Highly successful hepatitis C treatments are available on the PBS.
These new treatments work across all genotypes.
There are now 3 standard treatment options:
- sofosbuvir + velpatasvir
- glecaprevir + pibrentasvir
- sofosbuvir + velpatasvir +voxilaprevir
There is more medical information about these treatments in the Australian recommendations for the management of hepatitis C: a consensus statement.
What is so exciting about these treatments?
These DAA (direct acting antiviral) treatments have very high cure rates – around 95% across the entire hep C population:
- All genotypes – oral treatment with tablets, sometimes 1 tablet a day
- Shorter treatment courses – usually 8-24 weeks
- Fewer and usually only minor side-effects, if any
- People with cirrhosis also have high cure rates, but do need to see a hepatitis specialist.
Watch our video to hear from the experts.
“This is fantastic news for people with bleeding disorders and hepatitis C,” said Gavin Finkelstein, President of Haemophilia Foundation Australia, when the new treatments were made available in 2016. “They have been waiting so long for access to treatment to cure their hepatitis C. Many have seen their liver disease progressing and were despairing. This decision by the Government will change people’s lives and we would like to congratulate Minister Ley for seeing the process through to make these treatments available and affordable to all Australians with hepatitis C.”
WHAT IF YOU HAVE A BLEEDING DISORDER?
This is the advice HFA has had from discussions with the Australian Haemophilia Centre Directors’ Organisation (AHCDO) and hepatitis and HIV/HCV co-infection specialists:
Don’t wait for warning signs of liver disease. If you haven’t already had treatment, make your appointment now!
- Don’t know where to start? Ask your Haemophilia Treatment Centre or your GP for a referral
- Do you have hepatitis C? Make an appointment with your hepatitis or liver clinic to discuss your treatment options
- Do you have HCV/HIV co-infection? Talk to your HIV or infectious diseases specialist about the new treatments. There may be some HIV drug interactions to take into account as well as other factors, and they will work out the best treatment regime for you
- Do you have more advanced liver disease/cirrhosis? People with cirrhosis will need to be referred to a specialist. Talk to your hepatitis or HIV specialist about liaising with your Haemophilia Treatment Centre in case of complications
- Hard to get to a hepatitis clinic? Talk to your hepatitis clinic or HTC about working with your local doctor or a clinic nearer to you. Hep C treatment can now be prescribed by any doctor or nurse practitioner experienced in hep C treatment, or in liaison with a hepatitis specialist. Show them the AHCDO/HFA fact sheet for GPs on bleeding disorders and hepatitis C
- Be proactive with your appointments and your treatment. If you have an appointment, make sure you keep it if at all possible. If you need to change it, contact your clinic in advance so they can reschedule you. And make sure you complete your course of treatment – don’t stop just because you are feeling well or you might not achieve a cure
- Make sure you go back for your final results 12 weeks AFTER completing treatment. This will tell you for sure whether your hep C has been cured. These treatments have not reached a 100% cure rate yet and if you have not been cured, you and your doctor will need to look at other treatment options
- Worried that this treatment might not work for you? These new treatments cure around 95% of people with hep C. But if you are very unlucky and the first treatment is not successful, you can be referred to a specialist clinic where they will test to find out why the treatment didn’t work and then try other treatments that are more likely to be successful. There is now a broad range of treatments and clinicians are hoping that, with retreatment options, the cure rate will now be 100%.
- And for comprehensive care, let your Haemophilia Treatment Centre know about your liver test and treatment results to make sure they stay in the loop.
Hear the stories of people who have been cured
Read more personal stories from people with bleeding disorders
Were you cured of hep C?
Did you have liver damage or cirrhosis?
Has your liver has recovered from hep C?
Don’t wait to find out.
Call your hepatitis doctor or your GP to check your liver test results.
Find out whether you need ongoing follow-up with a liver specialist.
REMEMBER
If you had cirrhosis or extensive scarring before being treated and cured of hep C, you will still need to have a liver ultrasound scan every 6 months long-term.
KEEP YOUR LIVER HEALTHY
Have a balanced diet, maintain a healthy weight, and avoid or minimise alcohol intake
More information and updates
- Updates are also available on the Hepatitis Australia website