Viekirax and Exviera approved for use within NHS Scotland

The estimated 37,000 people in Scotland with hepatitis C received the good news yesterday that the Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) has now approved Viekirax (ombitasvir/paritaprevir/ritonavir) and Exviera (dasabuvir) for use within NHS Scotland. 
Viekirax has been approved for use in combination with Exviera, with or without ribavirin, for the treatment of genotype 1 chronic hepatitis C in adults, while Viekirax has been approved for use in combination with ribavirin for the treatment of genotype 4 patients.
The drugs, which are all-oral and interferon-free, are another addition to the armoury of new, highly-effective treatments which are now available. Petra Wright, Scottish Officer at The Hepatitis C Trust, welcomed the announcement:
“With the launch of the revised Scottish Sexual Health and Blood Borne Virus Framework this summer, and with the staging of the World Hepatitis Summit in Glasgow in September, this is an incredibly important year in the fight to eliminate hepatitis C as a serious public health concern in Scotland. A key part of that fight is having access to new treatments, which is why I warmly welcome the SMC’s advice on Viekirax and Exviera. These highly effective treatments offer shorter treatment durations and minimal side-effects, and are far more tolerable to patients. We now must ensure that they are made widely available across Scotland.”
To read the SMC’s full advice, click here.