The Hepatitis C Trust responds to NHS England announcement on deal with industry for hepatitis C

NHS leaders yesterday announced that they will be working with the pharmaceutical industry to strike a deal providing best value for money for hepatitis C treatments. The NHS hopes the deal will allow it to commit to eliminating Hepatitis C in England at least five years earlier than the World Health Organisation goal of 2030.
Part of the new agreements between NHS England and drug companies will involve collaboration to identify more people who are living with Hepatitis C who need to be treated. This approach would provide the opportunity to eliminate hepatitis C as a major public health concern in the near future. 
The Hepatitis C Trust welcomes this announcement, and looks forward to working with key stakeholders to deliver the best possible deal for patients. 
Charles Gore, CEO of The Hepatitis C Trust, said: “This is wonderful news. It is exactly what is needed. The proposed deal will galvanise the action we must take to find all those living with hepatitis C who have not yet been diagnosed so that we can cure them. It will prevent the liver cancer that hepatitis C causes. It will save lives. In the current environment we applaud NHS England’s ambition to be a world leader.”
Read the announcement from NHS England here, and additional coverage on the Metro, the Daily Mail, and the Press Association.