Hepatitis C Virus (Emerging Market Special Report) | Emerging Markets | China | 2015
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is the leading cause of end-stage liver disease and hepatocellular carcinoma in China. The prevalence of this chronic disease remains high owing to the presence of a large existing undiagnosed population and a population of nonresponders (i.e., patients who failed previous therapy or relapsed following prior therapy). Between 2014 and 2024, the key driver in the Chinese HCV therapy market will be the increase in the drug-treated population owing to the introduction of new classes of HCV direct-acting agents that offer interferon-free therapy. As they are doing in the mature markets, these agents will provide high HCV cure rates and improved safety and tolerability compared with the current standard of care (i.e., interferon-based regimens).
