11–20 of 276 posts
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Jesus how much did these drugs cost to develop? Are these numbers justified?
It’s priced based on ability to pay. US it will be 100,000 other countries it will be less.
Here's an article on how the patent did not affect it's price in India: https://m.economictimes.com/industry/healthcare/biotech/phar...
How do they intend to actually roll out a massive testing operation (everyone under 80) when likely most people hear the details and respond with "meh, not me"?
Antiviral drugs for hepatitis C are very effective, but they come at a steep cost. Just one Sovaldi pill costs $1,000. A full 12-week course of treatment with this drug costs $84,000. The price of other hepatitis C drugs is also high: Harvoni costs $94,500 for a 12-week treatment Mavyret costs $39,600 for a 12-week treatment Zepatier costs $54,600 for a 12-week treatment Technivie costs $76,653 for a 12-week treatmen…
That is so depressing to read. US pharma companies are completely out of control, there’s absolutely no reason a 12 week treatment should cost around the mean annual US income. Can’t imagine having to decide to risk my entire financial future to deal with Hep C.
What if it was synthesized in 5,000 steps from pure gold or something?
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Jesus how much did these drugs cost to develop? Are these numbers justified?
It’s priced based on ability to pay. US it will be 100,000 other countries it will be less.
Considering that 40% of Americans can't cover a $400 emergency expense[0], what makes you think they can pay $84,000 for a 12-week treatment?
[0]: https://money.cnn.com/2018/05/22/pf/emergency-expenses-house...
Antiviral drugs for hepatitis C are very effective, but they come at a steep cost. Just one Sovaldi pill costs $1,000. A full 12-week course of treatment with this drug costs $84,000. The price of other hepatitis C drugs is also high: Harvoni costs $94,500 for a 12-week treatment Mavyret costs $39,600 for a 12-week treatment Zepatier costs $54,600 for a 12-week treatment Technivie costs $76,653 for a 12-week treatmen…
Previously, with no cure, HepC patients would have eventually had a liver transplant. Liver transplants cost between $500K-$1M. Of course, it also requires a liver, so many would die waiting for a liver.
As you noted, the drugs have become much cheaper. Mavyret is ~1/2 the cost of Sovaldi, the first drug on the market (replaced by Harvoni). Mavyret actually only has an 8 week treatment, which is an improvement over the 12 weeks of Harvoni.
The competition within these drugs became so fierce that, despite these prices, no new ones are planned (last I read). In fact, one you listed here has been off the market for over a year
https://www.empr.com/home/news/two-hepatitis-c-virus-infecti...
Earlier quoted context omitted.
That is so depressing to read. US pharma companies are completely out of control, there’s absolutely no reason a 12 week treatment should cost around the mean annual US income. Can’t imagine having to decide to risk my entire financial future to deal with Hep C.
> there’s absolutely no reason a 12 week treatment should cost around the mean annual US income. What if it was synthesized in 5,000 steps from pure gold or something?
If you have the unique misfortune of being born to one of those older users, do get tested. I was asymptomatic when I tested positive a few years ago, at the age of 25. It was a surprise to the medical professionals involved, as I have no drug using history, no tattoos, in otherwise perfectly good health.
I did get the super expensive pills, and they cured me in eight weeks (and I'm extremely grateful my insurance at the time covered the cost).
My liver's doing OK, but who knows whether the disease contributed to my chronic depression. Still, I consider myself lucky to have caught it when I did.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
It’s priced based on ability to pay. US it will be 100,000 other countries it will be less.
Ability to pay? Is that a joke? Considering that 40% of Americans can't cover a $400 emergency expense[0], what makes you think they can pay $84,000 for a 12-week treatment? [0]: https://money.cnn.com/2018/05/22/pf/emergency-expenses-house...
Antiviral drugs for hepatitis C are very effective, but they come at a steep cost. Just one Sovaldi pill costs $1,000. A full 12-week course of treatment with this drug costs $84,000. The price of other hepatitis C drugs is also high: Harvoni costs $94,500 for a 12-week treatment Mavyret costs $39,600 for a 12-week treatment Zepatier costs $54,600 for a 12-week treatment Technivie costs $76,653 for a 12-week treatmen…
There’s a $300 treatment on the way: https://www.dndi.org/2018/media-centre/press-releases/new-af...
[1] https://www.medicaltourismmag.com/article/hepatitis-c-treatm...