Pharmac to fund 'life changing' hepatitis C drug that could benefit 50,000 New Zealanders

An estimated 50,000 New Zealanders could benefit from a just-announced Parmac decision to fund Maviret, described as a "life changing" treatment for people with hepatitis C.

The drug will be available starting in February, the agency said this afternoon.

"In many instances, this treatment will avoid associated liver cancer, the need for a liver transplant or early death," Pharmac Director of Operations Lisa Williams said in a statement. "Access to this drug is a significant advancement in treatment."

The next hurdle to treatment, she said, will be getting people to realise they have the disease.

"...An estimated 50 per cent of people who have hepatitis C have not yet been diagnosed and may not even suspect they have it," she said.