How Addiction Recovery Was My First Step Toward Hepatitis C Cure

After overcoming multiple health challenges, Kasey was eager to embrace a new chapter in her life with her husband and young children, filled with hope and excitement. Having celebrated four years of sobriety from injection drug use at the time, she was passionate about working with other women in her community to help them achieve the same. When her own health-related concerns led her to a doctor's visit, her doctor asked Kasey about other areas of her health, including her hepatitis C (HCV) status.

HCV is a viral infection that attacks the liver and is spread through blood-to-blood contact, which is why people who inject drugs are more likely to acquire the condition.¹ "My doctor explained to me that HCV testing is not part of a routine check-up and needs to be requested, and I realized that I was never tested for the condition in previous wellness check-ups or during my pregnancies," Kasey recounts.

After testing, Kasey's doctor delivered the news that she was living with HCV. "The result was not surprising to me, but it brought a lot of shame and guilt around wishing I had known to get tested for HCV earlier. I was nervous, sad and scared, not only for myself, but for my partner and kids who would need to be tested as well," Kasey explains.

HCV is often spread through injection drug use, and as such, the opioid epidemic has exacerbated transmission rates over the past decade.² Data show that this has led to a resurgence of new cases as injection drug use accounts for a majority (approximately 70%) of new HCV cases.³

Kasey's experience is more common than you'd think. Coined the 'silent disease,' HCV symptoms can go unnoticed, and if left untreated, can progress to liver fibrosis, cirrhosis and/or liver cancer.^1,4 Of the nearly 4 million people living with HCV in the U.S., an estimated 40% are unaware they have it.⁵

Getting tested is the only way to know if someone is living with HCV and is the first step toward curing their disease.⁶ In fact, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that all adults are tested at least once in their life and encourages more regular testing for individuals who meet additional criteria, such as a history of injection drug use.⁷

The good news is that curative options are available. With guidance from her doctor, Kasey started treatment with the direct acting antiviral (DAA), EPCLUSA^® (sofosbuvir/velpatasvir) 400mg/100mg, a prescription medicine to treat adults with chronic HCV genotype 1-6 infection with or without cirrhosis (compensated). She was also happy to learn that there was an average cure rate of 98% in clinical studies*, and that her treatment only required one pill a day for 12 weeks. EPCLUSA can also be taken during addiction recovery and with other common medications.⁸

"As a mother, I was worried treatment would interrupt my daily life, but the once-daily pill was easy for me," Kasey says. "I developed my own, unique system to track my pills, so I didn't forget to take my medication." Throughout Kasey's HCV treatment, she experienced side effects like nausea and fatigue.⁹ Three months after completing treatment, she received the news that the virus was undetectable in her latest blood test and that she was cured of HCV.

A lack of knowledge of the disease, fear of side effects from medication and the potential of stigma for seeking treatment may further prevent people from getting tested.¹⁰ Additionally, advances in medicine are further undermined by complex factors like the opioid epidemic and COVID-19 pandemic, which have limited access to care for many.^{11, 12} To date, acute HCV cases in the U.S. have doubled in the past ten years, with 70% of those acute cases becoming chronic HCV.¹

Vulnerable populations, like people who inject drugs, often experience gaps in care or may not be prioritized for treatment.¹³ However, there is strong evidence to support that treating these individuals may be critical in achieving HCV elimination efforts, emphasizing the importance of expanding screening and treatment public health initiatives.¹⁴ On average, each person who injects drugs and is living with HCV is likely to transmit the disease to about 20 others.¹⁵ As such, curing HCV in one individual who injects drugs may therefore help reduce further transmission. "I knew that seeking a cure was the best choice for me and my family. There will always be good and bad days, but it is important to focus on the positives as a way to move forward," Kasey states.

Following her own HCV and addiction recovery story, Kasey understands firsthand how stigma can often make it harder to seek out help and support. "While everyone's experience is unique, it's important to remember that you don't have to face this journey by yourself," Kasey remarks. Approaching HCV treatment holistically with the help of doctors, community organizers and public health officials can help people get on the path to cure. "At a minimum, I hope sharing my personal experience helps people feel empowered to get tested."

Today, Kasey is nearly seven years sober, working with women in the addiction recovery community, and applying to masters programs to expand her substance use counseling credentials. "I'm now back living in the town [where] I was in active addiction, so it's motivation to continue being the healthiest version of myself and encouraging others in the community to do the same," she says proudly.

"Going through my own recovery and liver health journey, I want to inspire others who may be experiencing something similar," Kasey adds. Her advice for others who are undergoing HCV treatment or think they should get tested? "No one has to ever feel alone in HCV. There is a supportive community of safety and love for people across the spectrum of care, including those who may be at risk for HCV, are undergoing treatment, or are in recovery, offering a space of understanding and empowerment for everyone in their journey."

Learn more at www.epclusa.com or talk to your healthcare provider to see if EPCLUSA may be right for you or a loved one.

*98% cure rate is an average from studies of genotype 1-6 patients without cirrhosis or with compensated cirrhosis

Please see Important Facts about EPCLUSA including Important Warnings for hepatitis B reactivation.

What is EPCLUSA?

EPCLUSA is a prescription medicine used to treat adults with chronic (lasting a long time) hepatitis C (Hep C) genotype 1-6 infection with or without cirrhosis (compensated).

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION

What is the most important information I should know about EPCLUSA?

EPCLUSA can cause serious side effects, including:

• Hepatitis B virus reactivation: Before starting EPCLUSA treatment, your healthcare provider will do blood tests to check for hepatitis B infection. If you have ever had hepatitis B, the hepatitis B virus could become active again during and after treatment with EPCLUSA. This may cause serious liver problems including liver failure and death. If you are at risk, your healthcare provider will monitor you during and after taking EPCLUSA.

What should I tell my healthcare provider before taking EPCLUSA?

• Tell your healthcare provider about all of your medical conditions, including if you have ever had hepatitis B infection, liver problems other than hepatitis C infection, or a liver transplant; if you have kidney problems or are on dialysis; if you have HIV; or if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, or plan to become pregnant or breastfeed. It is not known if EPCLUSA will harm your unborn baby or pass into your breast milk.
• Tell your healthcare provider and pharmacist about all the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. EPCLUSA and certain other medicines may affect each other, or may cause side effects.

What are the possible side effects of EPCLUSA?

Serious side effects may also include:

• Slow heart rate (bradycardia): EPCLUSA, when taken with amiodarone (Cordarone^®, Nexterone^®, Pacerone^®), a medicine used to treat certain heart problems, may cause slow heart rate. In some cases slow heart rate has led to death or the need for a pacemaker when amiodarone is taken with medicines containing sofosbuvir. Get medical help right away if you take amiodarone with EPCLUSA and get any of the following symptoms: fainting or near-fainting, dizziness or lightheadedness, not feeling well, weakness, extreme tiredness, shortness of breath, chest pains, confusion, or memory problems.
• The most common side effects of EPCLUSA in adults include headache and tiredness.

These are not all the possible side effects of EPCLUSA. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects.

You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescriptions drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch or call 1-800-FDA-1088.

Please see Important Facts about EPCLUSA including Important Warnings.

A message from Gilead Sciences, Inc.

EPCLUSA and GILEAD are trademarks of Gilead Sciences, Inc. or its related companies. All other marks are the property of their respective owners.

©2025 Gilead Sciences, Inc. All rights reserved. US-EPCC-0271 02/25

References

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