TEHRAN, Sep. 08 (MNA) – Deputy health minister has reported on the entry of home-made Hepatitis C drug to the country’s pharmaceutical market next week noting that it has been produced by Iranian knowledge-based companies.

“The Sofosbuvir drug is used to treat hepatitis C cases; previously it was imported from other countries and priced at $100 per tablet but the indigenous version will be available at the price of 10 dollars per tablet,” said Reza Malekzadeh at a press conference on knowledge-based companies reminding that, “in terms of quality, this drug fully complies with foreign ones and there is no difference in terms of efficiency or treatment of the disease.”

He also reported the production of two other combination drugs to treat hepatitis C in the country adding that they are currently at laboratory stage and will soon be released. “There are now drugs that can treat hepatitis C and there exists the possibility of eradication of the hepatitis C virus in the country in near future; hepatitis C has a three-month course of treatment and patients should take one tablet per day for full treatment,” added Malekzadeh.

Stressing the importance of supporting knowledge-based companies in the health sector, deputy health minister concluded that, “by supporting these companies we will be able to produce low-cost drugs for a variety of diseases, especially cancer, in the country and make it available to our patients.”

By Mehr News Agency