Making access to Hepatitis B cure (treatment) possible

August 27, 2011

http://business.inquirer.net/15107/making-access-to-hepatitis-b-cure-possible

Philippine Daily Inquirer

9:05 pm | Friday, August 26th, 2011

In the Philippines, Hepatitis B is said to be the leading cause of liver damage

resulting in liver cirrhosis and liver cancer. At least one out of 10 people is

a carrier of Hepatitis B. It is estimated that more than 7.7-million people are

chronically infected with Hepatitis B, of whom between 1.1 and 1.9 million are

expected to die prematurely of cirrhosis or liver cancer.

This makes chronic Hepatitis B one of the most challenging infectious diseases

to manage.

About 4 million Hepatitis B patients can get treatment but the reality is, many

of them cannot afford it.

In response to calls for access to Hepatitis B treatment, multinational

pharmaceutical company Roche Philippines has partnered with the Hepatology

Society of the Philippines, with the support of the Yellow Warriors Society of

the Philippines, to launch the Pegassist Easy Access Plan for patients with

Hepatitis B.

Through the plan, Hepatitis B patients can have access to the peg-interferon

alfa-2a hepatitis treatment medication with discounts up to as much as 50

percent.

Dr. Dennis Dioko, Roche specialty business unit director, said there are several

ways patients can find out if they can qualify for discounts through the

Pegassist Easy Access Plan. First, if they are seeing a gastroenterologist,

their doctor can refer them to the hepatitis hotline. If they are not currently

seeing a doctor, they can call the hotline directly and the hotline can refer

them to a gastroenterologist nearest to them for consultation.

“After Hepatitis B patients call the hotline—manned by the Hepatitis Hotline

nurse—and have already been prescribed Peg interferon alfa-2a by their doctors,

they will be referred to a financial assessment agency. Once the financial

assessment has been completed, the agency will decide how much discount the

patient is eligible to receive. Patients can get as much as 50 percent

discount,” he said.

According to him, patients will also be provided with free selected Hepatitis B

laboratory tests that would have otherwise been very expensive. They can have

access to such tests as HBV DNA Testing and S-quantification.

Through the Pegassist Easy Access Plan, treatment and care can become available

to wider range of Hepatitis B patients and give them the opportunity to get the

medication they need.

The Yellow Warriors Society of the Philippines is fully committed to their

advocacy of promoting a healthy and productive society by fighting Hepatitis B,

preventing it, eradicating prejudices and discrimination, disseminating

information of treatment and care, and diminishing suffering through advocacy,

research, and education.

Awareness is the key step and to promote their cause even further, the Yellow

Warriors Society of the Philippines and the HSP are hosting a run titled “Run

for Liver: 12 minus 1, making a difference” today at the Ninoy Aquino Parks and

Wildlife Center. There will be free rapid HBsAg testing for the first 200 run

participants.

August 27, 2011