It is rare when a single drug entirely revolutionizes the
treatment of a disease. Yet, Gilead’s Sovaldi did just this, following its FDA
approval in late 2013. Sovaldi set the stage for the eradication of hepatitis C,
a disease that infects about 170 million people worldwide—four times that of
HIV. Sovaldi became the first $1,000 pill—$84,000 for a full
twelve-week course— which set off the usual rhetoric about evil pharmaceutical
companies bankrupting Americans. But the debate was quite different this time.
ACSH’s Dr. Josh Bloom, a long time HCV researcher, and
the author of an op-ed
about the value of Sovaldi said, “The dialogue was quite different this time.
People always complain about high drug prices, and sometimes their criticism is
justified. Especially relating to cancer drugs that can cost well over $100,000
per course, and sometimes offer little or no benefit.”
He continues, “This debate is very different. Sovaldi is
expensive, but in this case, it is worth it. The previous treatment for HCV
infection—pegylated interferon plus ribavirin (PegIFN)— was almost intolerable,
worked about half the time, and wasn’t even that much less expensive. Solvadi
was such a huge advance that insurance companies really had no choice. They had
to cover it.”......(Note: There are now multiple therapies for HCV, either
on the market, or closeby. The competition alone should drive down prices.)....To Read More.....
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