A New Treatment for Hepatitis C Could Save Lives, But at What Cost?

Karena Peterson, 11/15/24

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), there are an estimated 50 million people around the world who suffer from chronic Hepatitis C virus infection, and about an additional 1 million new cases each year. Also according to WHO, around 242,000 people died from Hepatitis C and its complications in 2022 alone. This infection, commonly transmitted through sharing needles and sexual contact, leads to inflammation of the liver. With nasty potential consequences, like weight loss, jaundiced skin, easy bleeding/bruising, and even liver cancer, these numbers are not desired. And without a vaccine to prevent it, the cure becomes even more important. 

Enter Harvoni: A Direct-acting antiviral (DAA) oral medicine with a cure rate of 94-99% for those without other serious illnesses. Also known as Ledipasvir-sofosbuvir, it stands as, “one of the most effective treatments for hep C.” (WebMD, What to Know About Treating Hepatitis C With Harvoni). With such staggering claims, it’s impossible not to wonder how this treatment works. 

Harvoni isn’t actually one drug, but a combination of two drugs, ledipasvir and sofosbuvir (hence the name). Each drug plays a role in the final product. Ledipasvir blocks a protein called NS5A, and sofosbuvir blocks an enzyme called NS5B RNA-dependent RNA polymerase. Both NS5A and NS5B RNA-dependent RNA polymerase are essential for the Hepatitis C virus to multiply. By blocking them, Harvoni stops the infection of new cells. 

With this effective technique, Harvoni is approved by the FDA to treat the genotypes 1, 4, 5 and 6 out of the 6 Hepatitis C genotypes. The patient prescribed will take the pill orally once a day, typically for 2-6 months (though treatment plans may vary from the amount of the virus present in a patient’s blood and their health history). A doctor might also choose to prescribe a second drug alongside, named Ribavirin. 

Harvoni, like all medications, is not without its cons. Though physical side effects are rare, it is possible for a patient to experience headaches, nausea, diarrhea, insomnia and fatigue. Certain conditions or medications might also make side effects worse. 

Additionally, Harvoni is expensive, with the wholesale price of a singular pill being $1,100. This steep price may change based on insurance, but it most definitely provides a challenge- especially to those without insurance or coverage for this drug. 

Despite this, it still stands that Harvoni brings to the table incredibly high cure rates under the right circumstances, with rare and typically miniscule side effects. Harvoni’s combination of ledipasvir and sofosbuvir prevents the continued multiplication and infection of an incredibly problematic disease, Hepatitis C, which is why Harvoni is of such importance. 

References

Harvoni: How It Treats Hep C (webmd.com)

Harvoni, INN-ledispavir/sofosbuvir (europa.eu)

Hepatitis C (who.int)

Hepatitis C - Symptoms and causes - Mayo Clinic