Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) affects 6-11 million people in India. Chronic HCV infection is the leading cause for liver-related deaths worldwide. In India, HCV infection was estimated to be responsible for 59,000 deaths in the year 2015. Moreover, untreated HCV infection could also lead to substantial economic burden. However, the advent of directly acting antivirals (DAAs), is proving to be a game changer in HCV treatment. Directly acting antivirals target specific enzymes and the genetic material in HCV, hence stopping the spread of the infection. A recent study by a team of researchers from the Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences (SGPGIMS), Massachusetts General Hospital and the World Health Organization (WHO) indicate that treatment of HCV by DAAs are not only cost effective but actually saves lifetime costs for treating infected patients. DAAs which were introduced in 2011, are remarkably successful in the battle against HCV infection, with cure rates above 95 percent. In developed countries like the US, treatment with DAAs is very expensive - reaching nearly $ 65,000. However the costs come down drastically for countries like India to a mere $ 300. This has been possible solely because of the agreements with the pharmaceutical companies that developed these drugs and generic drug manufacturers in India that produce similar versions of the drug. The study has revealed the profitability of such a system for treatment of HCV as the data strongly suggests that money on HCV treatment today, can be recovered in the form of reduced health care expenditure within a decade. Despite the low cost, it has been seen that only a small proportion of people needing these drugs have received them. The researchers attribute this to the lack of funding for HCV treatment and the absence of sufficient data showcasing the advantages of generic DAAs. This study therefore provides a strong evidence for policy makers in countries like India to invest in HCV treatment and screening and also advocate the use of generic DAAs.
4 Oct 2017