THF and CHAI announce pricing breakthrough

• Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with leading generic manufacturers to secure historic ceiling prices for life-saving hepatitis B and C treatments
• Pricing commitment announced at inaugural Global Hepatitis Resource Mobilization Conference in Geneva

Geneva, May 18, 2023: The Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI) and The Hepatitis Fund today announced two new Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) to dramatically lower the price of World Health Organization (WHO)-prequalified hepatitis B and C drugs in low- and middle-income countries. These MoUs were announced at the inaugural Global Hepatitis Resource Mobilization Conference, in Geneva on May 17, 2023. Through these announcements, leading generic manufacturers Viatris and Hetero pledged their support to hepatitis elimination by 2030.

Globally, over 80 per cent of people living with hepatitis lack access to prevention, testing, and treatment services. The new price agreements are part of a concerted effort by partners to increase access to hepatitis treatment. These new drug prices will significantly reduce the cost of treatment to low-middle-income countries, and scale up hepatitis programs to meet growing demand, all towards eliminating hepatitis.

Both manufacturers will now offer World Health Organization (WHO)-prequalified Sofosbuvir and Daclatasvir, a 12-week, once-daily oral treatment for hepatitis C, at a ceiling price of US$60 per patient course of treatment.

Additionally, Viatris and Hetero will offer WHO-prequalified and/or US FDA-approved Tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) 300 mg single tablets, used for Hepatitis B treatment (once-daily lifelong oral treatment) at a ceiling price of US$2.4 per 30 tablets – a month’s course of treatment.

These ceiling prices are the lowest prices for WHO-prequalified hepatitis B and C drugs globally. They represent over a 90 percent reduction from the lowest cost of hepatitis C treatment by originators in 2016 and align the price of TDF for hepatitis B with that of TDF used in HIV treatment.

The Hepatitis Fund will direct resource mobilization efforts for the procurement of these drugs through implementing partners, governments, and other procurement agents.

CHAI will continue to work with donors and partner governments to strengthen hepatitis programs in low- and middle-income countries, increasing demand for services, mobilizing resources for procurement of medicines, and supporting access to medicines.

— ENDS —

Quotes from partners

“We are sitting on the precipice of a public health emergency, one that threatens to kill more people than HIV, TB and Malaria combined if nothing changes. This pricing commitment marks the beginning of that change.”

–Finn Jarle Rhode, Executive Director of the Hepatitis Fund

“By dramatically reducing the cost of viral hepatitis treatment in low- and middle-income countries, these commitments will substantially reduce the level of funding required to eliminate hepatitis. This announcement is a catalyst for countries already working toward elimination and will enable the treatment of many more patients with the limited resources that are already on the table.”

–Dr. David Ripin, CHAI Executive Vice President of Infectious Diseases and Chief Science Officer

“We are pleased to join hands with The Clinton Health Access Initiative and The Hepatitis Fund in this access initiative. Reducing the costs of Hepatitis B and C treatments will ensure affordability and accessibility to millions in low – and middle-income countries and is a major step towards elimination of hepatitis by 2030.”

-Dr. Vamsi Krishna Bandi, Managing Director, Hetero Group of Companies.

“This historic agreement supports Viatris’ long-standing efforts to reduce the burden of infectious diseases like hepatitis leveraging the organization’s scientific, medical, manufacturing, and commercial expertise to develop holistic, integrated solutions for the prevention and treatment of viral hepatitis. We seek to broaden access to these life-saving hepatitis medications across geographies as part of our broader goal to make quality treatment available faster and at more affordable prices to patients in low- and middle-income countries.”

-Rakesh Bamzai, President – India Emerging Asia & Access Markets, Viatris

Media enquiries

Michael Kessler (The Hepatitis Fund)
T: +34 655 79 26 99
michael.kessler@intoon-media.com
Twitter: @mickessler

Francesca Da Ros (The Hepatitis Fund)
T: +41 762 67 33 66
Fdaros@endhep2030.org
Twitter: @frandaros

Corina Milic (The Clinton Health Access Initiative)
T: +14163716313
cmilic@clintonhealthaccess.org