Gilead extends partnership with NHS England to eliminate hepatitis C by 2025

• Since the commencement of the Strategic Procurement agreement in 2019, Gilead has worked in partnership with NHS England, non-profit organisations, and industry to help treat and cure over 84,000 people of hepatitis C[i]
• 62,600 people in England are estimated to still be living with untreated hepatitis C,[ii] leaving them at risk of liver cirrhosis, liver cancer and liver failure[iii]

Monday 8^th April 2024, London, UK – Gilead Sciences Ltd. Today, Gilead Sciences is pleased to announce its continued involvement in the extended Strategic Procurement agreement between the National HCV Elimination Team, the NHS England Commercial Medicines Team and pharmaceutical partners. The two-year extension of this unique partnership means that in 2025, England could be amongst the first countries globally to have eliminated hepatitis C, five years ahead of the World Health Organization’s target of 2030.[iv]

Rachel Halford, CEO, The Hepatitis C Trust, says: “Through this partnership, we have been able to transform healthcare for communities that face barriers to treatment. Now people who experience homelessness, addiction or have contact with the criminal justice system have better access to screening and treatment. By removing barriers to care, we have been able to successfully cure thousands of people of hepatitis C over the last few years and this commitment to continuing to work together means we are on track to meet our ambition to eliminate hepatitis C in England by 2025.”

Hepatitis C is a virus that infects the liver and is passed via blood-to-blood contact. Without treatment, hepatitis C can cause serious damage to the liver and eventually lead to cirrhosis, liver cancer or liver failure.³ However, treatment for hepatitis C is 97% effective and it is possible to cure the disease after just a few months.[v]^,[vi] From 2015 to 2022, the number of people living with chronic hepatitis C infection in England has fallen in the general adult population by 51.6% due to improved testing and access to treatment and the number of hepatitis C-related deaths from end stage liver disease, or liver cancer, fell by 34%.² Of those treated, more than 80% were from the most deprived communities in England.[vii]

Julian Cole, Country Medical Director, Gilead UK & Ireland, adds: “We are very proud to be extending our commitment to this innovative partnership, which has already achieved considerable success. Through close collaboration with our partners in drug treatment services, alongside the NHS and The Hepatitis C Trust, we are advancing health equity and ensuring that everyone, regardless of their background or situation, can receive the treatment they deserve. The extension of this initiative with NHS England is a critical part of our leadership in liver disease and demonstrates our commitment to working collaboratively to achieve elimination of viral hepatitis by 2030.”

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As of March 2024, Gilead’s partnerships have supported micro-elimination (achieving eradication of hepatitis C in a specific location or small population[viii]) in >40 prisons and 47 drug treatment services across England, resulting in >14,000 people treated for hepatitis C.[ix]^,[x],[xi] In drug and alcohol services and prisons, Gilead has supported training, education, pathway mapping, and innovative approaches to care, bridging the gap between the third sector and the NHS, and ensuring those living with hepatitis C in the community are able to access treatment.

NHS national medical director, Professor Sir Stephen Powis, says: “An extension of our landmark commercial deal is helping us reach those most at risk as we begin our final push to wipe out the virus and find and cure any remaining cases. We urge anyone who could be living with hepatitis C to get checked for peace of mind – there are a range of ways to get tested, including screening programmes or doing a simple test at home – if left untreated, the virus can lead to life-threatening conditions, but treatment is simple, curative and easily accessible.” 

As part of the extended partnership, Gilead will continue to work with drug treatment services and prisons, supporting key roles such as regional co-ordinators and data analysts, and bringing the sector together in the pursuit of hepatitis C elimination through the Gilead Drug Treatment Services HCV Provider Forum.

[i] NHS England. World Patient Safety Day 2023: How engaging patients has accelerated our progress towards hepatitis C elimination. Available at: https://www.england.nhs.uk/blog/world-patient-safety-day-2023-how-engaging-patients-has-accelerated-our-progress-towards-hepatitis-c-elimination. Accessed March 2024.

[ii] UK Health Security Agency. Hepatitis C in England 2023. Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/hepatitis-c-in-the-uk/hepatitis-c-in-england-20234. Accessed March 2024.

[iii] The Hepatitis C Trust. What is hep C? Available at: https://www.hepctrust.org.uk/about-hep-c/what-is-hep-c/. Accessed March 2024.

[iv] World Health Organization. Global health sector strategies on, respectively, HIV, viral hepatitis and sexually transmitted infections for the period 2022-2030. 2022. Available at: https://www.who.int/teams/global-hiv-hepatitis-and-stis-programmes/strategies/global-health-sector-strategies. Accessed March 2024.

[v] The Hepatitis C Trust. Treatment. Available at: https://www.hepctrust.org.uk/about-hep-c/treatment/. Accessed March 2024.

[vi] NHS Inform. Hepatitis C. Available at: https://www.nhsinform.scot/illnesses-and-conditions/stomach-liver-and-gastrointestinal-tract/hepatitis-c/. Accessed March 2024.

[vii] NHS England. NHS set to eliminate Hepatitis C ahead of rest of the world. Available at: https://www.england.nhs.uk/2022/12/nhs-set-to-eliminate-hepatitis-c-ahead-of-rest-of-the-world/. Accessed March 2024.

[viii] Lazarus, JV. The Micro-Elimination Approach to Eliminating Hepatitis C: Strategic and Operational Considerations. Semin Liver Dis. 2018; 38(3): 181-192.

[ix] Gilead data on file. REF-71173

[x] Gilead data on file. REF-71171

[xi] Gilead data on file. REF-71172

Gilead Sciences, Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company that has pursued and achieved breakthroughs in medicine for more than three decades, with the goal of creating a healthier world for all people. The company is committed to advancing innovative medicines to prevent and treat life-threatening diseases, including HIV, viral hepatitis, COVID-19, and cancer. Gilead operates in more than 35 countries worldwide, with headquarters in Foster City, California.