Gilead Sciences Korea said Monday its Harvoni, a hepatitis C treatment, has gained extended insurance coverage to treat chronic hepatitis C treatment in adult’s with genotype 2 and adolescents older than 12, from last Tuesday.

With the addition, Harvoni can now treat chronic hepatitis C in adults with genotype 1, 2, 4, 5, and 6. Chronic hepatitis C in adults with genotype 2 is most common in Korea. The treatment is now also the only available hepatitis C treatment in adolescents.

Patients taking the drug only have to take one tablet a day, which the company expects will improve compliance among patients. The drug is also the only ㅐone that does not include a protease inhibitor (PI) in Korea. Therefore it has no limitations in treating patients with a severe liver disease such as Child-Pugh B or C grade cirrhosis and adult patients after liver transplantation.

“Harvoni is a hepatitis C treatment with excellent therapeutic efficacy and good tolerance and has proved its superior efficacy through real-world data announced in many countries,” Gilead Sciences Korea CEO Lee Seung-woo said. “We are pleased that more domestic hepatitis C patients will benefit from the best treatment of hepatitis through this indication expansion.”

The company will continue to solve the unmet need for hepatitis C treatment and take the lead in fighting hepatitis C infection in Korea, Lee added.

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