Hepatitis C is a liver infection caused by the Hepatitis C virus. It is a chronic disease that causes long-term illness and can lead to liver failure, liver cancer, and other complications.

According to the World Health Organization, an estimated 71 million people worldwide are infected with Hepatitis C, and approximately 400,000 people die each year from Hepatitis C-related liver diseases.

Current Treatments for Hepatitis C

The current treatments for Hepatitis C include antiviral medications, such as interferon and ribavirin, which can help to reduce the severity of the disease and improve liver function.

However, these treatments are not effective for everyone and can cause significant side effects, such as fatigue, headache, and flu-like symptoms. Additionally, they are often expensive and require a long treatment duration.

New Treatments for Hepatitis C

In recent years, new medications have been developed to treat Hepatitis C, which are more effective and have fewer side effects.

These medications are called direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) and work by directly targeting the Hepatitis C virus, preventing it from reproducing and spreading in the body. The use of DAAs has revolutionized the treatment of Hepatitis C, and has led to high cure rates and shorter treatment durations.

EU Approval for Hepatitis C Treatment

In 2020, the European Union approved the use of two new DAAs for the treatment of Hepatitis C. These medications are called glecaprevir/pibrentasvir (Maviret) and voxilaprevir/sofosbuvir (Vosevi).

Both drugs are highly effective and can cure Hepatitis C in as little as eight weeks. They are also well-tolerated and have minimal side effects.

Maviret is a once-daily tablet that can be taken by almost all adults with Hepatitis C, regardless of the genotype or severity of the disease.

It is a combination of two DAAs, glecaprevir and pibrentasvir, which work together to target the Hepatitis C virus in different ways. Maviret has been shown to cure Hepatitis C in over 95% of patients, and is recommended as the first-line treatment for all genotypes of Hepatitis C.

Vosevi is a once-daily tablet that is approved for the treatment of Hepatitis C in adults who have not been cured with previous treatments.

It is a combination of two DAAs, voxilaprevir and sofosbuvir, which work together to target the Hepatitis C virus. Vosevi has been shown to cure Hepatitis C in over 90% of patients, and is recommended for patients who have failed previous treatments.

Access to Hepatitis C Treatment in the EU

Access to Hepatitis C treatment in the EU is improving, but there are still significant barriers to care for many patients.

The cost of DAAs can be a significant barrier, and many countries have restrictions on who can access treatment based on factors such as the severity of the disease, the degree of liver damage, and the presence of other medical conditions. Additionally, there are still many people with Hepatitis C who are unaware of their infection status and do not have access to testing or treatment.

The European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL) has set ambitious targets for the elimination of Hepatitis C in Europe by 2030.

This goal will require a significant increase in testing, diagnosis, and treatment, as well as the removal of barriers to care for all patients with Hepatitis C.

Conclusion

The approval of new DAAs for the treatment of Hepatitis C in the EU is a significant step forward in the fight against this devastating disease.

These medications offer highly effective and well-tolerated treatment options for millions of people living with Hepatitis C, and have the potential to cure the disease in the vast majority of cases. However, there is still much work to be done to ensure that all patients with Hepatitis C have access to these lifesaving treatments, and that we can achieve the goal of eliminating Hepatitis C as a public health threat in Europe by 2030.