CVS Health: After 30 Years, a Hepatitis C Treatment That Finally Worked

NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESS Newswire / October 2, 2026 / Originally published on CVS Health Company Newsroom

For more than 30 years, Mary lived with hepatitis C, uncertain whether she would ever be free of the disease. Then earlier this year, she received the news she had been waiting decades to hear.

"Mary, the virus is gone. It's undetectable. You're cured."

The call came from her physician, Rebecca Anastos-Wallen, MD, Chief Clinical Officer at Oak Street Health, and marked the end of a journey made possible through personalized care, specialty pharmacy care and a team committed to finding solutions when challenges arose.

When Mary decided she was ready to pursue hepatitis C treatment, an unexpected obstacle threatened to derail her progress. The medication prescribed to treat the virus came in a pill that was too large for her to swallow.

Rather than accepting that barrier, Dr. Rebecca worked with Mary's preferred CVS Specialty Pharmacy team to explore other options. Together, they identified an alternative formulation that could be sprinkled onto food, allowing Mary to take the medication in a way that fit her needs.

The solution was simple, but the impact was life-changing.

For Mary, the experience highlighted the value of integrated health care. Her care team at Oak Street Health and the pharmacists at CVS Specialty Pharmacy worked together to support her treatment journey, ensuring she had access to the medication and guidance she needed along the way.

That support became especially important as Mary navigated questions about treatment. Throughout the process, she reached out to the CVS Specialty pharmacy team multiple times for reassurance and information.

"Even though I talked to almost 13 CVS Specialty pharmacists, the answer was the same," Mary says. "That made me feel a little more confident."

The consistency of those interactions helped build trust and confidence, reinforcing the care plan developed between Mary, her physician and the pharmacy team. It also demonstrated how coordinated support can help patients overcome obstacles common in chronic disease management.

For Dr. Rebecca, delivering the news that Mary was cured was one of the most rewarding moments of her career.

After decades of living with hepatitis C, Mary had successfully completed treatment and achieved the outcome she once thought might be out of reach.

Looking back, what stands out most to her is not only the cure itself, but the people who helped make it possible.

"I felt the care, and I teared up," Mary says.

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SOURCE: CVS Health