The United States lags behind other countries in treating hepatitis C
In the 10 years since drugmaker Gilead launched a breakthrough treatment for hepatitis C, a wave of new therapies have been used to cure millions of people around the world from the blood-borne virus.Today, 15 countries, including Egypt, Canada and Australia, are on track to eliminate hepatitis C within this decade, according to the Center for Disease Analysis Foundation, a nonprofit organization. Each pursued a dogged national screening and treatment campaign.But the arsenal of drugs, which have brought tens of billions of dollars to pharmaceutical companies, has not brought the United States any closer to eradicating the disease.Spread through the blood including intravenous drug use, hepatitis C causes inflammation of the liver, although people may not show symptoms for years. Only a ...