British Columbia expands HCV coverage to include Victrelis...

Article posted on 3/26/12 via Vancouver 24 hours. Looks like Victrelis is now available in British Columbia via PharmaCare for patients with genotype 1 infection. 

B.C. expands coverage for hep C

By ERICA BULMAN, 24 HOURS

PharmaCare coverage for eligible patients with chronic hepatitis C (genotype 1) is being expanded to include the drug boceprevir, approved by Health Canada in July 2011.

New hep C patients who haven’t been treated, those who have relapsed after treatment or responded only partially to another treatment, will be eligible.

Boceprevir is taken in combination with two other drugs — peginterferon and ribavirin — over 24 to 44 weeks.

“The rapid approval of boceprevir is a major step forward towards the potential future elimination of hepatitis C infections in British Columbians,” said Dr. Mel Krajdenof the BC Centre for Disease Control. “Viral cure is known to reduce mortality, improve quality of life and prevent progression of liver disease.”

Without PharmaCare or private drug plan coverage, boceprevir would cost patients about $1,050 per week, the province estimated.

In clinical trials, patients who’d never received treatment and took the boceprevir combination had a 25% higher cure rate over those who didn’t.

In patients unsuccessful in other therapies, the boceprevir cure rate was 38% higher than those who received peginterferon and ribavirin alone.

There are about 64,000 British Columbians currently diagnosed with hep C, 25% of whom have cleared their infection without treatment, according to the province.

Untreated the disease can result in liver failure and death.