AbbVie, a global biopharmaceutical company, today announced that the Common Drug Review (CDR) has posted the Canadian Drug Expert Committee (CDEC)'s positive recommendation of Holkira Pak for listing with provincial drug formularies. Holkira Pak (ombitasvir/paritaprevir/ritonavir film-coated tablets; dasabuvir film-coated tablets) is an all-oral, short-course (12 weeks for the majority of patients), interferon-free treatment, with or without ribavirin (RBV), for the treatment of patients with genotype 1 (GT1) chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, including those with compensated cirrhosis.

During their review, the CDEC clearly recognized the clinical value that Holkira Pak brings to people living with hepatitis C and recommended that the treatment be covered under minimal conditions: liver fibrosis stage of ≥2, and treatment should be initiated by physicians with experience in the management of hepatitis C. 

Following the positive CDR recommendation announcement, Ontario is the second province to reimburse Holkira Pak on its public formulary through its Exceptional Access Program (EAP) as of June 29, 2015. In Ontario, Holkira Pak will be covered under the following EAP criteria: for treatment-naïve and treatment-experienced adult patients with GT1 chronic HCV infection, with compensated cirrhosis.

For more details, go to: http://www.newswire.ca/en/story/1563367/abbvie-s-holkiratm-pak-now-reimbursed-in-ontario