Gilead's New Hepatitis C Drug Will Cost More
Despite the current high cost of Gilead Science's hepatitis C drug, the next generation version will be even more expensive. However, the company also struck deals with generic drugmakers to bring the drug to developing countries.
Despite the current high cost of Gilead Science’s hepatitis C drug, the next generation version will be even more expensive,
Sovaldi costs $1,000 a pill or $84,000 for the full 12-week treatment. However, Gilead’s new all-oral treatment for the hepatitis C virus is expected to be
According to Reuters, the new treatment could effectively cut treatment costs by one-third for patients who only stay on the treatment for the shorter timeframe. The new treatment combines Sovaldi with the experimental therapy ledipasvir. The current regimen, which includes Sovaldi, ribavirin, and interferon, costs $95,000 in total.
The new drug cures up to 99% of patients, compared with 90% on the current regimen, and US health regulators will decide by Oct. 10 whether or not to approve the drug.
Gregg Alton, Gilead’s executive vice president of corporate and medical affairs, did not give an exact price for the new medicine, but did tell Reuters that it will be less than Sovaldi plus Olysio, Johnson & Johnson’s daily protease inhibitor, which costs up to $150,000.
However, more than half the total global infected population lives in developing countries. Monday, Gilead announced agreements with 7 India-based general pharmaceutical companies: Cadila Healthcare Ltd., Cipla Ltd., Hetero Labs Ltd., Mylan Laboratories Ltd., Ranbaxy Laboratories, Ltd., Sequent Scientific Ltd., and Strides Arcolab Ltd.
These companies will manufacture the generic sofosbuvir and the investigational single tablet regimen of ledipasvir and sofosbuvir for 91 developing countries, which account for 54% of the world’s hepatitis C population.
“Hepatitis C is a significant public health issue worldwide, and Gilead is working to make its chronic hepatitis C medicines accessible to as many patients, in as many places, as quickly as possible,” Alton
Newsletter
Stay ahead of policy, cost, and value—subscribe to AJMC for expert insights at the intersection of clinical care and health economics.
Related Articles
- Promising Early Efgartigimod Response Data for Generalized Myasthenia Gravis
September 18th 2025
- Metabolic Issues More Common in Patients With HIV
September 18th 2025
- Barriers to Gender-Affirming Surgery Persist Despite High Satisfaction Rate
September 18th 2025
- Eating Behaviors May Predict GLP-1 Therapy Success in Type 2 Diabetes
September 18th 2025