Healthcare | Thursday 10 December, 2015 1:20 pm |

Saudi Arabia witnessed the launch of Harvoni (the new treatment for hepatitis C patients) at a medical launch seminar yesterday in Mövenpick Hotel under the title “Cure…Don’t Compromise”. In attendance were physicians specialized in Hepatology and Gastroenterology, as well as physicians from other specialties. The spirit was dominated with optimism and happiness as the Saudi Food and Drug Authority took steps to insure the best medications possible, while opening a path to eradicate the virus completely in Saudi Arabia in an effort to alleviate the suffering of many patients. 

The Hep C virus is considered to be one of the most serious infectious diseases that affect a person’s health, mental health as well as financial well-being of the patient and their family. Many of the participants were keen to participate in this important moment, which will go down in history after a few years. Through the work of this generation of doctors the disease will completely be eradicated from Saudi Arabia.

The seminar was chaired by Dr. Faisal Abaalkhail, Consultant Hepatology -Section Head of Adult Transplant Hepatology, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and associate professor of Medicine, in Alfaisal University. During Dr. Faisal’s opening remarks he stated, “In the past couple of years, a revolutionary change happened in the Hepatitis C treatments. That raised the bar of cure up to 95% with minimal side effects. The seminar today would discuss the recent updates regarding Harvoni - the new single tablet regimen combing Sofosbuvir with Ledipasvir in one pill”. The seminar also included lectures by Dr. Ayman Abdo, Consultant Hepatology in King Khaled University Hospital and Associate professor of medicine, King Saud University; Dr. Ayman stated, “There are around 200 million people who are infected worldwide, In Saudi Arabia, around 100,000 people are infected with Hepatitis C, but only 20% of those people know that they are infected or attempt to receive treatment.. Thankfully Gilead has developed Harvoni to help cure Hepatitis C with a success rate up to 99%”. 

 Dr. Stefano Fagiuoli who also spoke at the conference said, “Gilead has developed the Harvoni pill that can help cure the disease without having to do a liver transplant, helping lessen the need to spend too much time at the hospital prior and after the operation”.  Dr. Eckart Schott spoke as well on the disease burden and pathway to cure in Saudi Arabia as well as the new clinical updates & recent international protocols emphasizing on all.

Professor Ghadi Hamad Alaskah, who is a specialist on the hepatitis C viruses, and supervisor of the treatment clinic at King Khalid University Hospital in Riyadh, stated that,” It is important to spend enough time with the patients to explain to them the nature of the disease and answer any questions in regards to complications from it”. 

A similar event for Harvoni was held in Jeddah where Dr. Mohamed Babtin chaired the session mentioning, “That the medication is very effective against Genotype 1 & 4, with the Ministry of Health hospitals working hard to ensure treatment of large number of patients”. Dr. Faisal Sanai who also spoke during the session said, “We’ve had breakthrough drugs before, but Harvoni is the true breakthrough drug in the treatment of Hepatitis C patients. The ease of administering it, matched with an excellent safety profile, and the surety of a cure-these are the essential components of a breakthrough drug that Harvoni possesses.