Twenty years ago when Canberra man Sione Crawford contracted hepatitis C it was a "death sentence".
Now with the with Federal government's announcement of new-generation drugs available for hepatitis C-positive people from early next year "there's hope", he says.
Hepatitis C could be wiped out within 20 years, say health authorities, which are hailing a $1 billion investment in groundbreaking hepatitis C treatments as an early Christmas present for the 230,000 Australians living with the disease.
Health Minister Sussan Ley says the decision is a "game changer".
The price will drop from around $100,000 to just $6.10 for concessional patients and $37.70 for general patients from March now the government has approved the listing of the drugs on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme.
"This combination of breakthrough cures has a success rate of more than 90 per cent and is faster and has fewer side effects than anything currently available," Ms Ley said on Sunday.
In most cases the medicines will be taken orally for eight to 12 weeks.
Mr Crawford, 42, who has been living with disease for nearly 20 years says he is "overjoyed" about the new treatment.
"It's given us hope - that we're all valued.
"The treatments haven't been great - injections for 12 months and feeling sick for 12 months," said Mr Crawford, who manages a drug youth centre.
Prof. Alex Thompson, director of gastroenterology, St Vincents Hospital Melbourne said the subsidy will help eradicate the hepatitis C epidemic in Australia.
"We're going to be able to cure people... stop people getting liver cancer and liver fail.
"Hepatitis C is the most common cause of liver transplants and we now have the most liberal policy for investment of these drugs anywhere in the world," Prof. Thompson said.
In the past it hasn't been possible to interrupt the transmission cycle. Now he believes the disease will be eliminated within the next generation.
AMA president Professor Brian Owler said the new drugs had been result of decades of intensive research around the world.
"For Australians to have access to those is an excellent thing not only for those affected but for the rest of the population as well.
"Patients have been lobbying very hard to get access to these drugs and it's an excellent result for them and their families.
"The whole treatment and management of hepatitis C will be changed in a major way," Prof. Owler told AAP.
Hepatitis Australia CEO Helen Tyrrell praised the government's leadership on the issue, saying it would make it a more joyous Christmas for many people with hepatitis C who could now look forward to a cure.
The hepatitis C virus damages the liver, leading to liver scarring (cirrhosis), liver cancer and liver failure. About 700 Australians die from complications associated with hepatitis C each year.
Sofosbuvir with ledipasvir (Harvoni); Sofosbuvir (Sovaldi); Daclatasvir (Daklinza); and Ribavirin (Ibavyr) will be subsidised for all hepatitis C sufferers, no matter their age or method of infection.
