ACE Technology Guidances

ACE Technology Guidances communicate recommendations from the MOH Drug Advisory Committee or the MOH Medical Technology Advisory Committee on the funding status and appropriate use of drugs, vaccines or medical technologies that have been evaluated by ACE. The guidances also include the Committee’s rationale for the funding recommendations, and key clinical and economic evidence which informed their deliberations. Plain English Summaries (PES) to explain ACE Technology Guidances are available for patients and the public.

Published on 01 Oct 2018
Last Updated on 01 Oct 2020
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Guidance Recommendations
The Ministry of Health's Drug Advisory Committee has recommended:
  • Sofosbuvir 400 mg/velpatasvir 100 mg tablet for treating genotype 1 chronic hepatitis C infection in treatment-naïve, or pegylated interferon plus ribavirin (PR)-experienced, or NS3/4A protease inhibitor (boceprevir, simeprevir, telaprevir)-experienced adults.
  • Glecaprevir 100 mg/pibrentasvir 40 mg tablet for treating genotype 1 chronic hepatitis C infection in treatment-naïve, or pegylated interferon plus ribavirin (with or without sofosbuvir)-experienced, or sofosbuvir plus ribavirin-experienced adults.
Sofosbuvir/velpatasvir and glecaprevir/pibrentasvir should be used in line with the recommended treatment regimens listed in the Annex.

Sofosbuvir/velpatasvir and glecaprevir/pibrentasvir should be prescribed by a specialist physician (gastroenterologist, hepatologist, or infectious disease specialist) with experience in the treatment of hepatitis C.

The supplier of sofosbuvir/velpatasvir will provide retreatment with sofosbuvir/velpatasvir/voxilaprevir to patients who fail to achieve a sustained virological response with sofosbuvir/velpatasvir through their No Cure No Pay program, at no additional cost.

Subsidy status
Sofosbuvir 400mg/velpatasvir 100 mg tablet and glecaprevir 100 mg/pibrentasvir 40 mg tablet are recommended for inclusion on the Medication Assistance Fund (MAF), for the abovementioned indications.
MAF assistance does not apply to other direct-acting antivirals (asunaprevir, ombitasvir/paritaprevir/ritonavir+dasabuvir, sofosbuvir/ledipasvir, elbasvir/grazoprevir and daclatasvir).

Direct-acting antiviral agents for treating genotype 1 chronic hepatitis C (updated 1 Oct 2020) PES Direct-acting antiviral agents for treating chronic hepatitis C (Published 1 Oct 2020)