Today I have some good news for Hepatitis C patients with genotype 1 or genotype 4. In the beginning of February 2016, pharmaceutical giant Merck has entered Hepatitis C treatment market by introducing a completely new drug. Under its trademark, it is known as Zepatier.
What is more, Zepatier consists of a completely new set of drug molecules – elbasvir and grazoprevir – and is thus different in the mechanism of action from sofosbuvir-based as drugs by Gilead Sciences, Sovaldi and Harvoni. The major difference between this treatment and all the other Hepatitis C treatment that were recently approved by the FDA is the price of Zepatier. Zepatier costs only $54,600 per treatment in the US which compared with Harvoni's price tag of $94,500 is quite a reduction. However, albeit Zepatier is cheaper and will add competition that will hopefully drive down the prices, the costs of being treated for Hepatitis C are and will in the near future remain enormous. This is exactly why we at FixHepC.com are bypassing the system established and paid for by pharmaceutical industry to provide you with affordable Hepatitis C treatments and make it available for everybody in need of them.
Who is Zepatier for – Genotype 1 and 4
Pretty much anybody having Hepatitis C is aware that there are 6 genotypes of Hepatitis C. If you are wondering what sofosbuvir-based treatment is best for you, you can read about genotype specific treatments here. Not all medications treat all genotypes – for example Harvoni, being arguably one of the best medicines out there, is not used (it is not even registered) to treat Hepatitis C genotype 2.
Zepatier has a more narrow therapeutic potential. It can only be used to treat Hepatitis C patients with genotype 1 or 4. Majority of Hepatitis C patients (54%) are suffering from genotype 1 while only 1% of all patients has genotype 4. This means, roughly speaking, that the new Zepatier drug launched by Merck and approved by FDA is intended to be used in about 55% of all Hepatitis C patients.
Elbasvir and Grazoprevir – Zepatier active substances (APIs)
Before we go into details about Zepatier cure rate (which is comparable with other existing Hepatitis C treatments), let us have a look under the hood of this Merck medicine. APIs or Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients are the ones that make any drug achieve its therapeutic effect. In the case of Harvoni, for example, we have sofosbuvir and ledipasvir as active ingredients, and we already know that for modern Hepatitis C treatment we always use two or more active substances in order to be sure HPV was completely eliminated.
Elbasvir and grazoprevir are active substances that make Zepatier work. Both of them were originally developed by Merck and designed specifically to treat Hepatitis C. These two molecules represent years of work that Merck's drug discovery department has put in to launch Zepatier. Let us look at elbasvir and grazoprevir more closely.
Elbasvir Mechanism of Action
The first molecule, elbasvir, has been found to inhibit Hepatitis C virus replication by blocking one of the vital proteins (NS5a) that is essential to the replication process. Elbasvir mechanism of action renders NS5a inactive and thus prevents HPV from making more and more viruses. When the replication is stopped, human immune system does the heavy work by targeting and eliminating the remaining virus.
A great thing about elbasvir is that is is very potent and very selective. Potency means that it inhibits NS5a very effectively even at smaller dosages. This is why Zepatier contains only 50 mg of elbasvir. Selectivity is also crucial – elbasvir inhibits NS5a and only NS5a – this means that it does not alter other important processes. Both of these qualities are very important when it comes to Zepatier side effects. Namely, Zepatier side effects are mild because the high cure rate can be achieved with small dosages of a very selective elbasvir molecule.
Grazoprevir Mechanism of Action
Grazoprevir is a second active substance in Zepatier. Instead of targeting NS5a like elbasvir, grazoprevir mechanism of action is directed at inhibiting Hepatitis C virus proteases. With the function that these proteases perform, the HCV is unable to replicate further and is eliminated over the period of several months by body's immune system.
Grazoprevir mode of action is always used as kind of a side-kick of the primary active substance (elbasvir in the case of Zepatier). A good property of grazoprevir is that is useful as a treatment for more resistant HCV genotypes.
Zepatier Cure Rate and Side Effects
According to clinical studies done by Merck, Zepatier cure rate is very high. For patients with Hepatitis C genotype 1, it was found that Zepatier cures 94-97% of patients. On the other hand, for genotype 4, the numbers are even higher – 97-100% cure rate. You can read everything about how the studies were set up at Merck' Zepatier press release. Some patients are advised to use ribavirin together with Zepatier in order to achieve the best treatment results.
Side effects are mild for a life-saving treatment. These include side effects that are mostly common with other Hepatitis C drugs such as Harvoni and Sovaldi.
Here is a list of Zepatier side effects:
- Nausea
- Tiredness
- Headaches
- Anemia (decrease in number of red blood cells)
- Stomach pain
- Allergic reactions (rashes, irritation)
The Zepatier treatment last for 12 or 16 weeks, depending on the genotype and patient's state, and despite the side effects being mild, they can be very bothersome. Having a feeling of nausea for 3 months is not something that one can tolerate with ease.
Zepatier Cost – $54,600 per treatment
The cost of Zepatier is a major think that distinguishes it from other Hepatitis C drugs. Because Merck prices Zepatier at $54,600 per treatment, the drug has already been called a game changer in Hepatitis C treatment. Harvoni, for example, another Hepatitis C treatment, costs $94,500 per treatment in the US.
The much needed competition is here. Zepatier cost might force other big players such as Gilead Sciences and Abbvie to lower the prices of their Hepatitis C medications. However, if you are in need of Hepatitis C drugs, we at FixHepC.com can provide them for less than $2,000. Contact us with your problems and wishes and we will try our best to help every Hepatitis C patient in need.
