Is Mavyret better than Harvoni?
Mavyret and Harvoni are both direct-acting antiviral therapies for the treatment of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. Mavyret contains glecaprevir and pibrentasvir and is available in the form of tablets or oral pellets. Harvoni also comes in the form of tablets and oral pellets and contains ledipasvir and sofosbuvir.
Mavyret is reported to have some advantages over Harvoni including the number of HCV genotypes it covers, the length of treatment required, its approval for both acute (recently infected) and chronic ( lasting a long time) HCV, and the cost of a course of treatment.
Mavyret is approved to treat acute and chronic HCV genotypes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6 infection in patients without cirrhosis or with compensated cirrhosis (Child-Pugh A), whereas Harvoni is only approved to treat chronic HCV genotypes 1, 4, 5, or 6 without cirrhosis or with compensated cirrhosis.
In addition, Mavyret is typically given for only 8 weeks in treatment-naive patients (12 to 16 weeks in treatment-experienced patients), whereas Harvoni is usually given for 12 weeks (24 weeks in Genotype 1 treatment-experienced with compensated cirrhosis).
Another advantage of Mavyret is the price. When Mavyret was first approved in 2017, AbbVie, which makes the drug, opted for a pricing strategy that made it cheaper than other options and which quickly allowed it to grow its market share.
The cost of Mavyret without discounts is reported to cost from $27,580.60 for an 8 week supply, whereas a 12 week supply of Harvoni costs from $US98,686.50 without discounts. An authorised generic version of Harvoni is also available and costs from $US30,268.50.
References
- Barber MJ, Gotham D, Khwairakpam G, Hill A. Price of a hepatitis C cure: Cost of production and current prices for direct-acting antivirals in 50 countries. J Virus Erad. 2020;6(3):100001. Published 2020 Jun 18. doi:10.1016/j.jve.2020.06.001.
- Mavyret Prescribing Information. https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2025/209394s019,215110s005lbl.pdf
- Harvoni Prescribing Information. https://www.gilead.com/~/media/files/pdfs/medicines/liver-disease/harvoni/harvoni_pi.pdf
Read next
What is the difference between hepatitis B and C?
Some of the main differences between hepatitis B and C are:
- Hepatitis B virus can be prevented with a vaccine, but not hepatitis C.
- Hepatitis B and C are different viruses, but you can have both hepatitis B and hepatitis C at the same time.
- Over 90% of people infected with hepatitis C who have not received treatment can be cured with 8 to 12 weeks of oral medications, but treatment for hepatitis B, if needed, may be long-term or lifelong.
- There is no cure for hepatitis B, but once you recover from acute hepatitis B, you develop antibodies that protect you from the virus for life.
What are the new drugs for the treatment of hepatitis C?
The newest drugs for the treatment of hepatitis C include Mavyret (glecaprevir and pibrentasvir), Vosevi (sofosbuvir, velpatasvir, and voxilaprevir), and Epclusa (sofosbuvir and velpatasvir). All are FDA-approved for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6 infection without cirrhosis or with compensated cirrhosis (Child-Pugh A), as well as other uses. In June 2025, Mavyret was approved for the treatment of acute HCV.
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How much does Mavyret cost?
The cost of Mavyret for 84 tablets is $14,101 if you are paying cash using the Drugs.com online discount card, however, most people do not pay this amount. If you have commercial insurance, AbbVie offers a $5 per month Copay Savings Card for eligible patients.
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