Saskatchewan, British Columbia and Manitoba have all announced they’re adding new generation hepatitis C drug Holkira Pak, to their respective formularies, which also include hep C drugs Harvoni and Sovaldi, says Accompass.
These provinces join Ontario, Prince Edward Island, and Quebec in the trend to support medications fighting the disease.
“Prior to 2014, there were very few options for managing hepatitis C, and the few that were out there came with significant side effects,” says Accompass associate vice-president Sandra Ventin. “But a new generation of short duration medications have come in to the market, bringing the cure rate to 90%, up from just 10%.”
Read: Why you should care about hep C
She notes these new drugs come with a huge price.
“Depending on the length of treatment, the newer hep C drugs like Holkira Pak, Sovaldi, and Harvoni can cost upwards of $150,000 or more,” Ventin adds. “Plan sponsors can expect to see hep C medications start to dominate drug plan expenditures over the next couple of years.”
The Canadian Liver Foundation estimates between 250,000 to 300,000 Canadians are infected with hep C, with less than half of them not even being aware that they have it.
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