Health Canada has approved a drug that’s been hailed as a cure for hepatitis C.

Sold under the brand name Epclusa, the drug is a once-daily pill taken for 12 weeks that battles all six strains of hepatitis C, ridding them from the body.

“This is really a cure,” Dr. Jordan Feld, a liver specialist at Toronto Western Hospital, said of the medication, according to the Globe and Mail.

In a pre-approval clinical trial published last November, 99 per cent of 624 patients given the drug were virus-free after three months.

All patients had been infected with one of five strains, or genotypes, of hepatitis C (1,2,4,5 and 6). A second study of genotype 3 found the drug was effective in at least 90 per cent of cases.

Source: Gilead Sciences, Inc./THE CANADIAN PRESS

Hepatitis C – a blood-borne virus that can cause severe liver damage and liver cancer if left untreated – is believed to have infected hundreds of thousands of Canadians (estimates range from 250,000 to 400,000), many of whom are unaware they harbour the virus.

Dubbed a “silent killer,” hepatitis C can take decades to manifest symptoms of cirrhosis, sucha s swelling of the legs and abdomen, and a yellowing of the skin, eyes, and urine.

News of a cure is naturally a major advance.

Previously approved hepatitis C treatments have not been as effective in battling the virus’ different forms. Traditionally, patients had to undergo testing to determine the particular genetic strain before the treatment could start. According to Feld, because Epclusa has been shown to work on all strains of the virus, the need for testing is eliminated.

Having a one-size-fits-all drug means that treatment can happen sooner.

It also means that rural patients with limited access to large urban health centres may not need to visit a specialist in person.

“I can now help a family doctor or even a nurse up in northern Canada somewhere treat the person locally,” Feld said. “They never need to see me, and the treatments are getting simple enough that it’s really straightforward and works for all populations.”

There is, however, one catch: the drug doesn’t come cheap. The 12-week treatment will set you back $60,000 – more than $700 per pill.

“It’s important because if we’re going to address this at a public health level, we need to get (more) people, particularly primary-care physicians, and even nurses, to start treating,” said Feld. “And I think this is the first step to really making that feasible.”

While the treatment is undoubtedly positive news, the problem persists that more than 50 per cent of those infected are unaware and subsequently undiagnosed.

“I can’t stress enough the importance of getting people out to get tested for this,” said Feld. “We have a cure, but we can’t cure people we can’t diagnose.”

According to the Canadian Liver Foundation, Canada, and other countries, have committed to eliminating hepatitis C by 2030. Of course, in order for this to happen, the drug needs to be financially accessible to all.

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