Key takeaways
Epclusa (sofosbuvir/velpatasvir) and Olysio (simeprevir) are both antiviral medications used to treat hepatitis C. However, they differ in several ways. Epclusa is a combination medication that treats all six types of hepatitis C and is taken as a single oral tablet once a day. In contrast, Olysio was used in combination with peginterferon and ribavirin, which required multiple medications and had more side effects. Olysio is no longer available in the U.S. due to the availability of newer, more effective treatments like Epclusa. While Epclusa is still in use and available by prescription, Olysio has been discontinued. Epclusa can cause mild side effects like headache and fatigue, and it interacts with many medications, including those for heartburn. Olysio, on the other hand, was associated with the side effects of the additional medications it required.
