New hepatitis C treatment approved Published on Sunday 18 March 2012 15:53 Some of the 14,000 or so people in East Anglia with hepatitis C could benefit from a new treatment targeting those with the genotype 1 strain of the disease. The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (Nice) has recommended the use of the Incivo (telaprevir) treatment for those who have genotype 1 chronic hepatitis C, if they suffer from liver disease and have not yet been treated or if they have been treated unsuccessfully. It is estimated that 45% hepatitis C patients in the UK are infected by the genotype 1 strain. The health body's report into the drug, which has been developed by Janssen, said the treatment "represents a cost-effective use of NHS resources" and is "clinically more effective" than current standard treatments in clearing the virus. Two other medications would be combined with Incivo (telaprevir) during treatment. Janssen says the new drug offers 58% of previously untreated patients and 66% of patients who have relapsed the potential to halve their treatment duration to six months. There are 201,051 hepatitis C sufferers in England, and 14,701 in East Anglia. Graham Foster, professor of hepatology at Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry, said: "We have approved new treatments which significantly increase these patients chances of clearing the virus and offers some patients a shorter treatment duration. "We must now ensure that patients are in a position to access the new antiviral treatments which offer them a very good chance of clearing the virus." NICE will now issue final guidance to the NHS in May, and it is expected telaprevir will be included in this. The NHS then have three months to ensure the medication is available for patients. Copyright (c) Press Association Ltd. 2012, All Rights Reserved.