Hepatitis C drug for extra 3000

Pharmac, the Government's pharmaceutical management agency, has decided to extend the funding of a drug that can cure hepatitis C.

From next month, the funding of Pegasys (peginterferon alfa-2a) will be extended to patients with chronic genotype 2 or 3 hepatitis C who also have bridging fibrosis or liver cirrhosis.

Hepatitis C is a serious virus carried in the blood that can damage the liver, leading to cirrhosis (scarring), liver failure and liver cancer.

About 30,000 New Zealanders have hepatitis C, about half of them genotype 2 or 3, and about 20 per cent of those will have cirrhosis.

Patients with cirrhosis due to hepatitis C have a high chance of dying from progressive liver disease. Pegasys has been funded for chronic genotype 1 hepatitis C since March.

Manufacturer Roche says Pegasys is a new therapy for hepatitis C that is normally used with another antiviral agent, ribavirin.

It offered patients with hepatitis C and cirrhosis the best chance of a cure when compared with standard interferon therapy, the company said.

Pegasys cured 43 per cent of patients across all genotypes with cirrhosis, compared with 33 per cent for standard interferon.

Another study showed 75 per cent of genotype 2 and 3 patients with advanced liver disease or fibrosis were cured by Pegasys treatment in combination with ribavirin, the company said.

"Extended funding of Pegasys ensures more New Zealanders living with chronic hepatitis C have a greater chance of being cured of the disease," said Roche Products (NZ) managing director Rob Mitchell.

Common side-effects from Pegasys can include flu-like symptoms, nausea, difficulty sleeping, poor concentration, temporary hair loss, loss of appetite, diarrhoea, itchiness, irritability, dizziness, depression or anxiety, and reaction at the injection site.

Rare and more serious side-effects can include severe chest pain, suicidal thoughts, persistent cough, trouble breathing, irregular heart beat, vision problems, severe stomach pain, confusion, unusual bleeding or bruising, fever or chills, tingling fingers and toes.

- NZPA