitis C treatment, offering shorter treatment durations, fewer side effects, and significantly higher cure rates than previous treatments. They have made it possible to cure Hepatitis C infection in the majority of individuals, even those with advanced liver disease.
William is a Hepatitis C patient who was cured with DAAs. Please watch this 3-minute video to hear his story.
DAAs have revolutionized the treatment of Hepatitis C. These drugs offer highly effective and well-tolerated options for not just treating, but CURING Hepatitis C, and reducing the risk of liver disease progression and liver-related mortality, significantly extending life expectancy and quality of life for millions who have been infected.
Learn more [OPTIONAL]: We’ll talk about ways the market
incentivizes companies to compete to develop the best, most effective
therapies for a disease later in this course. But if Hepatitis C has
sparked your interest, watch as Peter discusses the development of
these cures with Vertex founder Joshua
Boger.
At any point in time, it was difficult to tell which company would come out on top, but there was never any doubt that Hepatitis C would be cured. Our industry can solve many more diseases, as long as we preserve the incentives for doing so!