Non-profit’s $300 hepatitis C cure as effective as $84,000 alternative

Exclusive: 71 million people stand to benefit from reduced price treatment for virus which can lead to liver cirrhosis, cancer and death

An affordable hepatitis C treatment has been shown to be safe and effective, with very high cure rates for patients including hard-to-treat cases, in interim clinical trial results that offer hope to the 71 million people living with the disease worldwide.

The treatment is expected to cost $300 for 12 weeks, or $3.50 per day, in Malaysia, where trials were conducted along with Thailand - a fraction of the cost of other hepatitis C medicines produced by major drugmakers, which often run to tens of thousands of dollars.