By Sophie Goodchild for The Mail on Sunday
A cure for the deadly hepatitis C virus has finally been granted NHS funding after ‘an inexcusable wait’ that has seen patients with the disease fall ill unnecessarily, say campaigners.
The once-a-day tablet called sofosbuvir – branded Sovaldi – could help thousands of people including those infected through contaminated blood transfusions. Charities say the fact that patients can now access the drug for free could also effectively help eradicate this chronic disease in the UK.
The go-ahead comes after months of delays and campaigning by patients and charities for the NHS to approve funding for sofosbuvir.
Health chiefs have been accused of deliberately delaying the drug because of its cost – £35,000 for a 12-week course.
It was officially approved by the drugs regulator the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) in January this year.
Until now, only patients at a chronic stage of illness – about 500 – were eligible to have the breakthrough drug. But this month, health chiefs finally agreed to make funding available so that all health trusts can offer it. Patients will now have access to the drug, which will be prescribed in combination with other treatments.
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It was officially approved by the drugs regulator the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) in January this year.
Until now, only patients at a chronic stage of illness – about 500 – were eligible to have the breakthrough drug. But this month, health chiefs finally agreed to make funding available so that all health trusts can offer it. Patients will now have access to the drug, which will be prescribed in combination with other treatments.
Continue reading...
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