Wow finally they approved. Lets hope for some day some good medicine for HBV
Dear @Suresh786,
Yes! And since this drug is available in a few countries, therefore, let’s hope this medicine also reaches every nook and corner of the world with affordable price.
Unfortunately, the information I’ve seen so far on the price seems to indicate that it’s not affordable at all (costs more than most people’s monthly salary).
Dear @et5656,
This is a serious obstacle towards hepatitis elimination affecting majority of the people around the world. Most of the drugs that are launched in markets are very costly initially. This needs to be addressed if the goal of hepatitis elimination before 2030 is to be achieved.
I agree that we need to address medication affordability. I do want to point out that the WHO goal of hepatitis elimination by 2030 is a bit of a misnomer. The goals as stated are centered around reducing new infections (by 90%) and reducing mortality by 65%. Obviously Bulevirtide could help reduce mortality in people coinfected with both hepatitis B and D, but my impression is that the WHO is focusing more heavily on preventing new cases (especially mother to child transmission).
I wish we could actually eliminate hepatitis B by 2030 by curing everyone who is infected, but curing hepatitis B is not part of the WHO 2030 goals.