The Consumer Association of Penang (CAP) has congratulated the Health Ministry over plans to produce affordable versions of Hepatitis C medication.

In a statement yesterday, CAP president SM Mohd Idris said this has raised hopes for 500,000 patients in Malaysia because a cure was now within reach.

“We call on the government to make the medicine available to patients within days or at most a few weeks.

“The government measure should result in massive savings of 95 to 99 percent. The present price of a full course of treatment for 12 weeks is about RM300,000,” he said.

Yesterday, Health Minister Dr S Subramaniam said the cabinet had decided to invoke the Patent Act 1983 to produce a generic version of the sofosbuvir drug.

The Health Ministry plans to make the drug available to twelve public hospitals by year end.

SM Mohd said Malaysia was the first country in the world to issue a government-use license or a compulsory license for sofosbuvir or any medicines in the category known as direct-acting antivirals (DAA) which are effective for treating Hepatitis C.

“The Malaysian action could inspire other countries to do likewise. Issuing such a license is fully compatible with the rules of the World Trade Organisation and the Patent Act.

“We congratulate the health minister and his colleagues in the Health Ministry and other ministries for this bold move that will benefit many thousands of patients,” he said.

Meanwhile, SM Mohd urged the government to also take the necessary action to explore ways to ensure accessibility to other Hepatitis C drugs which are required in combination usage with sofosbuvir.