Strategies for access to affordable hepatitis C testing and treatment in Asia.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: With increasing availability of generic direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) and associated price reductions, various governments, multilateral institutions, and donors have started providing testing and treatment for hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. More data on the quality of these generic medicines and on cost-effectiveness of their use are becoming widely available. This review seeks to describe some of the treatment programs for HCV that are evolving in Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, and Thailand.

RECENT FINDINGS: The quality of multiple generic DAAs has been shown to be bioequivalent to innovator formulations, with generic versions achieving high cure rates in real-world settings. Although published materials are limited, there is expanding experience with local pilot and national treatment programs which are largely being funded by national governments and other institutions.

SUMMARY: Countries and other public health stakeholders are recognizing the need to scale up HCV diagnosis and treatment programs using generic DAAs. However, local pilot or national treatment programs need to be massively expanded to eliminate HCV in high-burden areas.