REGINA – Two new drugs to treat hepatitis C have been approved for coverage in Saskatchewan. The government announced Wednesday that Harvoni and Sovaldi, which have high success rates in treating hepatitis C, will be available to patients in the province.
The new drugs cure 90 to 98 per cent of patients in as little as eight to 12 weeks. Traditional therapies cure 60 to 75 per cent of patients in 24 to 48 weeks.
“These two drugs offer effective, simple and fast treatment,” said Saskatchewan Health Minister Dustin Duncan.
“They provide a cure for chronic hepatitis C patients and greatly improve the quality of life for those affected.”
“These medications will offer our patients a substantially greater chance of cure with fewer side effects and shorter treatment courses,” added Dr. Stephen Sanche, head of the infectious diseases division at Royal University Hospital.
Officials say the new drugs not only are better tolerated by patients, but also only need to be taken once-a-day.
About 1,100 patients who meet the exception drug status criteria are expected to be treated over the next three years. Coverage is expected to cost between $8- and $10-million during 2015-16 depending on utilization and the cost difference between existing products.
READ MORE: Could a simple blood test combat Saskatchewan’s high rates of hepatitis C?
Hepatitis C is a viral disease affecting the liver. Effects range in severity from a mild illness lasting a few weeks to a serious, chronic illness, including liver scarring and liver cancer.
The disease is spread primarily through contact with the blood of an infected person.
Saskatchewan has the highest number of hepatitis C cases of all the provinces, and of those diagnosed 70 per cent of people are also co-infected with HIV.
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