Hep C patients to get €560 liver cancer drug

A potentially live-saving liver cancer drug that costs €560 per tablet will be made available to more than 100 seriously ill patients six months after doctors treating the disease asked the Government to fund it.

Yesterday Health Minister Leo Varadkar announced that Sovaldi, (sofobuvir), which, when used in combination with other drugs has a cure rate of up to 95%, will be made available to about 120 seriously ill hepatitis C patients with the greatest clinic need.

Mr Varadkar said the patients have been identified by clinical experts as suffering from very serious liver disease and most likely to benefit substantially from this intervention.