FDA Approves Hep C Drug

The FDA has approved the first in a new class of drugs that may increase the cure rate for Hepatitis C.

The new drug, Victrelis from Merck, effectively cured more than 60 percent of patients in clinical trials when used along with existing drugs. That compared with 20 to 40 percent of patients cured by the existing drugs alone. “This new medication provides an effective treatment for a serious disease, and offers a greater chance of cure for some patients hepatitis C infection compared to currently available therapy,” Dr. Edward Cox, director of the F.D.A.’s office of antimicrobial products, said in a statement. An estimated 3.2 million Americans have a chronic infection of the hepatitis C virus. The virus can cause serious liver disease, including cirrhosis and liver cancer, though these problems may take decades to develop and may not develop at all.