Roche unveils Pegasys compliance service

Roche has set up a new multimedia service to support patients prescribed its hepatitis C treatment, Pegasys.

Roche has been a pioneer in the field of patient compliance, launching one of the first patient helplines four years ago for its obesity treatment, Xenical.

The twentyfour7 Patient Support Programme takes this further by including SMS text reminders, a dedicated website and a how-to-administer DVD, alongside a telephone helpline staffed by nurses.

Patients enrolled on the programme will also be sent a magazine at different times during their treatment.

Significant numbers of hepatitis C patients struggle with their treatment and fail to show up for appointments or stop taking it because of the length of treatment or its side-effects.

The twentyfour7 programme aims to provide support for patients and encouragement for them to stay on treatment. If left untreated hepatitis C can lead to liver cirrhosis, liver cancer and death.

Opal Greyson, a clinical nurse specialist from Barts and the London NHS Trust, said she is often called by patients who find their treatment difficult.

"This service will certainly benefit many hepatitis C patients and help them through what can be a difficult and long treatment regimen, but one that we hope will cure them in the long run."

Hepatitis C is one of the most common chronic blood-borne infections with up to 500,000 sufferers in England and Wales.