Health Ministry Finds Cure For Hepatitis C

GEORGE TOWN (Penang, Malaysia) April 14 (Bernama) -- Medical officers from five hospitals under the Health Ministry have made a breakthrough in producing a cure for Hepatitis C. The success of a study carried out by medical officers from Alor Setar Hospital, Selayang Hospital, Ampang Hospital, Kuantan Hospital and Sungai Buloh Hospital was announced at the International Liver Congress held in Paris Thursday. Deputy Health Minister Dr Hilmi Yahaya said the study was conducted in collaboration with the Drug for Neglected Disease initiative (DNDi), a non-governmental organisation based in Geneva. "The study shows that the new treatment, which combines 2Direct Acting Agent (DAA) for Hepatitis C patients, is effective and provides up to 97 per cent cure rate,” he said at the opening of the Penang Hospital Clinical Research Centre (CRC) here Friday. Dr Hilmi said the treatment could cure 500,000 Hepatitis C patients in the country at a cost of RM1,200 (for 12 sessions) compared to RM320,000 at other countries. -- BERNAMA