Officials with Gilead Sciences, Inc. plan to launch authorized generic versions of sofosbuvir 400 mg/velpatasvir 100 mg (Epclusa) and ledipasvir 90mg/sofosbuvir 400 mg (Harvoni), Gilead’s leading treatments for chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV), in the United States, through a newly created subsidiary, Asegua Therapeutics LLC, according to a press release from the company.
The authorized generics will launch at a list price of $24,000 for the most common course of therapy and will be available in January 2019.
The brand-name versions have been the subject of much debate since the launch of Gilead’s first HCV medication in 2013, but the average price paid for each bottle of medicine in the United States has decreased by more than 60% off of the public list prices, across health insurers and government payers. “Due to the complexity and structure of the US health care system, however, these discounts provided by Gilead may not always translate into lower costs for patients,” according to the statement. Further, existing contracts, together with laws associated with government pricing policies, make it challenging to quickly lower a product’s list price once it is on the market.
Written by Pharmacy Times
