$300 Hep C Cure Just as Good as $84,000 Alternative

Non-profit organization DNDi has developed a low-cost hepatitis C treatment that stands to benefit 71 million people.

Apr 16th, 2018
Protesters / Image: Josep Lago
Protesters / Image: Josep Lago

A recent article from The Guardian had good news for the 71 million people affected by hepatitis C, the blood-borne viral infection that causes 400,000 deaths a year. The non-profit Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi) has teamed up with Egypt’s Pharco Pharmaceuticals to create a two-pill treatment for the disease that’s expected to cost just $300.

The drugs, ravidasvir and sofosbuvir, are a welcome alternative to versions from Gilead and AbbVie, which can cost up to $84,000. The DNDi reported that the new treatment cured 97% of patients within 12 weeks.

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