Gilead’s Price Battle with Express Scripts
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The Editors at Hepatitis Central
December 24, 2014
Why has Gilead resisted lowering its Hepatitis C drug prices with Express Scripts’ National Preferred Formulary, a list of approved and covered drugs for millions of Americans?
Express Scripts drops Gilead hep C drugs for cheaper AbbVie rival
By Caroline Humer
(Reuters) – The largest U.S. pharmacy benefit manager said on Monday it has lined up a cheaper price for AbbVie Inc’s newly approved hepatitis C treatment and, in most cases, will no longer cover Gilead Sciences Inc’s treatments after trying for nearly a year to win a deeper discount.
Express Scripts’ move reignited investor concerns that pharmaceutical companies will have to bow to pricing pressure from U.S. insurers and lawmakers over novel medications whose cost can reach hundreds of thousands of dollars for some diseases.
Continue reading this entire article:
https://news.yahoo.com/express-scripts-cover-abbvie-hepatitis-c-drug-drops-050323412–finance.html
8 Comments
The problem for the pharmaceuticals is that the new drugs cure hep C and there fore have a limited sale. Gilead could well be the losers in the long run where in fact a sensible price would corner the market and still secure a decent profit. Greed to the point of financial stupidity. The cure is like the genie being out the bottle. I can only think that people high up in government and the media are having their pockets generously greased for this to be allowed to happen with such impunity and lack of coverage in the media.
Mick when they say this new drug is a CURE … Does this mean you that Can you be a BLOOD DONOR AGAIN!!!!!?????
No. It does not. No one can be considered “cured” until a test is created that measures down to ZERO. The lowest one out there measures down to 2…..however it is very expensive and insurance companies are not approving it. We will still not be allowed to donate blood, AND will continue to be denied life insurance coverage……. we still have a long way to go..
My understanding is after two years of being cleared of the virus life insurance denial is no longer acceptable. Meaning after two years non detectable coverage will be available. Now the question is, at what cost?
I did solvaldi and cleared 2014. Could not afford the drug ,but was able to have insurance cover it. My ? Is .what is the cost price of solvaldi…. And what is the charge price of it. Do you follow me??? Thanks !
The VA started me on Sofosbuvir 400 MC and Simeprevir 150. After 12 weeks I have no detectable viral load. I will continue on both for another 4 weeks. I will have labs 30 days after the treatment and if hep c is still not detectable I will have labs in 6 months. If undetectable then they will consider in cured. I do have Type I hep.
If Hep C treatment drugs are too expensive for the afflicted to afford, then I fail to see how they can be called a ‘cure’.
Wonder if Express Rx’s offered to defray the cost of these new cures or if they just talked the talk.