NICE backs Gilead's hepatitis C drug Epclusa

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), the cost-effectiveness watchdog for England and Wales, has recommended Epclusa (sofosbuvir-velpatasvir), from US biotech major Gilead Sciences (Nasdaq: GILD), as a treatment option for all genotypes of hepatitis C in draft guidance published today.

Sofosbuvir-velpatasvir is one of the newer direct acting anti-viral treatments for hepatitis C and works by blocking the virus from multiplying and infecting new cells. As trials for the drug showed high cure rates of 89% and above, the NICE appraisal committee concluded that sofosbuvir-velpatasvir was clinically and cost-effective, and should be routinely available on the National Health Service.

The committee also recognized that there was a need for treatment without adverse side effects, particularly for patients with genotype 3, who account for around 44% of the patient population with chronic hepatitis C. This population are currently treated with the earlier types of anti-viral treatments, such as peginterferon alpha with ribavirin, which can cause adverse side effects.